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You’re Not There—Yet!

Mary Brower considers ways to support risk-taking in classrooms. She shares a simple process for reflective practice that helps fuel professional growth.

Coaching from Teachers’ Strengths

When observing literacy instruction, Matt Renwick asks the question “Who is being served and who is not?” This allows an entry point into a conversation based on teacher strengths while simultaneously being aware of equitable practices.

Empowering Teachers and Building Relationships

As a traveling coach, Mary Brower was overwhelmed by the amount of things she was. One day when the load felt too big, she heard joy spilling out of a classroom. Stopping to look into the classroom led to a powerful connection with a teacher…and a realization about what a coach really needs to carry.

Energizing Yourself

Hannah Tills and Josie Stewart give practical ways instructional coaches can refuel their energy levels.

Combat Self-Doubt: Make a Ta-Da List

Ruth Ayres addresses the issue of impostor syndrome in educators. She offers a charming way to battle the tension of feeling like we don’t do enough.

Coaching Minute: Keep a Meeting Journal

Curriculum director Inga Omondi spends a lot of time in meetings. To make connections, remember next steps, and stay organized, she keeps a journal with all of her meeting notes.

Maintaining an Inquiry Stance: Seeking to Enhance the Practice of Questioning in Leadership

Heather Fisher cracks open some of her secrets to developing and maintaining an inquiry stance as an instructional coach. If you’re looking to  strengthen your listening and feedback, this is a great place to begin.

Picture It: When Material-Use Goes Awry

In this Picture-It, Ruth Ayres prioritizes nurturing relationships with students when material-use goes awry.

A 30-Day Coaching Challenge

Stephanie Affinito invites instructional coaches to engage in a 30-Day Coaching Challenge designed to bring renewed enthusiasm and effectiveness to our work. Grab a notebook and get started today!

How Do You Show Up?

Brian Sepe encourages instructional coaches to engage in self-reflection to better meet the needs of teachers. Using a simple matrix, Brian leads us to powerful realizations for showing up in meaningful ways.

Coaching Minute: Taking Time to Plan

David Pittman encourages the importance of instructional coaches taking the time to plan.

Five Books to Launch Discussion About the Coaching Role

Stephanie Affinito recommends five picture books to launch discussions about an instructional coach’s role. This helps ensure success by giving all stakeholders an opportunity to define and understand the role of a coach.

Transcripts as a Coaching Tool

Suzy Kaback shares a process to use transcripts as a coaching tool. Tips from her own experiences and several resource links will have you using this tool, too.

Research and Learn

Brian Sepe offers a protocol and downloadable tool for teachers and coaches to research student writers. It is good for the soul to bear witness to the good that students bring to the classroom.

Coaching Connections: Drop-In Visits

In this first installment of a three-part series, Gigi McAllister explores ways instructional coaches can make strong connections through drop-in visits. Download the Drop-In Visit note sheet and add drop-in visits to your schedule today.

Growing Professional Learning Communities

Cathy Mere encourages instructional coaches to take the best parts of workshop practice and apply it to coaching.

Building a Schoolwide Coaching Culture

Matt Renwick offers three contexts in which a coaching culture is deliberately built and supported in school.

Words of Reflection for New Coaches

Stella Villalba reflects on her journey as an instructional coach and offers advice to new coaches in a question-and-answer format.

When the Best Coaching Is Offering Advice 

Matt Renwick shares a classroom observation and his process for discerning what kind of feedback to give. By considering different coaching approaches, as well as their limits, Matt concludes that sometimes the best coaching is offering advice.

Everything I Need to Know About Teaching Children, I Learned Through Conferring

Stella Villalba pens a personal essay reflecting on her journey of learning to confer with students and reminds us of the importance of this practice.

Coaching Minute: Keeping Writers in Motion

Ruth Ayres explains the importance of keeping writers in motion and ways in which instructional coaches can empower routines that will help students keep writing.

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