ABOUT THIS EPISODE
Here's a test for tomorrow's lesson. Could you hit play, walk out of the room, and have it run exactly the same without you? If so, Katie Lewis White says you're presenting, not facilitating.
In part two of Schoolutions S6E4, Katie and I discuss what separates the two. Presenting is a one-way message. Facilitation is a conversation. It means watching who's leaning in and who's zoned out, treating silence as a sign something isn't clear, and backing up to try another way. Katie also shows how learning debt makes this harder. Every "ignore this slide" or "this handout is a little outdated" pulls attention in class away from the learning.
I share how Trevor Muir charts three desk setups with his students so the room can shift in seconds depending on the task. We talk about why a silent classroom is a signal and what student participation sounds like when the teacher works among the kids instead of at the front.
Katie also opens up about leaving the classroom after ten years. After COVID she felt spent and knew her students deserved more energy than she had left. In corporate learning and development, she found names for the things she'd been doing as a middle and high school teacher all along.
If you have strong lessons but a quiet classroom, I can help. My coaching cycles happen inside classrooms, alongside teachers, with real kids in the room. We plan together, watch who's engaged and who's zoned out, and adjust in the moment. Reach out at oliviawahl.com/coaching-consulting to bring that work to your school.
Next week, Angela Lathem-Ballard joins me to talk about balancing the many roles teachers juggle while supporting students as inductive and deductive thinkers.
💫Check out part one & Katie's Infographics:
Chapters:
0:00 The hit-play test
0:35 Three questions to think about as you listen
1:00 Welcome back, Katie
1:20 Presenting vs facilitating learning
2:00 How learning debt makes facilitation harder
3:15 The one-question test for your lesson
3:55 What to watch for when you facilitate
5:45 Trevor Muir's three desk setups
6:25 Why a silent classroom is a signal
7:05 Katie's move from the classroom to corporate learning
8:50 Giving teachers words for what they already do
10:10 Takeaways and coaching
Schoolutions is the podcast for educators and caregivers who are ready to grow alongside their children. Each episode delivers research-backed strategies rooted in the five practices of expert teachers from my upcoming book: Forever Getting Better: 5 Essential Practices for Reclaiming Teacher Expertise, so every student finds their spark and receives the support they need to thrive. I hope to have the book in your hands by June of 2027.
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When teachers, coaches, administrators, and families grow together, schools change. Students get engaged, get support, and get the chance to thrive.
When teachers, coaches, administrators, and families grow together, schools change. Students get engaged, get support, and get the chance to thrive.
