8 Easy Ways to Differentiate Instruction

This Week with Sara Fitts is reviewing 8 easy ways to differentiate instruction.  Differentiation of instruction is definitely not a new concept; however, some educators treat  it as if it were.  Hopefully the following strategies will emphasize how easy it really is to  differentiate instruction.

1. You already differentiate instruction regardless of what you call it.  There are always at least two ways to work a problem or two ways to define a vocabulary word. So whenever you illustrate a different way to do something, you are differentiating instruction.
2. Break your lesson into mini-lessons.  By simply breaking down a lesson into several different parts, you can easily differentiate instruction.  You can present a mini-lesson and then let your students practice the new concept.  Then the next mini-lesson can build upon the next part of the lesson.  Continue this process and you will see definite benefits.
3. Ask open-ended questions instead of yes or no questions.  This immediately increases the teaching and learning in the moment.  It requires much more from the student.  It leads to higher-order thinking skills - leading to higher-order writing and speaking.
4. Focus only on what is essential for the student to know and understand.  By focusing on the essential information, you know the student will also focus on the essential information.
5. Base your content on student interests and you will definitely see increased engagement in the lesson.  Whether I was teaching algebra or AP Statistics, I tried to utilize what my students were interested in to base my class examples on.  It is amazing to see how fashion can be used in a class example!
6. Have high expectations for every student every day.  Continue to raise the expectations higher and higher and reap the rewards.  
7. Provide students with choices in class work assignments, homework, and projects.  When students can have some choice, I have found that they will work harder and get  better grades and scores.
8. Give personal feedback to students as often as you can.  This provides  encouragement as well as praise for every student regardless of ability.  And I believe  very strongly that every student will improve based on your candid assessment and  feedback.

These are simply some of the easiest ways I know to incorporate differentiated instruction into any classroom regardless of content or grade-level.

Sara L Fitts retired from public education as a math teacher, high school principal, and instructional coach.  She owns SLF Consulting specializing in academic and instructional coaching and consulting.  Please follow SLF Consulting on Twitter and like us on Facebook.  For more information, visit us today.

4 Things Every Teacher Needs

This Week with Sara Fitts is naming 4 things every teacher needs to have in order to be successful.  I believe that these are 4 things that are so important - regardless of the school, district, or grade level.

• The first thing that every teacher needs is time.  Time to plan, time to grade, time to complete administrative tasks, time to think, time to create, time to practice with new technology.  

• The second thing that every teacher needs is support.  Support from the educational leaders within the school and district.  Support from instructional coaches.  Support from department heads and team leaders.  Support from IT and media specialists. Support from colleagues - across curriculum lines.

• The next thing that every teacher needs is full access to resources.  Technology, best practices, good professional development options, along with the appropriate memberships needed to access the total wealth of resources available.  

• And the 4th and last thing that every teacher needs is candid and timely feedback. We all strive to do our very best work - and we want honest feedback.  It means so much more to receive candid feedback in a timely manner - in order to make adjustments from another set of eyes.  It means very little to receive any feedback that isn't time-relevant.

Sara L Fitts is the owner of SLF Consulting located in Manassas, VA.  She is a retired math teacher, former high school principal, and instructional coach.  SLF Consulting provides academic and instructional coaching, math tutoring, SAT/ACT prep courses, and college transition.  For more information, please visit us .  We are also on Facebook and Twitter.  

4 Things Every School Needs

This Week with Sara Fitts is naming 4 things every school needs in order to be a school of excellence.  When educational organizations have these 4 things, excellence is the by-product for everyone involved.

The very first thing every school needs is a consistent message.  It really doesn't matter so much what the message is - it has to be consistent.  Consistently stated.  Consistently promoted.  What does the school stand for?  What is the purpose?  What is the mission? What is the vision?  What is important here?  Strategies can (and should) change.  And each strategy and technique implemented in the school should support and strengthen the overall message of the school.  

The next thing that every school needs is a strong commitment to teaching and learning. Some people think that this goes without saying; however, a commitment to teaching and learning is not evident in every school - believe it or not!  In order to have excellence in teaching and excellence in learning, the commitment must be evident in every aspect of the school.  A commitment to teaching and learning is really about finding what works and doing everything possible to support what works - for teachers and for students.  It is also about continuing the search for better ways, better methods, better strategies, better techniques, better technology, better scheduling options, better support, better professional development, better practices - all on a daily basis.

