A leader’s job is not to do the work for others, it’s to help others figure out how to do it themselves, to get things done and to succeed beyond what they thought possible.
—Simon Sinek
As I enter my fifth year as a coach for teachers of English language learners, I can’t help but look back at this journey as one where every pause, every reflection, every time I slowed down showed me the path toward clarity and action. As in teaching, coaching is all about listening, understanding where people come from, understanding the values they hold dear to their hearts, and nudging them where to go next. If you are in a school system, regardless of your role, you understand this: Days go fast in a school, and about four or five things appear on your plate during the day that you didn’t anticipate or plan for. As a day rolls in, it rolls out pretty fast. However, this fast work pace has also taught me that I must have systems in place that allow me to be thoughtful, careful, and reflective throughout my coaching and teaching days. Here are some things I have learned about coaching, the habits I have worked hard to implement, and how I stay inspired in a work environment that deals with the unexpected every day.
Laying the Groundwork
Having time to talk with teachers in person before our day even begins is the ideal scenario. That time you get one-on-one with the teacher before you even enter the classroom is invaluable. The conversations that happen before our shared day begins allow for both of us to ask questions and get specific through the lenses of observation and work. If this is a classroom where you have been before in your role as a coach, the familiarity might calm the teacher’s anxiety about having someone new in the room. I have learned over time, however, that an unexpected meeting might have to take place at the last minute or a phone call might need immediate attention. You and your collaborating teacher might find yourself with the new reality that your precoaching meeting might not happen.
Ideally, a big chunk of the preview conversations and planning already took place before the coaching visit. However, I have learned that putting things in writing gives both of us something to refer to and a place to clarify things, and that it keeps us on the same page. Part of my coaching routine is to send the teacher an email 24 or 48 hours before our coaching day with a quick summary of the reason for the visit along with two or three questions to be addressed or discussed afterward. This allows both of us to be reminded of our why for working together. Preferably we will talk again on the day of the observation or our work together, but if something disrupts our morning, we both feel prepared and in sync.
Three Reflection Points
One of the practices I have for reflection is pausing to take the pulse of our teaching, our students, and our learning. One way we have carved out time for this practice is by establishing three points throughout the year when we can come together as collaborators to share our thoughts, ask some questions, and dig for answers together. I tap into teachers’ thinking at the beginning of the year, after winter break, and at the end of the year. Using Google Drive, I ask teachers to answer two questions that I use as reference points for our conversations.
These are some of the questions I have used in the past four years:
1. What are some of the highlights this year in your teaching? Think in terms of successful moments with children, working with adults, or in the ELL field.
2. What are some of the areas where you know you have room to grow? You can think in terms of professional development, skills, or understanding of best practices.
3. What is a challenge you are facing this year?
4. How do you feel about the growth of your ELL students this year? What are some of the things you would be doing differently based on what you have learned about them this year?
5. How did you monitor progress in your students this year? What worked? What didn’t? What is it telling you about your students in terms of needs?
6. What are you curious about now?
7. Please give me some feedback on our PD together. What could I do differently next time? What PD do you need to continue to grow?
8. How can we collaborate better and more closely next year?
These three points of reflection and conversations with my collaborating teachers have helped them as much as they’ve helped me. The pauses help all of us be vulnerable and sincere with each other, and they help me stay true to the teachers I work with by consistently listening to them.
Gratitude: A Constant Practice
One of my own personal values is to practice daily gratitude in writing. It has been challenging for me to carry this practice into the work setting. The time goes by fast, and I’m in constant motion, visiting different classrooms and even different schools throughout the day. But I have finally figured out what I need to do. At the start of the school year, I buy several stacks of thank-you cards and put them in strategic locations. I keep a stack of cards on my binder so that when I visit classrooms, I can write a thank-you note on the spot and leave it with the teacher on my way out. I carry a stack of cards in my school bag, so regardless of where I am, I can pause and write. I carry a set of cards in my car for when I run out of them. No more excuses.
I have learned throughout the years that a simple note can go a long way with teachers. It sends the message that you are thinking of them and that you value their input. The notes help my coaching heart stay grounded.
Every pause, every reflection, every time I slow down, I discover a path to clarity and action. This simple system I have kept in place in my coaching days has helped me stay consistent and live Simon Sinek’s words: “It’s not just what or how you do things that matters; what matters more is what and how you do things consistently with your why.”
