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Olivia Wahl @olivia-wahl.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

The hardest parts of teaching are often the ones no one wrote down. Katie Lewis White names this hidden work in part one of our conversation.

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Olivia Wahl @olivia-wahl.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

Silence after a question isn't a problem to solve. It's thinking happening. That goes for students in class and teachers in coaching sessions.

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Olivia Wahl @olivia-wahl.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

What is Learning Debt (& Why You Need to Fix it Right Now)? New initiatives keep getting added. Old ones never leave. Katie Lewis White calls it learning debt, and this week she shows school leaders where to start paying it down.

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Olivia Wahl @olivia-wahl.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

Kids remember what made them wonder. October's podcast lineup is about building more of that into a regular school day. Four conversations. Watch the reel, then tell me in the comments: What's a question a student asked that stopped your lesson in the best way?

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Olivia Wahl @olivia-wahl.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

Why shouldn’t your classroom look Pinterest-perfect in September? Jennifer Orr says kids should co-create the space with you, and when it's too perfect, they worry about messing it up. Part 2 of our conversation is live on Schoolutions. Would you start with bare walls? 👇

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Olivia Wahl @olivia-wahl.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

How often does your feedback sound like "Good effort!"? You mean it kindly, but a student walks away with no idea what's working or what to do next. Specific feedback tells students exactly where they stand, and that clarity builds confident learners who take ownership of their next steps.

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Olivia Wahl @olivia-wahl.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

Jennifer Orr rereads Choice Words every few years, and it always reminds her to talk less and listen more. What's the teaching book YOU keep coming back to? Drop it below so we can all add to our lists.

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Olivia Wahl @olivia-wahl.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

How can we encourage students to learn from each other? Consider this: the words we use with kids teach them how to treat differences. When we get curious about other perspectives out loud, students learn to do the same. What's one phrase you use to help kids learn from each other?

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Olivia Wahl @olivia-wahl.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

I hear this from teachers all the time: "What if the parents don't trust me?" Jennifer Orr felt that too, as a 25-year-old first-year teacher. Her advice? Get curious. Ask families about their child and really listen. 💛 What's your favorite question to ask caregivers? I'd love to hear. 👇

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Olivia Wahl @olivia-wahl.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

Two minutes a day. Ten days in a row. Zero talk about academics. That's the 2x10, and it might be the simplest relationship-building strategy out there. 💛 Who's the first student that popped into your head? Start there. 👇

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Olivia Wahl @olivia-wahl.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

Struggling to reach a student? Before changing the lesson, try changing the relationship. 2 minutes x 10 days. Recess, lunch, a call home. Thanks to Jennifer Orr for this one!

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Olivia Wahl @olivia-wahl.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

How do you build a classroom that runs itself? On this week's Schoolutions, I host Jennifer Orr, a 29-year elementary teacher, National Board Certified mentor, and author of Letters to a New Teacher.

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Olivia Wahl @olivia-wahl.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

A year ago I thought every coaching cycle should run the same way. Now I know better. Teachers adjust for students. Coaches should adjust for teachers. And students? They want work that's hard but doable. What did you learn so far this year? 👇

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Olivia Wahl @olivia-wahl.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

Schoolutions S6E2 (Part Two) The Truth About Student Silence: It’s Not What You Think 91% of students who self-censor in civics class are worried about classmates. 41% name the teacher. Most of them said their classroom felt comfortable. They still held back.

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Olivia Wahl @olivia-wahl.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

Feedback Friday: Students need to be able to answer the question, "Where am I going?" Feedback on an essay means nothing to a kid who never understood the goal. Post the success criteria in student language. Have them annotate it. Then start the task. (Hattie & Clarke, 2019)

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Olivia Wahl @olivia-wahl.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

"A good civics classroom makes it possible for a student to lose an argument without losing social standing." Discomfort is part of learning. Social punishment isn't. Source: Sandra Day O'Connor Institute

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Olivia Wahl @olivia-wahl.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

Why Are Students Self-Censoring in School? 91% of students who self-censor in civics class fear their classmates. 41% fear the teacher. One teacher's fix: a daily debate question, zero personal opinions, devil's advocate for every side.

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Olivia Wahl @olivia-wahl.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

How to Teach the 250th Anniversary of America Four presidential lifetimes cover all of American history. Trump, Truman, Chester Arthur, Andrew Jackson, then nine years before the Declaration of Independence. A civics teacher's favorite way to make the founding feel close.

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Olivia Wahl @olivia-wahl.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

"This is my Fourth Amendment right. This is my Fourteenth Amendment right." A civic education teacher wants every student to say that and know exactly what it means. Then apply it to their local government.

