We are so excited to have our partners at Edu20/20 guest blog for us TODAY! Here are a few ‘nuggets’ to continue those teacher relationships, even when your coaching comes-to-a-grinding-halt!
It’s that wonderful time of the year when the flowers bloom, the pollen invades, the students are restless, the teachers have dreams of beach vacations, standardized testing is looming, and your coaching efforts have come to a screeching halt. Does this seem familiar?
Don’t put your coaching schedule away for the school year just yet. There’s still lots of meaningful coaching to be done! Pull up a chair and get comfy for a little chat about several ways that you can STILL make an impact on teachers and students.
If you’ve got a couple of weeks before testing (and even during testing), it’s time to work on those relationships with teachers! Although these aren’t part of your everyday coaching responsibilities, here are a couple of ways you can boost teacher morale during this super stressful time. And of course, doing these things will help provide you opportunities for coaching in the future.
- Offer to make copies of practice tests and review activities.
- Sit with a small group to review test-taking strategies.
- Offer to cover teachers’ walls or take down charts for them.
- Cover recess or lunch duty for teachers so they get a real break.
Now, once testing is over (and for those of you that coach non-tested subjects/grade levels) the question still remains…what do I do with these teachers until the end of school? No one wants me in their rooms!
[insert superhero musical score here] I’ve got just the thing to help you! It’s a really simple idea that can be wrapped up with one quick conversation that sounds something like this:
“I have this strategy/method/new thing I’m thinking of using school-wide next school year. I think your kids would really rock it! Can I come in to try it in your classroom and have you give me some feedback?”
What teacher would say no to that?? Teach my kids at the end of the year? Let me observe you and give feedback? Where do I sign up? How soon can you come in?
And just like that, you’re in! Now, what you decide to model or “try out” should be super strategic! Does this particular teacher need support with classroom management? Then try out a “new” management strategy. Do they need support with text dependent questions? Then share your questioning strategy with them and have them provide feedback on the questions asked during the lesson. Super simple!
Let’s summarize. Your spring agenda for coaching is going to focus on these 3 things:
- Relationships
- Trying out strategies for next year
- Customizing what you model and how the teacher provides feedback
With these 3 things in place, your spring coaching can be just as effective as the rest of the year!
We have two great ways to get the How to Coach Teachers training
Check it out below!
Click here to learn more about Camp Coach, presented by Edu20/20
Click here to learn more about The Virtual Coaching Summit
