A group of coaches and I recently sat down to better define what coaching is and what coaching isn’t. They were hearing odd things from teachers like “Wow! It must be great to be a coach because all you have to do is be spy for the principal!” and “How can I trust you when I feel like you’re going to tell the principal everything?” Actually, these comments are not odd at all, but a symptom of a bigger problem: a lack of understanding and knowledge about what the purpose of the coaching role is and, even most importantly, what it isn’t!
Here’s the list we came up with!
Coaching Isn’t
- Optional
- Punitive
- Personal
- Tattling to the administrator
- Unlimited patience
- Always comfortable
- Paperwork based
- Fly by the seat of my pants
- Subbing in the classrooms
- By teacher invitation only
- Working with kids directly
- Doing work for teachers, but doing work with teachers
- The go-between the manager and teacher
Coaching Is
- Individualized
- Teaching staff
- Diagnosing teacher need
- Based upon data
- Focused on specific teaching strategies
- Tied to students learning
- Intentional
- Inspiring, motivational
- Guiding teachers to new behaviors
- Face to face
- Communicating care and serving as an example to teachers
- Positive feedback
- Communicating effectiveness in the classroom
- Focusing on strengths, weaknesses
- Modeling
- In the classroom – in the trenches
- 2nd set of eyes