Instructional leadership is not a solo endeavor—it is a collective effort that thrives on collaboration between school leaders and instructional coaches. While principals and district leaders set the vision for high-quality teaching and learning, instructional coaches...
Joanna Michelson
Centering Student Experience in Learning Walks
Jan 29, 2025
Leaders are shifting instructional practices by conducting learning walks focused on students who are least well served in schools. By centering observations on focus student experiences, leaders gain actionable insights, refine feedback to teachers, and strengthen their shared understanding of how these young people are experiencing learning.
Building a vision for student learning
Sep 12, 2023
CEL’s yearlong, contextualized Leading for Teacher Learning helps leaders assess their current state of teacher learning and better understand what teachers need in order to improve students’ experiences. Throughout the leaders’ learning with CEL, we explore the...
Instructional Leadership Teams: 3 Tips to Clarity
Oct 27, 2021
Instructional leadership teams (ILTs) can play a key role in creating more equitable schools that give all students the opportunity to thrive. But in our work with schools around the country, we often see a missed opportunity for teams to build clear, shared purpose...
Teacher professional learning: A shift in beliefs is key to advancing access and equity for students.
Jun 17, 2019
What does transformative teacher professional learning look and sound like? This case example — which was written by my colleague Renee Gallagher and published in the May/June 2019 issue of NAESP's Principal magazine — illustrates how a shift in beliefs is key to...
How to Help Teachers Find an Area of Focus
Apr 30, 2015
Teachers have always set goals for their students and for their teaching. But what used to be a fairly open-ended conversation in the principal's office or staff room has now become a critical component of a teacher's professional development. Driven by student and...
Recent Posts
The Essential Role of Coaches in Advancing Instructional Leadership
Jun 5, 2025
Instructional leadership is not a solo endeavor—it is a collective effort that thrives on collaboration between school leaders and instructional coaches. While principals and district leaders set the vision for high-quality teaching and learning, instructional coaches...
5 Tips for Classroom Observing: An Educational Leader’s Guide
Apr 15, 2025
For over two decades, the University of Washington Center for Educational Leadership (CEL) has partnered with educational leaders across the country who are observing teaching and learning in classrooms. We see time and again that effective classroom observations can...
Welcoming Dr. Susan Enfield as CEL’s Next Executive Director
Apr 7, 2025
We are excited to share that Dr. Susan Enfield will be joining the team at the University of Washington Center for Educational Leadership (CEL) as our new Executive Director. A respected and visionary leader, Susan brings deep expertise in educational leadership, a...
The Power of Rural Leaders: Building Schools Where Students Thrive
Apr 2, 2025
We at UW CEL are excited to announce the launch of the Aspiring Leaders Project, a new three-year initiative supported by a generous grant from College Spark Washington. We’re partnering with Educational Service Districts (ESDs) to ensure that rural communities have...
Finding Inspiration During These Turbulent Times
Jan 31, 2025
We recognize that educators are leading through unprecedented challenges. Our hearts are heavy for the students, educators, families, and communities who have been impacted by the recent executive orders around immigration, equity, transgender rights, and more. We believe as firmly as ever that every student has the right to rigorous learning environments, schools where their agency is elevated, and classrooms where they belong and are respected.
