Suzanne Dailey: Starting the School Year Happier

Suzanne Dailey is an instructional coach in the Central Bucks School District, where she has the honor and joy of working with over 500 elementary teachers and 8,000 students. She teaches model lessons, facilitates professional development sessions, and mentors teachers to be the best for the students in front of them.     

     

Suzanne is Nationally Board Certified, a fellow of the National Writing Project, and has a Masters Degree in Reading. She is dedicated to nurturing and developing the whole child and teacher and presents these topics at a local, state, and national level.   

    

Suzanne is the author of Teach Happier this School Year: 40 Weeks of Inspiration & Reflection and the host of the popular weekly podcast, Teach Happier.    

 

-Suzanne has spent 10 years as an instructional coach. She coaches over 500 educators in 15 elementary sites, currently. Prior to that, she was a 4th grade educator and a reading specialist.

-”As an instructional coach I get to impact more students, by impacting their teachers. Knowing that there are really big ripple effects happening between fifteen buildings is a huge responsibility but also such a wonderful privilege and opportunity each day. No two days are the same but I feel the impact is more widespread.”

-Professional Development and Personal Development - teachers need personal development. We need to affirm who we are, and what we need, as the person behind whatever our role is. 

-Teachers are not superheroes, we are real humans who need to take care of our own selves and families at home, before we can really show up beautifully for kids. 

-Approach tasks in the two pronged approach of personal development and professional development.

-Adaptations have been so huge since March 2020 - look at that list, but look at the trends that will move us forward!

-Science of Reading- small tweaks to make our instruction so much more impactful. Phonics explicitly and systematically - building readers! 

-Knowing more, so we get to be a little bit better for the kids in front of us!

-Student and teacher wellness- student and teacher readiness.

-Small shifts, Big gifts - Teach Happier.

-What is in your diet? - What podcasts are in your ears? What news feeds are in front of our faces? What can we control and navigate with small shifts? What is within our realm of influence?

-How might we celebrate our brand new teachers in a similar way to our retirees? We all have fought through the year, how might we make everyone feel acknowledged? How do we overtly  honor and acknowledge teachers making it through their first year?

-How do we get someone from, year one to year 30? 

-Do your work and also, gather yourself beyond the role.

-Every year is a huge journey! Honor that all the way through!

-Conscious Acts of Kindness

-”I don’t know if I’ve done enough!” - Master Teacher - Goes to show no matter how great we are, no matter how impactful as teachers we are,  we carry so much with us as teachers. And that emotional lift, day in and day out, is a real thing. But I think it is finally being acknowledged and we are getting a little more space to share that.”

-When we know we have each other, that is the key to gaining and retaining great educators! 

- People, People, People - are we seeing the person behind the student, teacher, educators, or administrator? How can we flex?

-Little shifts of language - as inclusive as possible - I can’t wait to work together…we, us, let’s - just softens every interaction. 

-HAVE A WONDERFUL SCHOOL YEAR!

 

Connect with Suzanne:

Twitter: @DaileySuzanne

https://suzannedailey.com/

https://suzannedailey.com/podcast