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Olivia Wahl @olivia-wahl.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

Try it Tuesday Teacher Move: Teach Critical Thinking Want students to think critically? Start with something happening a mile from school. Pick a topic with several perspectives. Let students learn why different people see it differently. Then ask where they stand and what they value.

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Olivia Wahl @olivia-wahl.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

Mindful Monday 🌱 Outgrown beliefs ↔️New understanding For teachers: What’s one belief about “good teaching” I’ve quietly outgrown? For coaches: What do I understand about how the teachers I coach learn best that I didn’t a year ago?

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Olivia Wahl @olivia-wahl.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

What Feedback Really Is (And What It Isn't) Feedback Friday. Feedback isn't praise, and it isn't a grade. It's information that closes the gap between where a student is and where they're headed. Without a specific target, it's just noise. Source: Hattie & Timperley, 2007.

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Olivia Wahl @olivia-wahl.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

In part two of my conversation with Jenn David-Lang, she breaks down her 15-minute think tank protocol, built from a 45-minute model she cut way down. Two minutes to share a problem. Three minutes of clarifying questions. Eight minutes of group discussion while the presenter just listens.

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Olivia Wahl @olivia-wahl.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

"Internal motivation happens when three things are present: competence, autonomy, and relatedness." Jenn David-Lang, quoting Ryan and Deci's research, this week's episode. A Mastermind group checks all three at once. That's the whole reason it works.

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Olivia Wahl @olivia-wahl.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

What Motivates People to Learn? New series. Thoughtful Thursday. This week: motivation. Deci and Ryan's three factors (autonomy, relatedness, competence) map almost perfectly onto Daniel Pink's factors in his book Drive (autonomy, purpose, mastery).

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Olivia Wahl @olivia-wahl.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

How Can You Build Your Influence As a Leader? A teacher won't do what's being asked. The instinct is to have the principal force it. Jenn David-Lang says influence gets built long before that moment, through trust. Then she asks the real question: skill, or will?

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Olivia Wahl @olivia-wahl.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

Try it Tuesday Teacher Move: Keep Your Lesson Relevant Starting a new series. Try It Tuesday. One high-impact teacher move a week. This week: relevance. @ctovani.bsky.social's advice when a teacher couldn't explain why a lesson mattered? Google it. We did. The answers were right there.

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Olivia Wahl @olivia-wahl.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

"The smartest person in the room is the room." Jenn David-Lang, on this week's episode. The expertise is already there. The job is building a room where people trust each other enough to share it.

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Olivia Wahl @olivia-wahl.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

What Does Peer-Driven Leadership Look and Feel Like in Schools? Jenn David-Lang runs Mastermind groups capped at 15 people, meeting every other week for an hour. No pre-reading. They read together, then spend 15 minutes on one person's real problem.

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Olivia Wahl @olivia-wahl.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

What does "expert" mean? Mindful Monday 🌱 Sound on for this one. New school year, new questions. For teachers: What would "expert," not just "experienced," look like for me this year? For coaches: As a coach this year, how can I recognize and pollinate teachers’ expertise?

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Olivia Wahl @olivia-wahl.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

Three conversations this September on Schoolutions. 1️⃣A global peer-led leadership model. 2️⃣17 teachers on what it's like teaching through the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. 3️⃣And why mentoring, not isolation, is where the best teaching actually happens.

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Olivia Wahl @olivia-wahl.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

🦋1/2 Forever Getting Better: New Season of Schoolutions Season 6 releases on 9/14/26. This season builds toward my book, Forever Getting Better: 5 Essential Practices for Reclaiming Teacher Expertise, on track to be released by June 2027. @stenhousepub.bsky.social @kassiaowedekind.bsky.social

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Olivia Wahl @olivia-wahl.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

1/2 Last Writing Wednesday post for a while. Right now I'm going chapter by chapter through my book revisions, slow on purpose so the final version reads clean. I am hoping to have it in your hands by May or June next year. @stenhousepub.bsky.social @kassiaowedekind.bsky.social

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Olivia Wahl @olivia-wahl.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

Starting 9/14: • Mindful Monday: a nature clip with reflection prompt to anchor your week • Try it Tuesday: a teaching move for you • Wisdom Wednesday: guest tips from Schoolutions • Thoughtful Thursday: a nugget of research • Feedback Friday: how I'll apply a piece of feedback from the week

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Olivia Wahl @olivia-wahl.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

🧵1/2 Why Phonics Isn't the Whole Answer My episode with Paul Thomas just landed at #1 for the summer rerelease series. We discuss his book, How to End the Reading War and why the real fix starts outside the classroom. Less war. More listening and truly hearing each other.

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Olivia Wahl @olivia-wahl.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

1/2 My conversation with Professor John Hattie came while I was writing my book, Forever Getting Better, about the five essential practices expert teachers use every single day. Big takeaway: expert teachers are nosy. They chase the thinking behind the answer, not just the answer.

