You clear your throat. “Today we’re going to learn how to monitor data in our classrooms..” You look around the room and 20 pairs of eyes are looking at you waiting for you to finish your sentence. “..and how to increase student achievement at our school.” As you turn around to grab your handouts you […]
Instructional Coach Files
The Problem in Urban Schools- Stop Teaching to the Test
“I mean even though I taught all of the standards last semester, but I don’t feel like my kids learned anything!” These were the words one of the teachers who I support as an Instructional Coach said to me as we sat in her classroom after school discussed all things teaching and learning. This wasn’t […]
Adventures in Coaching: Sometimes You Just Have to Teach
[fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”] Last week I had the humbling experience of comforting a teacher after a bad evaluation from an administrator. As the teacher cried and “defended” their actions in class, it reminded me […]
Adventures in Coaching- Learning When to Shut Up
Working as an Instructional Coach is a delicate balance of learning how to balance being a coach who frequently talks teachers “off the ledge” and not losing your teaching credibility. On one hand you’re still a teacher because many times you find yourself in classrooms helping a teacher with a particular lesson, but other times […]