Weekly Coaching Roundup: August 12th, 2019

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Weekly Coaching Roundup - August 2019 (Half) (Seasonal)

This week we covered strategies for working with reluctant teachers, how one coach successfully prepared for a transition into a coaching role, ways to get teachers over feeling stuck in old practices, and more!

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I'm a New IC, Now What?

Katie Dell'Oso reflects on her transition into coaching and answers questions that she's been asked by her mentees during the process.

" If you are heading into a new school, it is always important to gain an understanding of the current culture and school-wide goals. Always remember slow is fast! You have to build relationship and gain understanding before you can truly make a difference! You will be working side by side with the principal, so it is EXTREMELY important to build that relationship."

Back to School: Making Coaching Connections

Dianna Benner and Miguel Guhlin share five resources to review before a new year of coaching.

"The most important component is, hands-down, building a strong relationship. . . . Emotional intelligence is often included in the catch-all term “soft skills.” Soft skills reflect how you work, communicate, and problem solve as a part of a team. Interpersonal skills play a key role in this. Once you see the ubiquity of relationships, everything fades in significance."

Working With Teachers Who Don't Want You Around

Chrissy Beltran offers eight foundational to-dos before you approach a reluctant teacher.

"The teachers who don't want you around might not know what support you can provide, so you may have to reintroduce yourself and your services. . . . Add value to things teachers do. Make relevant suggestions. Help them think through tough situations. Provide quality PD. Show that you care. Give them the tools they need. Help them figure out how to use the tools they have."

Slushiness

Vicki Collet asks coaches to help their teachers over the hurdle of being stuck in old practices and to support them in all the different things they're trying to become.

"I don’t know many people who would say they are actively seeking change in their lives, who ask for it, want it, embrace it. Change just isn’t a cozy concept. . . . Instead of being in the change business, how about if we coaches consider ourselves to be supporting the process of becoming? What are you striving to become? What do the teachers you work with want to become, professionally? Who do they want to be as an educator?"

4 Questions to Guide Reflection

Barbara R. Blackburn offers a few lessons for new teachers to keep top-of-mind when beginning their journey.

"It is critical to connect with other teachers in your school. This can be challenging, simply due to time. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed with lesson planning, grading, and all the other aspects of teaching, but taking the time to associate with your colleagues has several benefits. . . . We all need someone to remind us that tough times do not last. Your colleagues can provide that encouragement."

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