Olivia Wahl Coaching & Consulting October Newsletter

Learning Together

I am ecstatic to share that I've just signed with Stenhouse Publishers to write my dream book, Forever Getting Better: Mastering the 5 Essential Moves of Expert Teachers (working title)!

This book will revolutionize how we think about impactful teaching. Drawing on John Hattie's research and rooted in real classroom stories from PreK through 12th-grade educators across various content areas, I'm sharing the five essential moves that expert educators make when cultivating thriving students.

The book will offer a comprehensive what, why, and how framework for teacher impact, featuring QR codes that link to my Schoolutions podcast episodes, classroom vignettes from teachers in the field, and resources to connect you with a global community of empowered educators.

The expected release date is spring 2027. Please follow along and join me on this journey of inspired teaching.

MY BELIEFS & PRACTICES

What I’m Reading Now

Not Your Granny’s Grammar

by Patty McGee & Tim Donohue

Tired of grammar lessons that put students to sleep? Patty McGee's Not Your Granny's Grammar, co-authored with Tim Donohue, shows teachers, caregivers, and coaches how to make grammar engaging by connecting it to real-world writing. Students learn grammar as a tool for powerful expression, not relying on memorization and rule-following. This book transforms drill-and-kill instruction into curiosity-driven learning that actually works.

The Writing Teacher’s Guide to Pedagogical Documentation

by Angela Stockman

Angela Stockman's The Writing Teacher's Guide to Pedagogical Documentation demonstrates how teachers, coaches, and caregivers can systematically observe and analyze student work to make instruction truly responsive to each writer's needs. This practical guide transforms assessment from guesswork into genuine understanding, helping you meet students exactly where they are in their writing journey.

Upcoming Schoolutions Episodes

It was an honor to be a guest on the Instructional Coaching with Ms. B podcast for episode 247, Qualities of Solid Tier I Instruction with Olivia Wahl. Host Chrissy Beltran kindly creates a detailed blog post to accompany each episode. Check out the blog that goes with my episode here. Don’t forget to join our Schoolutions Teaching Strategies podcast community, if you haven’t already, by clicking this link.

10/06 From Coasting to Curious

Discover why 75% of elementary students love school but only 25% of 10th graders do, and what you can do about it. Education expert Rebecca Winthrop reveals the four hidden modes of student engagement and shares game-changing strategies to help your teen shift from passive coasting to active learning explorer mode, as outlined in her book, co-authored with Jenny Anderson, The Disengaged Teen.

Learn how to unlock your teen's hidden potential.

10/13 From the Field to the Future

Former Head of Science, Stuart Yates, discovered the power of reflection when he struggled to recall his own mixed martial arts training sessions, leading him to create My Sport Diary. These innovative tools help young athletes track their progress, build literacy skills, and develop lifelong self-reflection habits. This conversation reveals how sports diaries are re-engaging reluctant writers and transforming the way students approach learning, both on the field and in the classroom.

Discover how sports diaries are revolutionizing student reflection and literacy.

10/20 From Grammar Dread to Grammar Power

Literacy consultant Patty McGee reveals why traditional grammar instruction fails most students and shares her revolutionary grammar study approach that transforms reluctant learners into confident writers through curiosity, collaboration, and play. Discover how 10-minute grammar sessions can replace worksheets with meaningful exploration that actually sticks, based on her book, co-authored with Tim Donohue, Not Your Granny’s Grammar.

Learn how a curiosity-driven study transforms writing instruction.

10/27 From Data Burden to Learning Discovery

Angela Stockman transforms how educators think about documentation, shifting from compliance-driven data collection to purposeful pedagogical inquiry that sustains curiosity and prevents burnout. Drawing from her work with over 100 school districts and her book, The Writing Teacher’s Guide to Pedagogical Documentation, she reveals how documenting learning journeys creates meaningful solutions while building authentic relationships with students and colleagues.

Discover how documentation can become your teaching superpower.

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