Letters to the Coach: Gathering Teacher Voices

As the beginning-of-year bumps begin to smooth out and the dust settles, it’s worth creating a moment of quiet reflection. One simple way to do that is by inviting teachers to write letters—letters addressed to you, the coach. Can you ask to carve out a few minutes as teachers settle in for an upcoming faculty meeting? Your work throughout the year will be more purposeful and effective if teachers pause now to give you some insight about their own priorities.
 
Why Letters Matter
These letters aren’t just a feel-good activity. They provide authentic insight into teachers’ priorities, beliefs, and curiosities. When you know what matters most to the people you work alongside, you’ll be able to focus your coaching in ways that are more purposeful and supportive throughout the year
 
The letters can give you authentic insight into what teachers hope to accomplish this year. That kind of perspective will make your coaching work more intentional and relevant.
 
Setting the Stage
To make this activity meaningful, build it into a meeting rather than assigning it as “homework.” A few minutes of protected time ensures that everyone has space to think and write. Create a pause.

·        Hand out notecards or stationery.

·        Play soft background music.

·        Pass around a few extra pens (just in case).

The goal is to signal that this is not just another task, but an opportunity for reflection.

Prompts to Get Started

Teachers may not know what to write at first, so prompts can help guide their thinking. Here are some you might try:

·        What’s one thing that worked so well last year that you want to do it again?

·        What do you believe about your students? What else do you believe about them?

·        What do you believe about teaching? What else do you believe about teaching?

·        Is there a teaching practice you’re wondering about?

·        Was there something you emphasized too much last year?

·        Is there something you’d like to approach differently this year?

·        When your students look back on this school year, what do you hope they’ll remember?

You can use these prompts as written or come up with your own. Your want to spark reflection, not to collect polished essays. The important thing is that you give teachers time to pause so that they can give you a glimpse of their hopes and dreams.
 
The Gift of Time
It’s tempting to ask teachers to email you their thoughts later or to drop them in your mailbox. but teachers have so many priorities this time of year that they’ll need the think time to get these ideas worked out. The goal is not just the writing—it’s the pause. Teachers rarely get built-in moments for quiet reflection in the midst of busy school days, and providing this time can be a gift.
 
At the start of the year, competing demands are endless, and even the most well-intentioned task can slip through the cracks. By carving out time during the meeting, you ensure that every teacher has the chance to pause and reflect in the moment.
 
A Treasury of Insight
Once you collect the letters, you’ll have more than just pieces of paper—you’ll have a collection of teacher voices – their hopes, their priorities, their curiosities. As you read through them, patterns will emerge, helping you know where to focus your energy as you work with teachers this year.
 
In the rush of back-to-school, a few quiet minutes for reflection can create a foundation for purposeful coaching all year long. That treasury of insights can guide your coaching focus and help you support teachers in ways that align with their dreams for the year ahead.
 
This week, you might want to take a look at:

Some musical inspiration about the power of letters:  J
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQaUs5J2wdI
 
 
The importance of choice in writers’ workshop:
 
https://ccira.blog/2019/06/24/the-importance-of-choice-in-writers-workshop/
 
 
Modeling mistakes:
 
https://choiceliteracy.com/article/alert-mistakes-in-progress/
 
 
Ideas for making anchor charts more student-centered:
 
https://twowritingteachers.org/2018/10/10/co-constructing/
 
 
When to opt out of graphic organizers:
 
https://www.middleweb.com/43456/when-should-we-skip-the-graphic-organizer/
 
That’s it for this week. Happy Coaching!
 
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: FDNF25 for 15% 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!