Water the Flowers, Not the Rocks 2024
In June 2024 I presented the lessons I learned from coaching at the ISTELive Conference in Denver. I first wrote about this topic when I left my role as a school-based coach in 2018. EdTech K-12 Magazine asked me to write an article for their online publication. The text below is from the online article , published August 14, 2024. 10 Lessons Learned from 10 Years of Coaching K–12 Educators Water the flowers, not the rocks. By Nicole Zumpano Nicole Zumpano spent a decade as an instructional technology coach in Chicago Public Schools . She has left her mark on education as a teacher, coach, director and adjunct instructor. The role of instructional coach is a complicated position in education. It requires flexibility, self-reflection and a thick skin. Instructional coaches often work with the entire faculty of a school building — or, in some cases, an entire district. Just as teachers modify instruction each year when new students enter their classrooms, coaches modify their practi