Lead Lit Topic: Coaching Support Structures
Some literacy leaders receive extensive training for working with adult learners, but most of us do not. As you move between the stances of coach, collaborator and consultant, you’ll need support structures in place for defining your role, communicating with administrators, advocating for your position with a school board and more. Here you’ll find reflections and how-tos that respond to the question, “Who coaches the coach?”
Results
ABCs of Coaching
Summer gives me time to think about the upcoming coaching season. In particular, I’m thinking about the new coaches—Vikki, Samantha, and Meghan—whom I’ll be mentoring in the fall as well...
Digital Clutter and Being Present with Teachers
With all the technology and interruptions in our lives today, it’s easy to be distracted during a conversation. I pride myself on multitasking and being efficient in my work, but...
Getting Instructional Practices Up and Running
How long does it take to get an instructional practice up and running? A week? A month? A semester? A year? Is there any such thing as too much support?...
Teacher Evaluation: A New Role for Coaches
To make dreams apparent to others and to align people with them requires not just more explanations or clarification, but the creation of meaning. Warren Bennis Like many districts...
Guess Who’s Coming? Planning an Author Visit
I was following a trail of students to the cafeteria. A smile formed when I noticed heads turning to glance at a countdown calendar. Excitement had been building day by...
Picture It: Celebrate!
There are many times throughout the year when it is important to take a moment to celebrate all the wonderful things happening in our school community. As a principal, I...
Developing a Collaborative Vision for Leading Literacy Coaches
Let us make a special effort to stop communicating with each other, so we can have some conversation. Mark Twain It’s August, and Amanda and I are perched in...
Climbing Gordon’s Ladder with New Teachers
Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better. Maya Angelou As a teacher leader for the Teacher Mentor Program, I worked...
Operation Classroom Library
One, two, three, four crates of books were stacked against the wall, standing taller than any kindergarten student in the class. The stack was teetering, in danger of abruptly crashing...
Interviewing a Coach
Almost every year I get the opportunity to participate in interviews for elementary or secondary instructional specialist positions in our district. Spots open up because of a coach heading back...
Coaching Minute: Professional Development Matters for Us
In this brief video, Ruth Ayres explains why professional development is important for all of us, no matter your leadership role.
Picture It: Binder Full of Coaching
Heather Rader keeps her binder with her as she moves between the 13 elementary schools in her district. Each tab belongs to one of the educators with whom she’s currently...
Puppies and Babies and Kittens, Oh My! Support for Maternity Leaves
Spring is in the air, and at my school, teachers are having babies and taking leave. If you’re the coach, that means you have teachers to support before they leave...
Coaching Minute: Celebrations
Ruth Ayres talks about the importance of celebrations for coaches, teachers, and students in this brief video.
Welcome Visits
Finding the right entry in professional development can be tricky. We never want to waste teachers’ time by not gauging the focus or pace of our sessions. We want our...
Coaching Minute: Principals and Professional Development
In this brief video, Clare Landrigan and Tammy Mulligan talk about the challenges of getting busy principals involved in professional development given how packed their schedules are.
Cultivating Teacher Leadership
The growth and development of people is the highest calling of leadership. Harvey S. Firestone For the past year I have been entrenched in curriculum development with grade-level teams...
Coaching Minute: Pinterest
Clare Landrigan and Tammy Mulligan share the many ways Pinterest has enhanced their professional development with teachers. Here is the link to their Pinterest boards: http://pinterest.com/tammyandclare/
Literacy and Technology: Changing Structures
Thirty years ago, in the cracked cinder-block rooms of my small, rural elementary school, the teaching protocol was standard and simple. We walked into school. We put our backpack where...
Infusing Technology into Writing Celebrations (Grades K–2)
I understand that I am fortunate to work in a building that has a 1:1 iPad environment in grades 3–8. However, this hasn’t stopped some of our younger students and...
Aligning Coaching and Teaching Teams
The most empowering condition of all is when the entire organization is aligned with its mission, and people’s passions and purpose are in synch with each other. Bill George...
