Best of The Authority: Carol Ann Tomlinson, "So Each May Soar"

Welcome to Best of The Authority! Thanks to wonderful listeners like you, this Be Podcast Network original series is growing and growing and still going strong. In case you haven’t been with us since the beginning, the “Best Of” is designed to catch you up on some of the best and most popular episodes you may have missed.

In this episode, I spoke with Carol Ann Tomlinson, one of the most admired, accomplished, and influential authors and leaders in education. 

We discussed the following and more:

• George R.R. Martin’s two types of writers, the architect and the gardener. How the journey of writing this book was something different.
• A “dues-paying member” of innovation in education.
• A learner-centered classroom dignifies students and honors each learner. What else does it look like? 
• "Learner-centered classrooms rely on teachers who are willing to change and grow, and on school leaders who are willing to intelligently support them.”
• What does quality mean and what does it ask of teachers?
• How teachers can honor themselves. 
• So each may soar beyond K-12. What are our ambitions for students?

Learn more about the book and get it from ASCD: https://bit.ly/45TeBDM 

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About today’s guest

Carol Ann Tomlinson is William Clay Parrish, Jr. Professor Emeritus at the University of Virginia’s School of Education and Human Development where she served as Chair of Educational Leadership, Foundations, and Policy, and Co-Director of the University’s Institutes on Academic Diversity.  Prior to joining the faculty at UVa, she was a teacher in public schools for 21 years, where she taught students in high school, preschool, and middle school, and administered district programs for struggling and advanced learners. She was Virginia’s Teacher of the Year in 1974.

At the University of Virginia, she taught and advised doctoral, masters, and undergraduate students with a focus on curriculum, instruction, and differentiation. During her time at UVa, she authored or co-authored over 300 books, book chapters, articles, and other educational materials for K-12 teachers and school leaders including: How to Differentiate Instruction in Academically Diverse Classrooms (3rd Ed.), The Differentiated Classroom: Responding to the Needs of All Learners (2nd Ed), So Each May Soar: The Principles & Practices of Learner-Centered Classrooms, and Everybody’s Classroom: Differentiating for the Shared and Unique Needs of Diverse Learners Her books are available in 14 languages.

Carol was named Outstanding Professor at UVa’s School of Education in 2004 and received an All-University Teaching Award in 2008.  In 2023, she was ranked #12 in the Education Week Edu-Scholar Public Presence Rankings of the 200 “University-based academics who are contributing most substantially to public debates about schools and schooling,” and as the #4 voice in Curriculum. She works throughout the United States and internationally with educators who seek to create classrooms that are effective in reaching diverse student populations.

About the host

Ross Romano is a co-founder of the Be Podcast Network and CEO of September Strategies, a consulting firm that helps organizations and high-performing leaders in the K-12 education industry communicate their vision and make strategic decisions that lead to long-term success. Connect on Twitter @RossBRomano or LinkedIn