So now your summer vacation has probably started and you are beginning to unwind and re-focus your attention to things that you have been delaying all year. Maybe it’s about cleaning closets, or repotting plants or even re-connecting with folks that have been absent from your regular conversations. Whatever the goal, I’m sure you still have flashbacks about the things you wanted to do in school, things you wanted to get back to but never had the time to finish. That’s the plight of the classroom teacher, coach, mentor or administrator… it’s difficult to leave everything behind when you’ve spent the entire year trying to accomplish some school wide goals and your own professional goals as well.
Put things into perspective… what did I accomplish; what is incomplete and why; and what did I learn about accomplishing those goals? Once I answer those questions, I can put to rest the nagging doubts about the successes with my colleagues and how I will move forward. I need to reflect and refine, repurpose and re-evaluate what I want to do. And, I need to prioritize my goals so that I have a short range goal, mid-range goal, and a long range goal with appropriate, realistic strategies to accomplish them.
While you are sipping your coffee at the park, in a playground, or in your backyard, celebrate the milestones and think about how much you’ve learned regarding your teaching colleagues, administrators, and school transformation. Build on those successes and maybe even not such successes and take one step at a time. Just keep a notebook by your side to jot down thoughts that you want to remember about effective instructional practice and your coaching role!
Monday, July 21, 2014
Tuesday, July 1, 2014
Douglas Reeves believes that clarity and succinctness are
integral to success. He indicates that, “There
is evidence that schools are well served by one-page plans that are clearly
focused and simple enough that every participant in the process understands his
or her role in executing the plan.” So, what does this mean for
instructional coaches?
Many times, instructional coaches are the liaisons between
the administration and the teaching staff. They are neither classroom peers nor
supervisors; they are instructional supporters and help teachers implement
effective instructional practices. They help provide clarity for the school
wide improvement plan and offer strategic reinforcement to implement a variety
of techniques to ensure that school wide improvement and student growth are
central to teaching and learning.
Instructional coaches help teachers identify instructional
goals for classroom content planning and co-create professional goals to help
teachers grow their skills. That suggests that coaches and teachers work
together to generate both kinds of goals and actually plan ways to collect
evidence that supports the level to which those goals are accomplished. That
does not imply, however, that the plan must be a 1000 page document! That means
that the coach and teachers collaborate to identify the goals and the
strategies needed to address those goals, create a feedback loop to make
necessary adjustments, and reflect continually on ways that make instruction
more effective to meet the needs of a diverse population in a direct and
transparent way.
Don’t create another War
and Peace; work together to make a simple plan that is easily communicated
and uncomplicated to follow. Be sure that each teacher’s goals strengthen
his/her skill set in realistic and doable ways while helping students grow.
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