Champion in a Division of One

This week, I listened to an episode* where the podcasters described the experiences of their daughter Lily, a teenager with Down Syndrome, who won two gold medals recently at their state swim meet. Even though she was the last one still in the water in both of her heats, when it came time to announce the medals, they found out that Lily was in her own division – and she won first place both times. They described Lily’s joy as she stood in the top spot on the podium and waved, Olympic style, at the cheering crowd. Even though she was competing only against herself in the state meet, Lily had worked hard all season for those gold medals. She’d consistently shaved time off her finishes, and that day, both times were personal records.
 
As instructional coaches, we can make sure each teacher we work with sees herself in a “division of one.” Her challenges and goals are unique to her situation. She will have daily wins (and occasional setbacks) as she moves toward her goal in her own way, By the end of the coaching cycle, hopefully she’ll experience a PR in the goal that she’s set.
 
For example, Sarah’s goal was to improve whole-group discussion. During a read-aloud lesson, she focused on asking text-dependent questions throughout the book. For another lesson, she wrote out a few questions in advance, using a “Depth of Knowledge” chart to craft meaningful open-ended questions. In later lessons, she focused on wait time and making sure many students had the opportunity to respond (not the same fallback students who she could always count on to answer). The lesson that the coach observed near the end of their coaching cycle was a PR for the teacher, who felt confident about facilitating meaningful whole-class discussion.
 
Imagine the power of each teacher you work with becoming a champion in a division of one!  Imagine if they pass this mindset along to their students!  Imagine that you, too, see yourself in a division of one as you improve your own coaching skills. Hopefully having this mindset will help you, and those you serve, make meaningful progress.
 
* https://www.theawesomefactory.nyc/podcasts/what-could-go-right

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

Harness the power of self-directed learning:
 
https://choiceliteracy.com/article/hanging-out-messing-around-geeking-out-or-how-to-give-students-the-resources-space-and-time-for-self-directed-literacy-learning/
 
Arts vs. crafts:
 
https://www.preschool-plan-it.com/arts-vs-crafts.html
 
 
What is number sense and why is it important:
 
https://players.brightcove.net/1740322051001/default_default/index.html?videoId=5724225624001
 
 
Teaching is a creative profession. Here are 10 ways to boost creativity:
 
https://www.lifehack.org/articles/lifestyle/boosting-your-creativity-10-great-ways.html
 
 
Teacher well-being podcast:
 
https://www.selfcareforteachers.com.au/podcast/
 
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! TODAY you can still use the code: MAR2024 for 20% off. 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!

 

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