Reflecting on Coaching

 

Sometimes you just have to say, it will get better!

     I genuinely know I have been blessed with the best person in the whole world to work with as a classroom coach. I discussed the things I wanted to do with them, and they were pleased with my ideas. I asked her to do a self-assessment, and she welcomed the idea of sitting with me to complete the forms. I then explained the wonderful things we would discuss and then used data from her students to guide our progress. Marzano & Simms (2012) states, "a teacher might independently arrange to be coached by another teacher" (p. 211). I was so confident we could develop a series of strategies to help with her pedagogy. This coaching experience sounded awesome. Can I get an "Amen" from the educational coaches out there?

     In comes COVID19 like the real classroom wrecking ball it is for every teacher and classroom coach. I researched, planned, and reflected upon the teacher's needs, and then the Achilles heel of data struck my best-laid plans. The teacher and I were planning classroom management strategies, and, depending on how you look at it, we are fantastic!

     Not one single student lost their focus during a lesson. Not one single student attempted to be disruptive during class. We are so good; not even one student has left their desks out of order at the end of a class period. How did we do it? You guessed it, NO STUDENTS!! For clarification, we work at an alternative school. Yes, we want students, but we do not want students to come to the alternative school. This has got to be a record, no long-term students for over eleven weeks of this school year. I am happy for the students, but I am trying to coach, right? Luckily, I found that yoga is for teachers when they are stressing out.

     Please don't think I just gave up; I didn't. We did the next best thing; we did a book study together specifically for classroom management. The best thing about coaching is there are many styles to choose from depending on your needs and situation. For me, our book study is all about reflection on what we have read. "Reflecting conversations are designed to guide a teacher in identifying behaviors and beliefs and understanding how those behaviors and beliefs affect events in his or her classroom" (Marzano, 2012, p. 213). The conversations take the sting out of a teacher thinking, I did something wrong. Our conversations discuss how it possibly can be done better. New research based on the book study process for education revealed: "every interviewee believed that the professional book studies were superior to traditionally structured professional development programs they had attended" (Blanton et al., 2020, p. 1026). I realize a book study may seem mundane to many educators, but I beg you to reconsider that notion. The value of a book study for teaching staff is enormous once you realize a "book study PD offered participants a unique learning experience which facilitated relationships across school sites as well as ongoing teacher dialogue around instructional strategies and differing views on teaching" (Blanton et al., 2020, p. 1041). I believe this new research dictates the further use of book studies to facilitate school staff's unity and create a school culture of assisting one another.

     I would also like to address one aspect I find critical for my coaching relationship: trust. A great coaching relationship is made from "(1) spending time together, (2) active listening, and (3) personal stories" (Marzano, 2012, p. 218).  I believe the make-or-break point of coaching comes down to how well the coach develops trust. A coach's integrity and character must be coupled with transparency and a desire to assist others. I believe I have found a video that embodies everything I want to become as a coach and leader. I realize this video is a little longer than customarily placed in a blog. Still, the clarity and vision displayed by the speaker will move you to become a better leader and coach by assisting others.

     I will end this blog post with my best wishes to everyone who wants to become an instructional coach and hope you do so while becoming a servant leader to your school.

References

"2011.02 - 'Photo of constructions - a still-life of a wrecking ball and wrecking ball caterpillar tracks on a construction place in Amsterdam, area Oosterdok; urban Photography geotagged & in the public domain, Fons Heijnsbroek, The Netherlands" by Amsterdam free photos & pictures of the Dutch city is marked with CC0 1.0

Blanton, B. S., Broemmel, A. D., & Rigell, A. (2020). Speaking Volumes: Professional Development through Book Studies. American Educational Research Journal, 57(3), 1014–1044.

Marzano, R.J. & Simms, J.A. (2012). Coaching classroom instruction. Marzano Research Laboratory: Bloomington, IN.

TEDx Talks (2020, January 23). Servant leadership: How to lead with the heart? | Liz Theophille | TEDxSaclay [Video File]. Youtube. https://youtu.be/vZ0gave2WJc 

"yellow card for the coach" by woodleywonderworks is licensed under CC BY 2.0