Favorite Things

With so many teachers and so little time, coaches sometimes feel frustrated in their desires to support all teachers. Walk-throughs are a way to quickly lift up many teachers, if we make sure our follow-up has a positive spin.
 
Walk-throughs are brief classroom observations often used by principals to gather information. Coaches can use them for this purpose, too, gathering first impressions and getting a sense of instructional patterns and alignments. They provide snapshots to guide improvement efforts.
 
During walk throughs, there’s much that can be taken in quickly. A glance around the classroom, looking at students’ gaze and posture, provides information about engagement. Anchor charts and student work on classroom walls are visual demonstrations of instructional focus and classroom culture.
 
Instructional coaches can lower the risky feeling of walk-throughs and communicate good intentions by making regular efforts to focus on the positive.
 
When I want to have a big positive impact in just a little time, I do quick observations and lift up the good things teachers are doing. By following up with emails that identify “a few of my favorite things,” I show teachers that I am on their side and that I see their positive impact. My comments also subtly encourage those effective practices to continue.

Here are excerpts from a few recent walk-through emails:

Whitney, I loved spending a few minutes in your class today! Here are a few of my favorite things:

-You gave clear instructions for group work and asked questions to make sure students knew what to do.

-You were checking students' work while they were doing it and holding them accountable.

-You pulled sticks to ensure that a variety of students participated in discussion.

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Sophia, when I stopped in today, I noticed students' smooth use of technology during the assignment. They know and follow the routine independently. You have established clear procedures for it!

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Kate, when I came in today, students were sooooo enthusiastic about their seeds!  I'm sure it feels good to know that the unit you planned so carefully is very engaging to students.

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Kiyah, it was wonderful to stop by your class during science! There's always JOY!

It was good to hear how thoughtful your first-graders were when sharing their Notice and Wonders after their outdoor observation. 

You modelled constructed spelling and encouraged students to use what they knew (punctuation).

Your students see themselves as scientists! They were excited to grab their scientific notebooks. 

You also modeled procedures, like gluing in a page, rather than just expecting students would know. This demonstrates how i- tune you are with your students' skills. 

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Jailey, sometimes, it's the little things that make a difference. When I was in your room today:

-I noticed that you turn off your mic when you are conferring with individual students or a small group.

-I noticed that you prompted students to use their resources rather than giving them answers.

-I noticed that you pulled a flexible group when you saw the need.

These things add up! I noticed that students were working energetically and seemed excited - even wanting to stay in from recess! You have created a climate where students love to learn.

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I hope that receiving these emails gave teachers a well-deserved lift. Just reading back over the emails I sent that day gave me a lift, too! 

Coaches can usually have deep interactions with only a small percentage of the faculty at any given time, so it’s helpful to continue nurturing relationships with the others in an ongoing way. Walks-throughs with follow-up “favorite things” emails are one of my own favorite ways to sustain these important relationships,

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This week, you might want to take a look at:
 
Simple Brain Breaks and why teachers should use them:
 
https://www.edutopia.org/article/we-drastically-underestimate-importance-brain-breaks

 
It’s poetry month! Check out this idea for having older students writing personal poetry for kindergarten partners:
 
https://choiceliteracy.com/article/kindergarten-and-middle-school-poetry-partnership/
 
The value of feedback from an instructional coach (this brief video is available this week only):
 
https://www.teachingchannel.com/free-videos/
 
 
Success takes work:
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9zSVu76AX3I
 
 
ChatGPT as a teacher tool:
 
https://www.learnersedge.com/blog/chatgpt-the-game-changing-app-every-teacher-should-know-about
 
That’s it for this week. Happy Coaching!

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