The third thing that every school needs is instructional coaching.  Instructional coaching should be the true catalyst for excellence in every school.  The benefits of instructional coaching are infinite.  Teachers and students are much moire engaged with much less stress and struggle when instructional coaching is well-implemented.  And I'm not just talking about professional development sessions that spout the flavor of the week.  I'm talking about instructional coaching that is built and supported by a consistent message and a strong commitment to teaching and learning.  There is a huge difference (along with huge results) in the latter.

And the final thing that every school needs in order to become a school of excellence is balance.  Balance between academics, athletics, co-curricular activities, and extra-curricular activities.  When my sister and I each left home for college my dad gave us this message:  "Remember this, girls.  It's not all in the books.  We expect you to study and work hard.  But we also expect you to have fun and enjoy yourselves.  But remember that the person in the gutter didn't plan on being there!"  True words.  And they apply to every school as well.  There has to be a balance - sometimes even a fine line - but there has to be some fun, too.  And this is true for teachers and for students.

I believe that when every school implements these 4 things, excellence for everyone is the by-product.  Teachers will be happier and less-stressed.  Students will have higher grades. And the school will likely raise scores in all areas.


Sara L Fitts retired from public education after 24+ years as a math teacher, high school administrator, and instructional coach.  She has owned SLF Consulting since 2000 providing math tutorials, SAT and ACT prep courses, time management strategies and study skills courses.  SLF Consulting is located at 8425 Dorsey Circle Suite 102 in Manassas, VA.  For more information, please visit our website.  

Small Business Saturday is November 29

This Week with Sara Fitts is promoting Small Business Saturday.  This year Small Business Saturday is on November 29.  SLF Consulting is participating in the Small Business Saturday with some excellent deals for math tutoring and SAT prep.  On Saturday, November 29 our special deals are available simply by going to our website and registering for these deals on our Contact Us page.  All registrations from November 29 will be valid. Here are the amazing deals!

SAT Prep Course for 1/2 Price!

Our 6-week SAT Prep Course is $575 when you register on November 29 only.  This registration is valid for the January 24, 2015 SAT.  This special price includes all materials.

To receive this special deal, please visit our website and register on our Contact Us page on Saturday, November 29.

Math Tutoring Packages

Our tutoring packages for Algebra 1, Geometry, Algebra 2, Trig, Pre-Calculus, and Prob/Stats are available at discounted prices.

5 Tutoring Sessions for $325

10 Tutoring Sessions for $550

20 Tutoring Sessions for $1000

To receive these packages at these discounted prices, please visit our website and register on our Contact Us page on Saturday, November 29.

Education is a Matter of Building Bridges

This Week with Sara Fitts is using Ralph Ellison's quote "Education is a matter of building bridges" for this post.  This quote sums up what I think is needed in education right now. There are so many, actually too many, "new" ideas being thrown around in education with little thought as to how to implement them in any sense of the word.

I have worked in educational settings where in a one-month period of time the mathematics department (of which I was a member) was told to implement 5 different strategies to improve teaching and learning.  The unfortunate part of this request was the fact that those in leadership positions had no idea that these 5 different strategies could be implemented together to make a stronger statement for improvement.

For example, differentiated instruction is not necessarily separate from flipped learning.  In other words, the two can be "combined" to create a stronger lesson.  That's what bothers me most about education right now - some of the leaders in schools cannot seem to "bridge" the different strategies in order to make stronger lessons and a stronger bridge between teaching and learning.  Remember Venn diagrams?

"Education is a matter of building bridges" where no bridge exists.

There is really no difference between combining strategies and building upon concepts in any lesson. Education should always be about using all available methods to provide the best learning environment for students.  Regardless of the method, strategy, or technique that is being lauded, most can be simply integrated into any lesson seamlessly in order to get the best results for the students.  We must all remember that "education is a matter of building bridges" for students and for teachers.


Sara L Fitts has had more than 30 years of experience in teaching and learning in a variety of settings.  She founded SLF Consulting in 2000 and continues to teach and learn.  For more information about how Sara L Fitts and SLF Consulting can help you or someone you know, please visit our website and like us on Facebook.

Top 10 Motivational Quotes for Success

This Week with Sara Fitts is posting my top 10 motivational quotes that promote success.  I hope they will inspire you and promote you to the next level.

