One
of the benefits of being a coach is the opportunity to work with colleagues. In
a profession that has traditionally been “siloed,” it is refreshing to think together
with other teachers. We know that sharing ideas can strengthen practice.
If
you’ve been using the GIR model as a guide for your coaching, you have
gradually increased the teachers’ responsibility as you move through your joint
inquiry. By the end of a successful coaching cycle, your teaching partners are
competent and confident about the practices you’ve focused on. The coaching
path becomes a two-way street: You both give ideas to and get ideas from the
teachers you are working with.
As
I talked this week with a group of coaches, one of them excitedly discussed a
lesson that she had seen taught. “It was so good,” she said, “I asked for the
lesson plan!” Those who are part teacher, part coach can put the good ideas they
see immediately into use in their own practice. For those with a full-time
coaching role, opportunities abound to share the good things you are seeing.
To
collaborate is to co-labor. When teachers work together and critically examine
both practice and (importantly!) the instructional impact of that practice, good things
happen! You might use the co-laborer test to see if you are ready to end a
coaching cycle: If it has become a truly collaborative venture, you are
probably ready to move on. If not, what needs to happen to move the
relationship in that direction? Let the GIR model be your guide as you empower
teachers.
As
you shift your focus to other coaching work, collegial interactions will be
ongoing and mutually supportive. Collecting a company of co-laborers is a happy
consequence of coaching!
This week, you might want to
take a look at:
One
more for national poetry month: 'Tis the season for road trips! Take a virtual one with poetry:
A
protocol that works for both teachers’ PD and students’ learning:
An
article about ending the year with literacy gifts:
US
History on Pinterest:
An
report about student-centered instruction in the math classroom (see the summary
table on page 6):
That’s it for this week. Happy
coaching!
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