This week we learned how relationships built during remote work could transition to face-to-face settings, steps to create a cheat sheet of in-the-moment coaching and teaching tactics, a three-step guide for planning professional summer learning, and more. Enjoy!
Ready to join over 2,750 of your coaching peers who receive fresh coaching content every Wednesday via our Weekly Coaching Roundup? Sign up below! 😀
Have you ever been compared to an athletic coach? Ashley Taplin believes there are some similarities between athletic coaches and ICs, and has even taken a play from their "playbook" by creating a cheat sheet of in-the-moment coaching and teaching tactics.
"For my first instructional strategies play card, I chose six categories that I believe encompass a well-rounded lesson structure: grouping, lesson openers, student voice, movement, check for understanding, and lesson closures. . . . The tool was small, simple in design but held so much information, and I soon realized it could be personalized in many ways!"
Being a first year IC can be daunting, especially when starting your journey remotely. Sarah Bahn reflects on how she built relationships with teachers from a distance and how they laid the groundwork for supporting them face-to-face.
"Quickly, I realized that many teachers were struggling with how to support their students in using technology, so I joined some of their classes and walked the students through Zoom, what the different icons meant, and how they could use this tool to support their learning. . . . That was an "easy win" with teachers and helped me establish myself as a reliable resource."
Russell Hill celebrates how his staff stepped out of their comfort zone and engaged in a collaborative PLC process to tackle remote and hybrid learning.
" Teachers became more focused than ever on the essential standards they identified, and ensuring instructional activities and interventions supported all students in reaching mastery in these essential standards. This was a demonstration of the professional growth our staff was exhibiting. As a result of this work, we started to see students exhibit growth and success that we had been fearful we would not see."
Chrissy Beltran reflects on her transition into coaching and some of the learnings along the way.
"Defining your coaching role and sharing it purposefully with teachers is crucial for success. You need to educate teachers on what you do and why it's important. . . . I had to learn how to get to the heart of each teacher and understand their experiences. In addition, I had to adjust my communication style to meet theirs."
Nicole Turner offers a three-step guide that ICs can follow to grow professionally before the 2021-22 school year.
"So, how do we prioritize our own growth? Gather up your momentum, teacher feedback, and fresh memories about the school year. Then, use all of that to make decisions about how to continue learning over the summer. . . . Finally, make sure to consider school initiatives before you sit down to plan your summer professional development."
Steve Barkley believes being transparent about which "hat" you're wearing when meeting with a teacher helps build confidence and vulnerability.
" Understanding the function or role that a leader is in is key to a teachers' understanding of messages being communicated. . . .Trust builds as our words and actions consistently match with our stated expectations of ourselves and others. Distrust occurs when our words and/or actions are incongruent with our declarations."
Have some interesting instructional leadership news?
Share it with TeachBoost and we'll highlight it here!