• Do more than talk - say something.  John H. Rhoades

• The biggest temptation is to settle for too little.  Thomas Merton

• Do a little more each day than you think you possibly can.  Lowell Thomas

• It is easy to sit up and take notice.  What is better is getting up and taking action.  Al Batt

• The people who get on in this world are the people who get up and look for the circumstances they want, and, if they can't find them, make them.  George Bernard Shaw

• You cannot achieve a new goal by applying the same level of thinking that got you where you are right now.  Albert Einstein

• Can't is a word of defeat; can is a word of power.  Sara L. Fitts

• There is no giant step that does it - it's a lot of little steps.  Peter Cohen

• Goals are dreams with deadlines.  Diana Scharf Hunt

• When you have exhausted all possibilities, remember this:  you haven't!  Albert Einstein

Bonus Quote:  Stop talking about it and get it done!  Earl B. Fitts

Sara L. Fitts and SLF Consulting assist students in getting better grades in their math classes and in improving their SAT and ACT scores in order to get into the colleges they want.  For more information, please contact us via our website.

Connections

This Week with Sara Fitts is all about connections - from a personal standpoint.  Several years ago I joined LinkedIn and made some connections with a few people.  And then allowed work and life to take over and drop me out and away from those connections.  In June I re-connected with my LinkedIn connections and grew my network considerably.  I also joined Facebook this past summer - primarily (or so I thought) for the re-launch of SLF Consulting.  Little did I realize then that Facebook would transform my connections with friends and family - even re-connecting with college friends from 30+ years ago!  

While working in DCPS (District of Columbia Public Schools) I learned the power of connections in new ways.  And I'm pleased to have stayed connected with some of the finest educators with whom I've had the privilege and pleasure to work and know. Connections are important.  These connections helped tremendously when I began working in MPCS.  And my connections from MPCS continue to grow.

Connections were important last night as well.  SLF Consulting held the first (of many planned!) Open Office (since it is an office and not a house) events with the entire reason being connections.  Connections are powerful.  Connections are important.  Connections matter.  

Throughout my educational career I taught students to make connections from topic to topic and concept to concept.  In my coaching career it has always been about connecting one concept with another to build businesses, relationships, teams, schools and yes, even dots. Connections are powerful.  Connections are important.  Connections matter.

And over the course of a 30+ year work life, I've explained to hundreds of clients/students/teachers/parents that the connection is simply the connection.  Success is the by-product.  There is no magic wand for success - it is only a by-product of connecting with people.  Connections are powerful.  Connections are important.  Connections matter.

Success can be measured in many ways - some say it is money, others say it is power or prestige.  But my definition of success is being at peace with myself, being at peace with all others, doing what I love and loving what I'm doing, and treasuring the connections that I've made in all the different places I've been.  I treasure the connections of family and friends - even those I haven't seen in 30+ years - or those I've only been able to see a few times over the years.  Connections are powerful.  They empower me.  Connections are important.  The people in my life are important to me.  Connections mater.  All with whom I have ever connected matter to me.

Connections are powerful.  Connections are important.  Connections matter.

Sara L Fitts owns SLF Consulting.  She is an academic and instructional coach who helps her clients make stepping stones out of stumbling blocks.  SLF Consulting specializes in math tutorials and test prep.  For more information, please visit our website

Infographics as Teaching Tools

This Week with Sara Fitts looks at infographics as teaching tools to boost teaching and learning.  Several sites are available for free to create better presentations, posters, and any graphic to be used in your lessons.  Infographics make data come alive.  Infographics make learning simpler and easier.  Difficult concepts can be broken down into interesting shapes, colors, and designs that really stay with students and increase learning.

Some infographics are simple while others can be more involved.  Students can also create these as part of digital portfolios in any content area.  These are great tools for teachers and students - not to mention excellent tools in business, marketing, medicine, entertainment. There is really no arena where infographics could not be used.

There are several sites where you can easily get started.  Among them are infogr.am , canva , visual.ly , easel.ly , and piktochart.  For a few minutes of work, you can create a visual that will increase learning in your classroom.

In this digital age we all need to be utilizing any tools that improve teaching and learning.  Inforgraphincs can simply be used to send important messages as well as subject-area content.

Please let me know how you use these tools in your classroom.  

Why Hire a Tutor?

