School’s
out, but our minds are full of how we can prepare for the uncertainties of the
upcoming school year. We know that,
whether teachers and students return to buildings for face-to-face instruction
or meet virtually, they will be bringing with them baggage from school closures
in the spring – we all will. Attending
to the social-emotional needs of students and teachers – and ourselves – will
be an important part of our role as coaches.
I’ve
been talking with teachers about their lingering concerns from the school year.
They worry about food scarcity for families who relied on school meals to feed
their children. They worry that learning doesn’t take place when essential
needs aren’t met. They worry about regression, especially for English language
learners. They worry about families having the transportation to access
resources that schools were making available. They worry about their lack of
contact with students who didn’t have technology. They worry about the
information their families are getting about COVID-19.
During
my recent conversation with Andi, a middle school teacher, she talked about
knocking on students’ doors during this time and seeing their eyes light up
when they saw their teacher at the door. “Bet you didn’t think you’d see me here,
did you?” she said. Andi talked to me about the importance of making sure her
students could see her eyes. She talked about one student whose father is now
hospitalized with COVID-19. There was
worry in her voice, and some frustration about the misinformation the family
had received. She had dropped off school work and made frequent phone calls to
check in. But she wished she could do more.
And
all I could do was listen. But that was
something, after all. Having someone to
listen seemed to lift a bit of the weight from Andi’s shoulders, and she
problem-solved about the future as she talked. She began to feel more hopeful
as she thought of how she would frontload technology if she sees her students
at the beginning of the school year; of how she would teach Zoom-etiquette and
give internet precautions. And advocate for technology for every student. She talked, I listened, offering only an
occasional nudge or response.
Listening
is one of those coaching skills that we can practice all the time. When a
friend comes with a question, a problem, or a tough decision, you can practice
listening. Take a step back. Ask a few questions. Listen to her answers. Listen
to both what she says and what she does not say. Listen to the tone of her
voice. Does she use the word “should” a lot? Do you hear self-blame or
pressure? If you’re talking face-to-face, notice when her eyes light up or dim.
Watch how her body lifts or falls when she talks. Does she look you in the eye?
As you listen, be on her side.
This
summer, let’s practice listening. It will surely be good preparation for things
to come.
This
week, you might want to take a look at:
This
7-min. how-to video about comprehension strategies could be shared with
parents:
Helping
students know their characters before they begin writing fiction (could be
adapted to develop understanding of characters they are reading about):
What
one teacher learned from readers’ notebooks:
Reopening
schools:
Valuing
read alouds during remote learning:
That’s
it for this week. Happy Coaching!
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