Invisible threads are the strongest ties.
—Friedrich Nietzsche
You Belong!
On a whim, I decided to try out an idea to connect instructional coaches. I was driven by my passion for connecting people, and the disturbing statistics from the June 2022 Gallup Global Emotions report gave me the gumption I needed to figure out a way to connect instructional influencers. Statistics show that the world’s stress is at record levels. In the wake of the pandemic, “the world is a slightly sadder, more worried and stressed-out place,” according to a summary of the poll issued by Gallup.
In this era of instant connection, it turns out that the basic need that is most often not met is the need for connection.
Humans need to belong. In more than a decade when I served as an instructional coach, I quickly found that I belonged everywhere—and I belonged nowhere. I recognize that these are polar opposite conditions that both hold true.
If you are an instructional influencer (the term we coined for those who live between the worlds of classroom teacher and administrator), then you recognize the tension of these opposites. You belong in every classroom, and you might not have a team of your own. You sit in meetings with administrators, team leaders, or departments, and there’s no one else who has a similar role in your building.
It can feel lonely. It is lonely.
Wouldn’t it be great if we could connect with each other? Wouldn’t it be great to know we aren’t alone?
That’s why in August I launched Coach-to-Coach: A Live Cams-On Zoom Network. I thought it would be nice if a handful of people gathered each month to learn together.
It turned out hundreds of instructional coaches (and friends who are also living between the worlds, but have different job titles) decided to sign up.
I thought there might be 10 people who would show up at noon Eastern. There were four times that many at our first meeting…and more during the second meeting. Even more staggering was that when I sent the feedback and reflection form out after the meeting, more than 95% completed it!
And do you know what was confirmed? We need to connect. Check out what people are saying.
My breakout group was so kind in sharing their knowledge with me and offering to support me as I ease into this new role. I am so thankful to them and to the whole Coach-to-Coach community for helping me to grow my knowledge in this area. —Instructional Coach, Massachusetts
This is something I look forward to every month. A gift I give myself in the middle of a hectic day/week/year! —Instructional Coach, Colorado
I appreciate the format and additional opportunity to learn about coaching. —Instructional Coach, Indiana
Although we live in a time of instant connection, we also live in a time when it is difficult to connect. Professional friendships are needed more than ever. Coach-to-Coach is about learning together.
I send resources to the group throughout the month, and then we gather together with our cameras on for a 35-minute Zoom meeting. I offer a few minutes of teaching tailored to the needs of instructional influencers, and then I pretend to sprinkle some floo powder from The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, and we all fly off to breakout rooms. There are conversation starters to keep our time focused and effective. At the end we come together and share highlights from our conversations. It is exhilarating to connect coast to coast (and beyond) with others who are just as smart and funny as you are.
Here’s the best part: We’re just getting started! It’s not too late to join…and it’s okay if you aren’t able to be at all of the meetings. You show up when you can. You’ll get resources…and most importantly, you’ll feel seen and heard.
Trust me, if you’re an instructional influencer, you belong.
Did I mention it’s free? Just click here to register. It is hosted on our sister site, The Lead Learners. Our next live meeting is October 19 about the power of gratitude (and how attitudes are contagious).
Also, I’m still spinning about such a high response rate to the end-of-meeting surveys. I want to let you in on a little secret…My rate was so high because I read Gretchen Schroeder’s new article called “Your Opinion Matters—Really.” Gretchen guides us in getting feedback from students and making sure they know their opinions matter.
That’s what this week’s Big Fresh is about—listening to and hearing students—plus more, as always.
Shine on,
Ruth Ayres
Editor in Chief
Join the Coach-to-Coach Zoom Network for monthly conversations, great resources, and professional friendships that will help you build skills and confidence as a grassroots leader. You belong in this group!
Stella Villalba incorporates more speaking and listening activities into her primary classroom for English language learners.
Suzy Kaback thinks deeply about the concept of belonging as an essential part of building a school community.
In this Quick Take video, Christy Rush-Levine shares her system for streamlining passing papers and offering a place for private feedback.
Are you looking to engage with a community of instructional influencers? Join me on LinkedIn to continue conversations from the Big Fresh and connect with other educators who are just as smart and funny as you are.
In this course, Ruth Ayres shares a wealth of resources from Choice Literacy contributors focused on the power of giving and receiving student feedback.
New members-only content is added each week to the Choice Literacy website. If you’re not yet a member, click here to explore membership options.
Gretchen Schroeder guides us in getting feedback from students, as well as sharing with students the way their feedback matters to us. In a world where we are constantly asked to fill out feedback forms, it’s good to know when our opinions matter.
In this Choice Numeracy article, Mallory Messenger leads us through a process to help first-grade students discover patterns by leaving the middle of an equation open. Mallory offers resources and student work to help every teacher see the possibility of giving students opportunities to make sense of math.
In this video, Stella Villalba encourages all educators to listen to students to understand how to create a culture of belonging.
New members-only content is added each week to the Choice Literacy website. If you’re not yet a member, click here to explore membership options.
In this encore article, Brian Sepe struggles in a coaching cycle with an experienced teacher and realizes he has imposed his agenda on the work. His reflection leads to some changes in the ways he collaborates with colleagues.
Tim Elmore dismantles the barriers between young and old at work.
Quote It:
Realize that everything connects to everything else.
—Leonardo da Vinci
That’s all for this week!