This Week with Sara Fitts asks why hire a tutor.  Here are some good reasons:

• To improve grades
• To improve understanding of the concept/topic
• To reduce stress and struggle
• To gain confidence and self-esteem
• To focus on one-on-one teaching and learning
• To set the stage for the next level 
• To challenge the student
• To improve standardized test scores
• To provide different approaches to learning
• To provide transition to the next level of learning

Sara Fitts is a retired educator with 24 years in public education as a math teacher, administrator, and instructional coach.  Since 2000 she has owned SLF Consulting and has assisted numerous clients in being admitted to many major colleges and universities - including UMass, Brown, UCLA, University of Tennessee, and Virginia Tech, to name a few.  She was named Manassas Park High School's Educator of the Year in 2014.  SLF Consulting provides academic and instructional coaching, math tutorials, and SAT prep.  Contact us today.

Tutorials vs Extra Help

This Week with Sara Fitts looks at the differences between tutorials and simply providing extra help to students.  In some ways the differences are small while in many ways the differences are incredible - and mean the difference in passing and failing - as well as in making an A or making a B.

Tutorials provide extra help - but also provide a framework of support that extends well beyond the 60 minutes of direct work with the student.  Tutorials utilize academic coaching in all areas:  review, current support, extension of the topic, and setting the stage for all topics that follow.  Tutorials are structured with the intent of bringing out the very best the student has to offer.  While the structure of a tutorial session may be less like a classroom filled with 25 or 30 other students, there is a platform for inquiry, for growth, for moving forward toward the next lesson and beyond.  

Tutorials provide motivation.  Students are freer to express their fears - and with academic coaching, conquer them.  Success breeds more success.  Once a student tastes success in a subject that has been so difficult for them, all things are then possible in the mind of the student.  Once the student has a mindset of motivation and success, success is much more easily attained.

Extra help is wonderful and can bridge many gaps - but it is usually not sustainable.

Tutorials combined with academic coaching are sustainable.

If you are a student who is struggling - or you are the parent of a struggling student - please consider hiring an academic coach to provide one-on-one tutorials.  It can be the huge difference that is needed.


Sara L. Fitts is an academic and instructional coach and consultant who works with students to improve their abilities in mathematics.  For more information, please visit www.SLFConsulting.com today.

Lessons Learned from the Little League Champions

This Week with Sara Fitts takes a look at the lessons learned from watching the fabulous US champions in the Little League World Series last week.  The Jackie Robinson West All Stars team from Chicago represented the United States in the Little League World Series.  While the team from South Korea won the world title, Jackie Robinson West won the US championship and our hearts.  

While watching this amazing team of 11 - 13 year-olds and their fabulous coaches, it occurred to me that they were providing many lessons that all teachers and students can carry into this academic year.

Among the many lessons that I believe were learned are the following:

• Believe in yourself and in your colleagues/peers.
• Stay focused.
• Play your position - whatever it is at the moment.
• When things are not going well, don't yell!  Stay positive and encourage your team.
• When things are not going well, believe in yourself even more.
• When things are not going well, simply put everything in proper perspective.  What's the worst that could happen?  So?
• When things are not going well, keep your eyes on the ball.  More mistakes happen when you don't.
• When things are going extremely well, never become arrogant.  Things often change quickly.
• When things are going extremely well, continue to keep your focus.
• When things are going extremely well, cheer on your team!
• When things are going extremely well, celebrate the moment.  Again, things often can change quickly.
• Never miss an opportunity to say "nice job."
• Never miss an opportunity to say "good try."
• Never miss an opportunity to say "you'll get it next time."
• Never miss an opportunity to praise your team.
• Never miss an opportunity to encourage your team.
• Never tell anyone they are worthless human beings.  Never berate your team.
• Motivate your team with encouragement.
• Motivate your team with kindness.  
• There is always a way to say what needs to be said.
• No matter how strong we look, we are still human beings just playing in the game.
• No matter how old we look, we are still human beings just playing in the game.
• And as important as the game is, always remember:  it is only a game (or job!).

I was so impressed by the fact that the coaches never berated the young men.  They encouraged and motivated even when errors had occurred.  They got in their faces - to encourage and motivate, never to belittle.  The lessons learned from Jackie Robinson West from Chicago will stay with me - and I hope with you and your "teams" this academic year.

Have a wonderful academic year!  Work hard.  Teach hard.  Learn.  And don't forget to play hard!

