I'm glad you're here. The only way to grow a revolution is by expanding our reach. And we cannot leave the reading revolution to chance. Our children need us.
Remember Where You Started | Leadership in a Reading Revolution Newsletter | December 2025
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A note from Linda: I am seeking to meet with leaders for feedback on The Coaching System Growth Model, a transformative plan for improving coaching systems I’ve developed. If you’d like to participate, please reply or schedule a time here. “The expert at anything was once a beginner.” - Helen Hayes Your work matters.At that point, I was an experienced educator: a school & district coach, had two master’s degrees and National Board Certification; yet suddenly I was beginning again. And since meeting this dynamic duo I can’t stop thinking about that moment. The moment where even after all of this time, I was a novice. I vividly remember having to look up phoneme and grapheme during a curriculum training. (No assumptions here: phonemes are the individual sounds in words; graphemes are the letters or groups of letters that represent them.) In that moment, I felt a mix of embarrassment, confusion, and shame—paired with curiosity, fascination, and genuine excitement. That moment stays with me because it mirrors exactly what many teachers are experiencing now. Can you relate? I imagine many educators are having similar experiences. Many of us are exploring this reading revolution while grappling with how it compares to what we thought we knew. Depending on where you are in your science of reading journey, you may be beyond this novice feeling. But I implore you, PLEASE hold onto that experience. Remember where you started. When learners are in the acquisition phase, it is expected they will be frustrated and make mistakes. These emotions aren’t signs of resistance, they’re evidence of cognitive struggle, which is part of true learning. But teachers work in a society that expects daily perfection. From their perspective, there is no permission to be a beginner, to practice imperfectly, or to ask questions that risk exposing gaps in knowledge. And yet, if we want instruction and outcomes to improve, we must create environments where learning is not only allowed but protected. Leaders must carve out spaces where teachers can safely experiment, reflect with support, and revise. Without room for learning, there will be no change. What does someone who is experiencing embarrassment, confusion and shame (but probably won’t admit it) need from us as we support them in learning what the evidence says is effective in developing readers? Leaders must carve out spaces where teachers can safely experiment, reflect with support, and revise because without room for learning, there will be no change. How have you grown in your journey? What do you wish you had when you began? Use those reflections to fuel your next moves as a leader and build the kind of environment where teachers can grow with confidence, courage, and dignity. When leaders intentionally build this kind of environment, teachers are more willing to revisit practice, try again, and stay anchored in evidence. Leadership Moves
What Does This Mean for Me?When we hold onto our beginnings, we lead differently. Your own growth story is not just personal, it's a tool for leading others through change. In this literacy journey, many experienced educators are facing moments that make them feel novice again. And that is unpleasant but necessary. The question is whether they will have empathetic support in those moments or if they will be asked to ignore or hide their [expected] frustrations. Recommended ResourcesRelated Newsletters:
Where have we been?It's been a busy month of working with clients and contract work while preparing for Winter break and spending time with family. I'm also working on my vision board for 2026. What's on your vision board for next year?
| Where can we connect?Bold font shows events at which I'm presenting. NC CEC 40th Annual Conference | Learn more here 55th Annual North Carolina Reading Conference | Learn more here IMA Biennial Conference 2026 | Learn more here 2026 PaTTAN Literacy Symposium | Learn more here Get Engaged Coaching & Leadership Con 2026 | Learn more here
Would you like me to join an upcoming event as a speaker? Please reply to this email to inquire about how I can support you and your event. Let's Work Together!At Linda Rhyne Consulting, we help schools and districts strengthen their instructional coaching and literacy systems so every educator thrives so they can impact student outcomes. From assessing your current approach, designing strategic plans, and coaching your coaches, we make sure your systems align with research, state standards, and your unique context. If you’re ready for cohesive, sustainable systems that work for your people, let’s talk. I'd love the chance to work with you/your team. Book a call today and let’s start designing the support your team deserves. 
Are you an individual or small team in need of on-demand support? Now, you can schedule a 90-minute session with me based on your needs at exactly the time you need it. The types of sessions are listed below.
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Hi! I'm Linda
I'm glad you're here. The only way to grow a revolution is by expanding our reach. And we cannot leave the reading revolution to chance. Our children need us.
“For every complex problem there is an answer that is clear, simple, and wrong.”- H. L. Mencken Your work matters. Across the nation, states have passed legislation that requires teacher training and high quality instructional materials, often from a list. In last month’s newsletter, I highlighted the knowing-doing gap in response to this legislation. It’s clear that we need more than increased teacher knowledge and access to curriculum that aligns with the Science of Reading: Excel in Ed’s...
“It is not enough to have knowledge; one must apply it. It is not enough to have wishes; one must also accomplish them.” - Johann Wolfgang von Goethe Your work matters. A saying that we lean on in the Science of Reading movement is "know better, do better" a shortened version of Maya Angelou's “Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.” And yes, for many educators this accurately describes an important step in their SoR journey: building knowledge about...
A note from Linda: I am seeking to meet with leaders for feedback on The Coaching System Growth Model, a transformative plan for improving coaching systems I’ve developed. If you’d like to participate, please reply or schedule a time here. Feedback is very useful for telling us “where we are.” - Marshall Goldsmith Your work matters. We lament when teachers say “but I taught them that,” when data shows students didn’t learn “that.” And yet, we do the same thing to our teachers. We act as...