Ready, Set, Reflect & Coach!

This post was originally written for the ISTE Community Leader's July 2022 edition.

Happy summer break, coaches! I hope you have had an opportunity to reflect, refresh, and reset. As a director of a coaching program and former technology coach, I know that the work never truly stops; it just looks different for a few summer months each year. As you are reflecting and preparing, here are five tips and things to consider to make this next school year the best.

1. Revisit Coaching Data. Did you conduct an end-of-year survey of your teachers? If so, revisit that data. What do your stakeholders think worked best? Are there professional development topics they want to learn more about? District initiatives you know of that need additional support? Whether your data is formal or informal, it is still essential and should drive your work. If you want to improve data collection this next school year, now is the time to prepare. I created a crowdsourced document of potential survey questions for coaches to use to gather data. Feel free to contribute to it! Ask yourself: Am I using data to inform my coaching?
2. Reflect on Outreach. How are you communicating your coaching services and availability to your teachers? Do you walk the halls or attend grade-level meetings? Do you have a link to your calendar in your email signature? Pop into classrooms on a whim? Summer is the perfect time to reflect on your process and see what needs to be revamped.  Don’t be afraid to mix this up if it’s not working! One year, I used Remind to communicate resources and availability to my teachers. In other years I used newsletters or blogging. The needs of the staff change as new faculty come on board, so be sure to reflect on this. Ask yourself:  Is my method of communication still working for my teachers?
3. Revive Your Brand. Coaching is a tough gig. Not everyone understands the impact of a coach or can give a clear explanation of what a coach does. Think about how you present yourself. Do you brand your materials with a Bitmoji or color scheme? Do you have a “theme”? One of the coaches I work with is Emily Pool. As you might imagine, she has an easy time branding herself! Check out her “Pool in Your School” themed coaching website. Branding isn’t a gimmick but is meant to get you noticed and make it easy to remember you are inviting and available. Ask yourself: Do I present my content in a way that makes it easy to identify it’s from me?
4. Reset with your PLN. Sometimes we need to vent. Sometimes we need to bounce an idea off someone. Maybe we need a new idea.  A professional learning network is crucial for a coach. Back when schools closed in 2020, I started meeting virtually with a small group of coaches across the state. These meetings allowed us to support each other, share resources and crowdsource projects. Even now,  we typically have between 80-100 coaches on the call each month! (If you are interested in joining us, we welcome anyone in a coaching role- just connect with me on Twitter and let me know). Ask yourself: Am I continuing to grow myself as a coach by connecting with other coaches?
5. Ride into this Year Revived and Ready to Go. As summer winds down and your mind turns toward the new possibilities of the fall, make sure you have an idea of what you’d like to accomplish. Note what you’d like to achieve and how it fits into district initiatives. This way, when you meet with the administration, you can share your vision for coaching and your timeline for achievement. Having metrics like this put you in control of your coaching, showing your administration the leader you are. If you’d like to read more about this, here’s an article that will give you some tips. Ask yourself: Have I shared my vision of coaching in a way that my administration understands?

This list isn’t exhaustive but is meant to get you reflecting on your practice and ready to start the new year off successfully. Need more? This summer, I had the pleasure of working with a great group of coaches to develop a 90-day coaching plan (the brainchild of Katie Fielding). While it’s meant for new coaches, there is no doubt we can all benefit from a little extra organization. 

I hope you enjoy the remainder of your break and start your new year off reflective and refreshed!