Recommending By…

A young teacher-friend I know is stressed and puzzled.  It is Jake’s second year teaching, and, because he was the low man on the totem pole, he got moved to a new grade level this year.  So, for the second year in a row, he is creating everything from scratch while still trying to figure out the bigger picture of classroom management and learning.  At his “Turnaround” school, there is increased pressure for improved test scores.  As an early-career teacher, Jake knows it would be easy for the principal not to renew his contract at the end of the year. All of these issues create a heavy burden for him that zaps energy and enthusiasm he could otherwise bring to the classroom.

What should be good news is, Jake has an instructional coach working with him.  So far, her main recommendation is that Jake should make his lessons more interactive.  That seems like a wise recommendation!  We know that children learn best when they are active participants in the process rather than passive listeners or worksheet-completers.  However, when Jake asked his coach for suggestions about how to make his lessons more interactive, he was told to go online and search. “Look at Teachers Pay Teachers,” she said.  While I’m sure there are some wonderful interactive lessons to be found on that platform, there are also activities that don’t fit that criteria.  Without guidance, Jake could end up with more of the same rather than improved instruction.

For Jake, and for most teachers seeking to improve their instruction, a general recommendation, such as “Make your lessons interactive,” is not very helpful.  More helpful is, “Make your lessons more interactive by…….”  And when coaches follow up with resources as examples, or take the time to talk through and model how to select effective resources, chances for real change increase. This is especially true for young teachers like Jake, who may have limited resources to turn to and may be unsure of criteria for selecting materials.  Just like with younger learners, novice teachers benefit from modeling and explicit descriptions.

Fortunately, Jake has a back-up plan: a mom who is an experienced teacher and is willing to help. Not all notice teachers are as fortunate.  If you are a coach with novice teachers in your building, be on the look-out for the October slump. Start-of-the-year energy begins to wane and young teachers may begin feeling overwhelmed by all they are being asked to do. Being sure to couple recommendations with specific examples is a way to offer assistance that doesn’t feel like one more thing to carry.

This week, you might want to take a look at: 

Daily routines that matter:

https://www.choiceliteracy.com/articles-detail-view.php?id=1818

Keys to coaching conversations:

http://www.kathyperret.org/2018/06/25/the-keys-to-coaching-conversations/

Using objects to engage writers:

https://ccira.blog/2018/08/07/a-writing-lesson-that-works/

We need teachers, not materials:

https://ccira.blog/2018/10/16/playing-the-school-game-without-sacrificing-our-star-players/

3 articles about how making reading levels public affects readers:

https://www.choiceliteracy.com/articles-detail-view.php?id=2834

https://www.choiceliteracy.com/articles-detail-view.php?id=114

https://www.slj.com/?detailStory=thinking-outside-the-bin-why-labeling-books-by-reading-level-disempowers-young-readers

That’s it for this week.  Happy Coaching!

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