I Am

     I am busy, Where did this year go? Here it is, December 8, and I'm writing for the first time this year. My second year of Instructional Coaching got off to a busy start. My team and I are in the classrooms a lot more this year so we have less time together. I miss our time to learn together, but the fact that we are all busy with teachers is a good sign. This year I feel like teachers are more willing to dig in and do some changing. We have created a strategies playbook and used the strategies to guide our Professional Development. We are seeing new instructional practices being used in the classroom and getting positive feedback about the effects.
     I am hopeful. I get the opportunity to work with 1 first year teacher and 3 second year teachers. I get energized and excited when I have my weekly meetings. These young teachers are already learning how to be reflective, not afraid to try something new, and getting the opportunity through coaching to start their career with some effective practices. Two of my teachers are music teachers. One is implementing sectional practice in band, and another one is undertaking bucket drumming with a group of middle school students. Working through these coaching cycles has proven to be rewarding and effective.
      I am tired and challenged. I also have the opportunity to work in some classrooms with some very challenging behavior. These students have challenged my patience, my temper, and my skills. There are days I am in the room and I feel very defeated because nothing seems to go the way I expect or hope. There are other days that I everything goes right and we have a classroom of learners that aren't disruptive or angry. Those are the days I celebrate.
      I am building relationships. My relationships with the teachers I work with continue to go stronger. We are learning how to collaborate and trust one another. I also am building relationships with students. Especially some of the high school students. One very hard to reach student actually looks at me and smiles when he sees me in the hallway and will speak to me first.
      I am continuing to learn. I continue to build my skills as a coach. I am learning how to listen better and ask the right questions. I am also learning when to push a little and when to back off. I am learning some weeks there just aren't enough hours in the day.
      I am an Instructional Coach.

I'm So Excited!

This winter has been taking its toll on my enthusiasm and excitement, but that all changed this week.
First we got back winter data, and although there was growth in some areas and classrooms, it wasn't district wide and not the growth I was hoping for.

Then it seemed like the teachers weren't jumping on the bandwagon this semester. We had asked them to watch two videos, read a short article, and contribute a blog to further their learning about clear learning intentions. They weren't refusing to do the work, but there seemed to be lots of reasons why it wasn't getting done. So my team felt like the teachers were "laying low", and we didn't feel like much was getting accomplished.

It just felt like no one had the time or felt any urgency to look at changing things to be more effective in the classroom. I understand that change is scary and in the daily grind of being a teacher sometimes it feels like if you ask me to do one more thing I will explode. I have been the type of teacher that was always open to new ideas (if they were good ones that had research behind them or had been successful for people that I valued their opinion) and better ways of doing something. I wasn't afraid to try new things,  and I knew I  may not get it right the first time, or the second time, or I might just fall flat on my face. But if I stuck with it and worked through it, things in my classroom could improve. 

But then this week happened. My team and I have been diligently working with some teachers who are willing to try new things and make change happen. There have been several conversations filled with excitement and renewed enthusiasm as teachers use the new strategies and like what they see. Students are making gains, engagement is improving, there is a better understanding of standards, and the day to day struggle of classroom behavior is getting easier. I finally feel like we are starting to make some change that is good for our students. Teachers are starting to see the importance of clearly stated learning intentions, and they are exploring what might happen if they lay out the success criteria at the beginning of the lesson/unit. This recharges my enthusiasm and makes me feel like the work I am doing is making a difference, and it makes me want to keep trying to be an agent of change in our district. 

So stay tuned.

Just when you think it can't get any worse

It's been a tough week. We had winter weather that resulted in ice, which also resulted in an unexpected day at home (which wasn't all bad). There was a mouse under our sink in the kitchen, and I deplore mice (we caught it). I was faced with some pretty hard data that despite all our efforts and hard work we are not where we want to be as a school district.
So it made me think. Maybe I should go back to the classroom where I know I can make an impact. Maybe I wasn't cut out for this coaching gig after all. Maybe I should be like the ostrich and just put my head in the sand. After all, I watched my colleagues interacting with kids and realized I missed the gratification that comes when you help kids grow and learn.
Then it happened. We had a staff meeting with the elementary teachers to have some open discussions about a consensus survey we had taken earlier in the year. One of the teachers approached me at the end of the meeting to tell me she believes that our efforts are making a big difference. She feels rejuvenated about teaching. It was the spark I needed. There is still lots of hard work to do. There are lots of changes that still have to be made, but just like the students I have to persevere and work through this.
"If she's amazing, she won't be easy. If she's easy she won't be amazing. If she's worth it you won't give up. If you give up, you're not worthy."-Bob Marley
I still want amazing things for the students and teachers. It is worth it, so I won't give up.