Sara Fitts is an academic and instructional coach and consultant in Manassas, VA.  She is the owner of SLF Consulting.  Motivation is the main ingredient in Sara's Little Formula that she uses to get results for her clients.  Visit http://www.SLFConsulting.com for more information.

Getting Ready for the New Academic Year

Back to School is an exciting time for students and teachers.  Teachers are preparing their classrooms, websites, class syllabuses, and all the exciting activities they plan to bring to their eager students.  I think the most important item for teachers to plan for is the very first day.  It is the day that first impressions are most important.  It is the day when you can introduce yourself instead of your subject.  It is the first day to build the team that will carry you through the entire year.

Some of the team-building activities that I have used (borrowed, discovered, found, revised) over the years still make me smile when I think about the reaction each activity had on the various classes.  And the students have fun getting to know more about their teachers than the teacher's undying love of their subject.

The important thing to keep in mind is that students don't fully engage - even with technology - unless they become involved.  The first day is the day to begin the transformation from student to team member.  The year will be smoother for the students and the teacher.  The year will be more productive for the student and the teacher.  The year will be easier for all involved.  And the first day will be so much more fun!

Here are some ideas that I offer this week:

Seating arrangements can be designed in a number of interesting ways.  One way I have arranged seating is by greeting the students at the door of my classroom with a stack of randomly-numbered index cards.  I hand a card to each student upon entering and they find their desk.  This allows for an alternative to alphabetical order as well as an alternative to sitting with friends.  This seating arrangement method can also be revised with color-coded index cards using 4 colors.  Each student receives a color-coded index card and then is seated at a desk with the same coding.  This method offers a little bit of choice for the student.  

Introductions can be done in a number of interesting and fun ways.  One way is 3 Truths and a Lie where the teacher leads off telling 3 personal  truths and 1 lie.  The students must identify the lie.  They will never forget what they learn about their teacher.  Then the process continues as the class, student by student, introduces themselves in the same way.

Another way to accomplish introductions is Take as Much as You Need.  Taking a roll of toilet tissue the teacher tears off 6 or 7 pieces and then hands the roll to a student with these words:  "take as much as you need" and nothing else.  After every student has taken some of the toilet tissue, the teacher begins by tearing of the first segmented piece and tells something about himself/herself.  Then he/she tears off another piece and tells something else.  This continues until the entire class has introduced themselves.

Team-Building activities might include a team poster that represents the individual team members' commonalities.  This is usually a way for students to interact and find out more about the students in class.

Another good team-building activity is a Scavenger Hunt.  Some items in the scavenger hunt might be "the students who have had classes together since kindergarten" or "the students who have the same birthday" to get you started.  This can be a very good exercise for students of all ages.

The point that I'm making is that in order to really make students want to work for you, I think they need to know that you care about them.  If you want to find out interesting things about them, then it shows you care about them.  This can make a huge difference in the way the academic year goes - for the teacher as well as for the students.

This Week with Sara Fitts will discuss more ways to spice up the first day in the days ahead.

The Best Apps for Teaching and Learning

Today's post is a listing of the best apps for teaching and learning today.  Some are free and others are as much as $3.99 - but technology engages and improves the teaching and learning process.  So there is definite benefit in each of these apps.

Studious is a free app that helps organize.

Notability can be used effectively with DropBox, Google Drive, and Box.  Notes can be taken and shared in class.

Haiku Deck is an app for presentations.  Students and teachers enjoy using this one.

ShowMe is especially helpful for teachers as they plan their lessons.  Teachers can prepare presentations for classes across all content areas and age levels.

Prezi is also for presentations.  There is a free version and a fee version.  Educators and schools are eligible for special discounts.  Prezi presentations have more flare and hold attention longer than some PowerPoint presentations.

Edmodo can be utilized in classrooms in a myriad of ways.  Again, regradless of content area or age of the student, Edmodo engages student learning.

Popplet and Popplet Lite (the free version) works in business as well as in education.  This app provides ways to map ideas with technology rather than on the old chalkboard.  It is very engaging and easy to use.

Sticky Notes is a fun way to remind students of upcoming tests and homework and also can be used very effectively in class to list ideas, dates, etc during discussions.

Graphing Calculator is fabulous and well worth the $2.99.  The cost of graphing calculators is roughly $110 - $130 now and classroom sets are becoming a thing of the past.  This is an excellent way to use technology!

Frog Dissection ($3.99) and The Chemical Touch ($0.99) are excellent apps for science classes.  Students are much more engaged using these apps.

