February was a great month: the groundhog didn't find his shadow and our weekly coaching roundups compiled some incredible articles. Learn about social-emotional coaching, tips for working with a cranky teacher, how chocolate can help your coaching efforts, applying adult learning theory to coaching, and more. Enjoy!
Lindsey Frank offers some strategies to understand and support the social and emotional needs of adults in both partnerships and coaching cycles.
"Understanding the progression of change and the emotional impact it has on partnerships helps coaches approach relationships with compassion. We can uncover the hidden roots to why certain emotions and behaviors are occurring, we can anticipate possible future thoughts and actions of staff, and we can know how to begin supporting teachers."
Sometimes there's not enough coffee in the world to help with a rotten attitude! Luckily, Elena Aguilar shares five tips for creating a partnership with a naturally unhappy coachee.
"Consistently communicate your belief that your cranky teacher is truly a beautiful person and a committed teacher (maybe deep down inside) and that you truly believe that they can change and grow. Because everyone can. Be persistent in your curiosity about this teacher. Be unwaveringly kind and gentle."
Kathy Perret shares a four-step reflective practice (5-10 minutes per week) to nurture and strengthen partnerships with teachers.
"Make it a point to reach out to your 3 to 5 teachers throughout the week. These interactions can just be simple check ins. . . . The goal is to find time for brief interactions. You really don’t want the teachers to think you are 'up to something' by all of a sudden showing up more than usual. Make these a natural part of your day."
Building quality relationships with teachers is key to successful instructional coaching! |
| Coaches cite relationships as one of the most time-intensive parts of their job, and it takes a lot to get it right. TeachBoost Coach helps you build and reinforce the relationships that create instructional shifts in the classroom. |
Do you ever struggle to reach a reluctant teacher? Jennifer Lane applies the adult learning theory to coaching and explains how it can be used to engage reluctant educators in continued professional learning.
"Adults are self-directed and ready to learn but need to be viewed as knowledgeable, with important contributions to offer. . . . By allowing the teacher to guide their own goal creation, strategy selection, and level of support, the coach is able to truly be a facilitator and partner in the coaching process."
Learn how chocolate can help lay the groundwork for successful coaching relationships as Rachel Andress shares how she wins both the partnerships and stomachs of her teachers.
"The chocolate chats proved successful for me for building relationships with my coachees for two main reasons: the chocolate helped create a friendly environment and I allowed the attendees their choice to be there. I told the teachers they could stay the whole time or they could leave when they wanted to."
Emily Davis and Brad Currie highlight six critical factors that school leaders must consider to ensure that their tech coaching programs are effective.
"As technology continues to fundamentally transform education, tech coaches can serve as valuable experts. Taking the time to invest in tech coaches—to select them carefully and systematically use data to hone an integration program—can create a cadre of teacher leaders who advance innovation, implement technology in meaningful ways, and deepen teaching and learning."
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