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Olivia Wahl @olivia-wahl.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

🧵1/2 Teachers, coaches, families, this one's for your next writing edit. Watch how often you use "I think" and "I believe" before an idea. Cut "our," "your," and "that" where you don't need them, and your writing tightens up fast. @kassiaowedekind.bsky.social @stenhousepub.bsky.social

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Olivia Wahl @olivia-wahl.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

1/2 Two years ago I saw Dr. Katy Anthes present the FORWARD Framework at @coloradoreading.bsky.social and knew I had to have her on the podcast. Her big idea: trade contempt and certainty for curiosity and complexity. That's how you get productive conflict instead of polarization.

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Olivia Wahl @olivia-wahl.bsky.social · 28/08/2026

🧵1/3 #4 in my summer rerelease countdown is my first ever episode. @ctovani.bsky.social and Sam Bennett join me to talk about spotting engaged students versus compliant ones, why relationships beat quick fixes with reluctant learners, and how workshop structure gives kids real choice and voice.

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Olivia Wahl @olivia-wahl.bsky.social · 26/08/2026

🧵1/2 Don't Let Fear Stop Your Progress Be brave. Do the hard thing. I finally asked people to endorse my book, and the yeses floored me. And the no reply? It’s not personal; everyone's busy. Send the message you're avoiding.

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Olivia Wahl @olivia-wahl.bsky.social · 24/08/2026

🧵1/2 Are We Ignoring What Students Are Actually Saying? #5 on my summer countdown. @corneliusminor.bsky.social and I talk about why behavior management systems fail kids. They treat symptoms instead of listening to what children are actually saying.

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Olivia Wahl @olivia-wahl.bsky.social · 19/08/2026

🧵1/2 Are You Quoting Too Much? A Simple Writing Tip… Quote, paraphrase, or summarize. I'm rereading my own writing this week using a 2006 book that still nails this decision. Emily Kissner's Summarizing, Paraphrasing, and Retelling. @stenhousepub.bsky.social @kassiaowedekind.bsky.social

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Olivia Wahl @olivia-wahl.bsky.social · 17/08/2026

1/2 #7 of the summer countdown just dropped. Penny Kittle joins me to talk micro mentor texts: short passages that teach craft without overwhelming your writers. We also discuss the power of daily low-stakes writing and why it brings the joy back.

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Reposted by Olivia Wahl

Jess Lifshitz @jess5th.bsky.social · 14/08/2026

How I’m heading into this new school year.

Anchor chart that says welcome to fourth grade. This year we will work to create a community of care. We will do this by caring for: ourselves, our community and our space.

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Olivia Wahl @olivia-wahl.bsky.social · 14/08/2026

🧵1/2 #8 in my summer rerelease of the top 20 episodes from the past five seasons. My talk with Peter Liljedahl on Building Thinking Classrooms hit hard the first time and it hits just as hard now. Random groups. Thin-sliced tasks. Better questions.

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Olivia Wahl @olivia-wahl.bsky.social · 12/08/2026

🧵1/2 What I Learned When My Friend Read My Writing Aloud to Me I tell everyone to read their writing out loud. Turns out reading it yourself only gets you halfway. My friend Katie read my writing back to me and I heard exactly where it dragged. Happy Writing Wednesday.

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Olivia Wahl @olivia-wahl.bsky.social · 10/08/2026

🧵1/2 20 Years in Kindergarten Taught Me This About Joy #9 in my top 20 summer rerelease is with Greg Smedley-Warren from Kindergarten Smorgasbord. He breaks down how he turns scripted curriculum into playful learning, and why teacher judgment beats any program.

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Olivia Wahl @olivia-wahl.bsky.social · 07/08/2026

🧵1/2 How to Give Students Real Ownership in Class Rereleasing my top 20 episodes of Schoolutions this summer. #10 is my talk with Julie Wright and James Goldberg on giving students real time to think, why the "why" and "how" beat the "what," and how choice boards build ownership.

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Olivia Wahl @olivia-wahl.bsky.social · 05/08/2026

🧵1/2 We All Have Our Own Writing Process Some writers start with small stories and facts and work toward a big idea. Others start with the big idea and work backward to find support. Neither is wrong. Just different processes. @kassiaowedekind.bsky.social @stenhousepub.bsky.social

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Olivia Wahl @olivia-wahl.bsky.social · 03/08/2026

🧵1/2 Want a 4-Step Process for Teaching Words That Works? #11 of the summer series countdown is here. I sat down with @mollyness.bsky.social for a four-step process on teaching high-frequency words. She also gives the clearest explanation I've heard on high-frequency words vs sight words.

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