These apps simply provide an easy way to integrate technology into classrooms and improve the learning environment.  These apps are not only fun to use, they are an efficient way to work as well.

If you haven't tried a few of these apps, now is the time as we are gearing up to go back to school.  I hope you find them helpful.

Another Way to Engage Students with Technology

Most teachers assess their teaching and their students' learning several times during class as well as at the end of the class.  Exit tickets or exit slips are used at the end of the class.  Back in the day I personally used index cards with a math problem from the day's topic as my exit ticket to assess my teaching and their learning.  

But digital exit tickets are much more engaging for all involved now.  Several ways exist right now - with more and more apps being added almost daily - to allow students to use technology to assess their learning.  One way that teachers can use digital exit tickets is to have students send a tweet that provides a summary of what they learned or provide a specific answer to a question.  High school students love Twitter and so do a lot of teachers - so this is a quick way to implement technology while assessing teaching and learning.

Instagram can also be utilized to capture the "look" of learning.  Instagram would be especially useful during class activities and then could be posted to a class blog.

Edmodo is another way that teachers can use digital exit tickets.  Most school systems encourage using Edmodo and this would engage everyone.

Vine videos can also be a fabulous way to sum up a lesson with just 6 seconds' worth of action.  YouTube videos also can create the digital exit ticket.

The point of today's post is to start developing a variety of ways to engage students and to assess teaching and learning using technology.  Many years ago when I was an Instructional Coach in the District of Columbia Public Schools, a math supervisor suggested that iPods would soon be used in classrooms and would engage students and create a climate conducive to learning.  I loved the idea then - and all these years later, definitely have seen the evidence.

More technology in the Classroom

This Week with Sara Fitts is reviewing more technology that can be easily utilized in almost all classrooms regardless of subject area.  Last week I discussed PollEverywhere and Remind. Both of these technologies are immediately engaging and connect teaching and learning with good impact.

Padlet (http://www.padlet.com) is truly a wonderful way to engage students of all ages.  Padlet allows students or an entire class to create a bulletin board or visual display that is engaging, fun, and immediately connected to the topic of study.  Students as well as teachers really enjoy using Padlet.

Teaching and learning need to be fun and engaging for both the student and the teacher.  Technology is a fabulous way to easily connect teaching and learning.  With just a little preparation, the daily lesson is transformed into an amazing array of information that is much more palatable to most students (and teachers) than the dreaded lecture.

If you haven't yet tried Padlet, give it a chance to impress.  I think you'll love it.  And I know your students will!

Technology Works in the Classroom

This Week with Sara Fitts is looking at technology in the classroom this week.  In a very short time the climate in most high schools has changed from "no cell phones" in sight to "take your cell phones out" for this class discussion.  And I, for one, am pleased that the tide has changed - or at least is changing.  

I love technology and use it in planning my lessons - and have for the past several years (such as the then-available technology was!) and am so pleased that teachers have so many options available to them for creating exciting lessons.

The first time I allowed texting in class was a few years ago and I used the site Poll Everywhere (http://www.polleverywhere.com) to engage Algebra 2 students in the daily bell work problem.  Poll Everywhere allows teachers to use texting for polling in class.  Students are able to text their responses to the problem (in my case) and the teacher can use this information as a quick assessment of where the students are with respect to the lesson.  The students really enjoyed this site and were much more enthusiastic in their responses to the bell work problems.

Another site that has great benefit for teachers as well as students and parents is Remind (http://www.remind.com).  This site provides access for teachers to text students and/or parents with reminders about homework, quizzes, test, projects, or grades.  And the best part of this is that no one has to share phone numbers!  

These are only two sources for excellent use of technology in just about every classroom in this country.  And there are many, many more - which I will explore in later posts.  Technology works in the classroom.  I firmly believe we should be using it more and more for teaching and learning.

Sara Fitts is a retired educator with 24 years in public education as a math teacher, administrator, and instructional coach.  Since 2000 she has owned SLF Consulting and has assisted numerous clients in being admitted to many major colleges and universities - including UMass, Brown, UCLA, University of Tennessee, and Virginia Tech, to name a few.  She was named Manassas Park High School's Educator of the Year in 2014.  SLF Consulting provides academic and instructional coaching, math tutorials, and SAT prep.  

