Opportunities for growth
come by choice, by chance, and by invitation. As a coach, you can help teachers
take advantage of opportunities, no matter their source.
When a teacher actively
chooses to make a change, she is likely to not only be open to support, but to
look for it. When a teacher identifies an area where she’d like to grow, you
can support her by providing professional resources, like short articles or
book recommendation. She might also appreciate specific lesson ideas or
materials that would support the change. Offering to model or observe and then
report back on your noticings can also be a help when a teacher has chosen her
own area of focus.
When an opportunity for
growth comes by chance, the teacher may be dog-paddling to keep her head above
water, and offers of assistance might turn the unplanned-for experience into a
springboard for lasting change. For example, when a new student with
significant challenges becomes part of the class, the teacher might first
appreciate an extra pair of hands on the job. This could open the way for
discussions about instructional practices that not only suit the new student
well, but offer more authentic engagement for all students. Solving challenges
created by one child’s distractibility might lead to long-term instructional
improvement.
Sometimes, opportunity
comes by invitation. Your principal might extend the opportunity to work with a
coach as part of a professional growth plan. These can be tricky coaching
situations. I’ve found success in this situation when I was able to shift the
conversation away from what the principal wanted and focus first on one thing
the teacher was really interested in thinking about. “What’s an instructional
practice you’ve been wanting to think more about?” can be an invitation that
comes with or without the principal’s urging.
Considering whether an
opportunity for growth comes by choice, chance, or invitation can help coaches
determine which approaches might be best received. I’ve also found that
thinking about the growth opportunities I’m personally facing by placing them
in one of these three categories has been illuminating. I see more clearly how
to respond to a situation when I understand its source.
This week, you might want to
take a look at:
Developing students’
perseverance:
Teaching reading skills with wordless picture
books:
Favorite read-aloud books for boys:
Starting the year with a
growth mindset (for yourself!):
Classroom expectations
(this is a pre-K video, but broadly applicable!):
That’s it for this week. Happy
Coaching!
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