This week we learned how to introduce yourself as a coach, ways for getting the most out of your PD sessions, strategies for beginning a school-wide culture of growth, the difference between a coach and a consultant, and more!

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How to Introduce Yourself as a Coach

Joseph Kanke shares a few ways ICs can introduce themselves to peers in order to build long-lasting partnerships.

"As a coach, the more seeds you can plant around your role and how you see yourself positively impacting the work already being done, the higher the yield of trust and buy-in you'll achieve. . . . The support of building leadership is essential to developing a vision of growth and a culture of coaching. Without a clear understanding of what coaching is and the research behind it, a leader may ask coaches to break confidentiality, act as an evaluator, or use the position as a substitute for all other positions and tasks."

5 Tips for Getting the Most Out of Your Summer PD

Brandy Alexander highlights five best practices to take full advantage of PD sessions.

"As an instructional coach, or aspiring leader of any kind, it's important to build your professional network, and conferences or local educator trainings are the perfect time to do so. . . . When you enter a session or room, look for people you may not know to sit near and introduce yourself. This helps the other participants feel more comfortable if there are partner or group activities ahead, helps the presenter(s) create a warm learning environment, and helps you make connections before the session begins."

Leading the PLC Journey at the District Office

Jasmine Kullar offers four strategies organizations can use to kick-start a professional learning culture.

"District staff members need the continuous learning so they can support their schools in the district. This professional development cannot be one-and-done sessions—which districts can be famous for! Just as teachers are required to scaffold lessons and standards to support student mastery, district leaders should implement layered, on-going support to ensure processes and procedures around student learning are common place and mastered."

Endure or Enjoy!

Vicki Collet provides ways instructional coaches can inspire and support teachers to enjoy their profession.

"As coaches, we can find ways to shift conversations to be more hopeful and helpful. Model positive talk about students. If students are called lazy, shift the conversation to focus on practices that enhance student motivation. If students are described as incapable, help teacher uncover their areas of strength. Shifting the conversation away from complaining can raise expectations for students and help teachers feel more efficacious."

Which Are You?

Ellen Eisenberg explains the difference between a coach and a consultant.

"The coach's role is to help the 'coachee' reach his/her fullest potential by being a learner and deciding the goals and direction to pursue. The coach helps the learner be the architect of the learning; they don't 'tell' the individual what is needed or identify the goals for him/her. There is no 'should' in coaching; there is only, 'what if' in a coaching interaction. There is a partnership that is formed for the purpose of resolving issues so that practice can move forward."

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