The Benefits of Instructional Coaching in Today's Classroom

Instructional Coaching can have a major impact in today's classroom.  When an instructional coach can be in a classroom, the benefits can be huge for the students as well as the teacher.  Another pair of eyes can often see something that can have an immediate impact on teaching and learning.  Often the instructional coach's strategy is a simple one that can be implemented in a few minutes while other strategies and techniques will take much longer to put into place.

Another benefit of instructional coaching is being open to trying something new - or to attempt a strategy or techniques that hasn't been used in a while.  When educators are open to new things, students will usually follow.  Where there is an open mind, there is no limit to the teaching and learning that can happen.

Instructional coaching impacts teaching and learning in many positive ways.  This Week with Sara Fitts will focus on instructional coaching and its many benefits all week long.

The Benefits of Academic Coaching

As we plan the re-launch of SLF Consulting with a focus on academic and instructional coaching, I think it is important to discuss the benefits of academic coaching.  Academic coaching is really much more than tutoring.  It is a re-teaching with different approaches based on assessment of the immediate need of the student.  It combines education, instruction, and motivation in a way that embraces the student's inner desire to improve.  And improvement comes more easily for struggling students with academic coaching than with traditional classroom instruction - regardless of strategy or technique.

I believe for a student who is struggling and stressed with a class - or particular concept - the student needs to feel empowered in order to begin the process of improving.  In order for that student to feel empowered, the job of the coach is to be a motivator, a teacher, a strategist, an analyst, and a technician.  The biggest job of the coach is to believe that the student can be empowered - and then the empowerment begins.  

Academic coaching is not only for students with a grade of F hoping to pass a class. Academic coaching is for any student who needs or wants to improve while removing stress and struggle.  As we say at SLF Consulting, academic coaching makes stepping stones out of stumbling blocks and gets results for students.

A quick list of some of the benefits of academic coaching include:

• Less stress
• Less struggle
• Understanding of the topic or particular concept
• Better grades
• Higher self-esteem
• Increased self-worth
• Happier student and happier parent
• More balanced academic life
• More time for other activities
• Better behavior

If you or someone you know wants to find out more about how Sara Fitts and SLF Consulting can improve math grades, please contact us today to schedule an initial assessment.  We really want to reduce stress and struggle for parents and students.

Sara Fitts and SLF Consulting Back at Work

Yesterday was a fabulous day back in the office!  We updated This Week with Sara Fitts and gave it a fresh new look and also created a new blog, Sara's Little Formula, that you can view at http://SaraFitts.blogspot.com .  How I work with clients is actually what I call Sara's Little Formula - so I decided that the new blog would be devoted to strategies and techniques while This Week with Sara Fitts will have a broader view of SLF Consulting.

In the next few weeks we will be updating our company website and enrolling new students for the fall SAT and ACT dates as well as enrolling students for math tutorials.  This is an extremely exciting time for me and SLF Consulting.  I sincerely want to make stepping stones out of stumbling blocks and help students improve their SAT and ACT scores as well as improve their grades in math classes.  While I enjoyed my public school teaching, I'm very excited to have a chance to help students in a much broader way.

If you or someone you know is in need of improving SAT or ACT scores, please contact us to reserve your slot in one of our new programs.  

SLF Consulting is Getting Ready for a Re-Launch!

Today is an exciting day for me - and for SLF Consulting!  We are getting ready to re-launch the business with an emphasis on test prep for SAT and ACT and math tutorials.  The actual re-launch will likely take place in August - which gives us time to get ready for new students.

When I founded the business in 2000 my focus was on making stepping stones out of stumbling blocks and getting results for my clients.  That focus really hasn't changed in 14 years.  We still want to make stepping stones out of stumbling blocks and get results for students (and their parents!) so they can get into the colleges of their dreams.  We are removing stress and struggle for students and providing them with the tools, strategies and techniques to get good grades in math classes and good scores on the SAT and the ACT.

We have a proven track record of getting results for our clients.  We work with students on their individual needs based on an initial assessment and continue to adjust instruction based on their individual progress.  

If you are interested in hearing more about what SLF Consulting can do for you (or the student in your life), contact  my assistant, Clay Carter.




Sara Fitts is the owner and founder of SLF Consulting.  She is a professionally trained instructional and academic coach with more than 30 years of experience in education and business.  With a M.Ed. in Supervision of Instruction and expertise in education, test prep, curriculum and instruction, Sara Fitts makes stepping stones out of stumbling blocks and gets results for her clients.