A
friend posted a quote in Facebook that caught my eye: “We are all in the same
boat. We are not all in the same storm.” It went on to say that right now, some
are experiencing a peaceful sprinkle, while for others, life is a disruptive
storm or a life-changing hurricane.
However this moment’s changes are impacting you, I hope you can make
space for renewal for yourself and the teachers you work with.
Check
your foundation
When
storms come, it’s important to check your foundation to be sure it is strong.
What are the foundations of your coaching work?
If you believe that coaching should provide a gradual shift that
empowers teachers, you could review early posts from this blog that describe
phases in the Gradual
Increase of Responsibility (GIR) Coaching Model. If, at your core, you believe that
coaching should be student-centered, that could
be another cornerstone for your coaching foundation. Do you believe coaching
should be invitational? Should it
focus on teachers’
assets? Is the role of
language in coaching and using the right words central to
your work? These are just a few
examples.
What
is really important to you in your coaching work? What does your foundation look like? What condition is it in? Can you make time for an introspective look
and then do some restoration? Shoring up
the foundation of your coaching work can help you weather the storm now and be
better prepared for the future. Reflecting on guiding principles brings
renewal. Know your cornerstones.
Encourage
self-inspection
As
you check your own foundation, you could also encourage the teachers you work
with to perform a self-inspection. Ask
them to identify four cornerstones for their teaching, the things that really
matter to them. It might be helpful to
provide a few examples of core principles to help their brainstorming. You could offer ideas like having a growth
mindset or accentuating
the positive. Do teachers
believe that teaching
isn’t telling or that they should encourage
student talk?
Do they want to give students
opportunities to teach?
Is differentiation key to their
instruction? Do they want to be sure to
be responsive or teach for
understanding? Principles
like these can be anchors for instruction.
Even as circumstances change, teachers will steer true when they’ve
identified core principles.
Teachers’
beliefs guide their teaching and knowing them
can guide your coaching, so it’s worth asking teachers to
share the cornerstones they define for themselves. Whether the days ahead are unsettled
or stable, teachers and coaches can be unshakable when their foundational
principles are secure.
Take
time for renewal. Take time to do maintenance work on your coaching foundation.
With a reinforced foundation, you will be strengthened to face the storms that
test your resolve, no matter their direction, duration, or intensity. Your strong coaching foundation will allow you
to face challenges with steady understanding. You’ll be prepared to be true to
your coaching cornerstones.
This
week, you might want to take a look at:
Making
the most of parent-teacher life at home:
Connecting
with community partners:
Teens
talk about identity on social media:
Supporting
young writers at home:
Teaching during a
pandemic:
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very nice blog Executive Coaching Melbourne
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