Coaches’ Time: What Matters Most?

Emily is a school-based coach who makes morning announcements, helps with fundraisers, creates Instagram reels with her principal, runs the readathon, and represents her school at district literacy meetings. Although Emily is happy to be viewed as part of the leadership team, responsibilities like these pull Emily away from what matters most in instructional coaching: Time spent talking with teachers about instruction.
 
Coaches are often overwhelmed by the variety of tasks on their plate. Some of these they take on themselves, and others are assigned duties. When coaches have so many items on their to-do list, they can’t put their best effort into any task, and they may find it challenging to engage in ongoing coaching cycles focused on instruction and student learning.
 
Research suggests that student learning improves when coaching includes: conferring with teachers, modeling, observing, and assessment-related activities (such as reviewing formative assessments to guide instruction).* When these activities are embedded in coaching cycles, constructive collaboration with teachers is prioritized. Partnering with teachers enhances reflection on students, pedagogy, and the curriculum and improves instructional decision-making.
 
Managing the many roles and responsibilities of instructional coaching requires both scheduling and flexibility. A weekly agenda that allots the majority of your time to potent coaching practices ensures your commitment to these priorities. But educators understand the value of flexibility, too. Assigned tasks may change, and surprises pop up during the course of the day. Coaches must also be opportunistic.
 
Spending your time on what matters most is important, so I’ve made a gift for you! If you’d like a free form that will track how you spend your time, click HERE and I’ll send you links to the form and to a video tutorial. Using this tool, you’ll end up with a nice pie chart of how your time is being used.
 
Teachers are eager to work with a coach when they see the impact on student learning. Student learning improves when coaches spend the majority of their time working with teachers (and planning for that work). If your schedule is overloaded with other activities, consider one change you might make next week to make teacher interactions a bigger piece of your pie.
 
*Elish-Piper, L., & L’Allier, S. K. (2011). Examining the relationship between literacy coaching and student reading gains in grades K–3. The Elementary School Journal, 112(1), 83-106.

Walpole, S. McKenna, .C., Uribe-Zorain, X., & Lamitina, D. (2010). The relatinoships between coaching and instruction in theh primary grades: Evidence from igh-poverty schools. The Elementary School Journal, 111(1), 115-140. 

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

How the circle practice can support writing:
 
https://choiceliteracy.com/article/deepening-discussion-with-a-circle-process/
 
 
For 1^st-year teachers: How to prepare for a roller coaster year:
 
https://www.edutopia.org/article/new-teachers-6-principles-remember-year/
 
 
Advice from 2^nd year teachers:
 
https://www.edweek.org/teaching-learning/video-second-year-teachers-share-some-advice-for-rookies-1/2017/09
 
 
A podcast on mentoring new teachers on social-emotional  learning:
 
http://blog.stenhouse.com/archives/2018/03/30/mentoring-new-teachers-podcast-episode-ii-social-emotional-learning/
 
 
Avoiding isolation as an instructional coach:
 
https://blog.teachboost.com/instructional-coaching-plcs-in-action
 
That’s it for this week. Happy Coaching!
 
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Want more coaching tips? Check out my book, Differentiated Mentoring & Coaching in Education: From Preservice Teacher to Expert Practitioner, available from Teachers College Press!  I’m so excited to share it with you! You can use the code: SEPT2023 for 15% off plus FREE SHIPPING. Click  here  and I’ll email you the free Book Group Study Guide that includes questions, prompts, and activities you can use as you share the book with colleagues.  I hope you’ll love this book as much as I loved making it for you!