Saturday, July 11, 2020

When Schools Reopen - Be Ready to Listen


School’s out, but our minds are full of how we can prepare for the uncertainties of the upcoming school year.  We know that, whether teachers and students return to buildings for face-to-face instruction or meet virtually, they will be bringing with them baggage from school closures in the spring – we all will.  Attending to the social-emotional needs of students and teachers – and ourselves – will be an important part of our role as coaches.

I’ve been talking with teachers about their lingering concerns from the school year. They worry about food scarcity for families who relied on school meals to feed their children. They worry that learning doesn’t take place when essential needs aren’t met. They worry about regression, especially for English language learners. They worry about families having the transportation to access resources that schools were making available. They worry about their lack of contact with students who didn’t have technology. They worry about the information their families are getting about COVID-19.

During my recent conversation with Andi, a middle school teacher, she talked about knocking on students’ doors during this time and seeing their eyes light up when they saw their teacher at the door. “Bet you didn’t think you’d see me here, did you?” she said. Andi talked to me about the importance of making sure her students could see her eyes. She talked about one student whose father is now hospitalized with COVID-19.  There was worry in her voice, and some frustration about the misinformation the family had received. She had dropped off school work and made frequent phone calls to check in. But she wished she could do more.

And all I could do was listen.  But that was something, after all.  Having someone to listen seemed to lift a bit of the weight from Andi’s shoulders, and she problem-solved about the future as she talked. She began to feel more hopeful as she thought of how she would frontload technology if she sees her students at the beginning of the school year; of how she would teach Zoom-etiquette and give internet precautions. And advocate for technology for every student.  She talked, I listened, offering only an occasional nudge or response.

Listening is one of those coaching skills that we can practice all the time. When a friend comes with a question, a problem, or a tough decision, you can practice listening. Take a step back. Ask a few questions. Listen to her answers. Listen to both what she says and what she does not say. Listen to the tone of her voice. Does she use the word “should” a lot? Do you hear self-blame or pressure? If you’re talking face-to-face, notice when her eyes light up or dim. Watch how her body lifts or falls when she talks. Does she look you in the eye? As you listen, be on her side.


This summer, let’s practice listening. It will surely be good preparation for things to come.

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

This 7-min. how-to video about comprehension strategies could be shared with parents:



Helping students know their characters before they begin writing fiction (could be adapted to develop understanding of characters they are reading about):



What one teacher learned from readers’ notebooks:



Reopening schools:


Valuing read alouds during remote learning:


That’s it for this week.  Happy Coaching!

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