https://padlet.com/ajohnson270/h8kvqr3vgyhi Two Reflections from the Article en-us 2019-01-29 21:25:13 UTC 2019-01-30 21:22:12 UTC hello@padlet.com ajohnson270 https://padlet.com/ajohnson270/h8kvqr3vgyhi/wish/325628906 Please click on the plus sign to add your reflections and comments on the article. Please add your name so we know who the response is from. ]]> 2019-01-29 21:36:06 UTC https://padlet.com/ajohnson270/h8kvqr3vgyhi/wish/325628906 https://padlet.com/ajohnson270/h8kvqr3vgyhi/wish/325640092 As I read, the following quote made me pause and reflect, “...establish trust and rapport...then instructional work begins.” Building relationships focusing on trust will create valuable and productive bonds which in turn will be demonstrated in growth throughout our learning culture. 

Both of my sons are athletes. Being an instructional coach, I’ve never made the comparison with the relationships my sons have with their coaches to my teachers and me. They depend on them so much (my husband and I depend on them as well).  That trust factor and dependability is amazing. If that relationship
can be established in the field of education, levels of learning will be reflected from all staff members to students. ]]> 2019-01-29 22:15:15 UTC https://padlet.com/ajohnson270/h8kvqr3vgyhi/wish/325640092 https://padlet.com/ajohnson270/h8kvqr3vgyhi/wish/325640890 The following stood out to me because I feel we get away from this at times and lean on the need to push compliance. If teachers aren’t doing what is expected, coaches are often the ones to figure out why. Perhaps if we use this approach more than creating what we want we could see more results.
“Knight believes that successful coaching relationships begin when coaches ask teachers to choose a goal that matters to them”]]> 2019-01-29 22:18:47 UTC https://padlet.com/ajohnson270/h8kvqr3vgyhi/wish/325640890 https://padlet.com/ajohnson270/h8kvqr3vgyhi/wish/325642212 I share this fundamental belief for my own coaching. Without relationships in place and a comfort level to ask for help, you can’t authentically share what needs to be improved or built upon. Also, keeping students at the heart of what we do and as the shared interest, makes it easier to find common ground when there may not be otherwise. ]]> 2019-01-29 22:25:08 UTC https://padlet.com/ajohnson270/h8kvqr3vgyhi/wish/325642212 https://padlet.com/ajohnson270/h8kvqr3vgyhi/wish/325649340 The following quote stood out to me “At the end of the lesson, Johnson didn't simply tell the teacher that all students needed to participate. Instead, she asked what he noticed about student participation.” This quote made me think about how sometimes coaching is as simple as helping the teacher to learn to be reflective. I can recall numerous times when I have asked a teacher the first probing question/ mention a part of the lesson and Immediately they recalled what could have been done differently. Overall, as a coach it is our responsibility to provide teachers with the tools needed to become a self-reflective instructor. 

The section on resistance and rapport made me think about building relationships at the beginning of the year. First impressions speak volume to a lot of people. I believe goal setting with teachers at the beginning of the year is one way of building rapport. This could be achieved by listening to teachers’ goals and using their goals to help build teacher capacity. If all stakeholders feel like everyone is working towards the same goal than resistance will less likely be an issue. ]]> 2019-01-29 23:01:04 UTC https://padlet.com/ajohnson270/h8kvqr3vgyhi/wish/325649340 https://padlet.com/ajohnson270/h8kvqr3vgyhi/wish/325650440 After reading the article, A Coach for Every Teacher, I had two main reflections:

My first reflection is based upon the section titled: Framing for Growth, Not Deficit. In this section, Greene explains that in many districts coaching efforts are focused on new or struggling teachers. Thus coaching support can often appear to be focused on deficit rather than growth.This resonated with me, in my fifth year of coaching I can say that I have worked hard to provide support to all teachers however those that are new or experiencing challenges within the classroom have often risen to the top of my priority list. My rationale has always been that students in the classrooms of these new or struggling teachers needed immediate support in order to make the gains necessary for the next quarter or grade level. However, this article gave me reason to pause thinking about the impact this may have had on the perception of coaching. Perhaps it is best to keep support consistent among all teachers regardless of their skill level in order to show that learning and growth take place at all stages of one's teaching career.

My second noticing came from a phrase used in the section, A Culture of Coaching, "Coaching is for us to go from good to great". This is similar to the terminology we have used in the past and presently at DEPSA. What struck me about this section is were the small steps coaches can take to build a culture which is supports teachers reaching out for coaching. I think about how I will check in with teachers in the morning during door duty or stop by their classroom before or after school. These types of informal interactions help to create a professional relationship in which trust and mutual respect are established. I believe that this leads to a more productive and fruitful coaching relationship.]]> 2019-01-29 23:07:07 UTC https://padlet.com/ajohnson270/h8kvqr3vgyhi/wish/325650440 https://padlet.com/ajohnson270/h8kvqr3vgyhi/wish/325898524 In reading A Coach for Every Teacher,  under the sub title From Resistance to Rapport, the statement that stood out was "whether they are 6 or 68, tell someone they have to do something and they're not going to want to do it". As a new coach and someone that has had more experience being coached than coaching I've felt that I wasnt going to do it (whatever it was) based on the relationship that that coach had built with me. Building the relationship helps a teacher go from resistance to rapport. As stated in the article, once the coach expressed genuine concern, as a teacher I became more receptive to who they were and what they were trying to instill in me. In my role as a coach, I often remember my hesitance when it came to coaches. This experience helps me to want to build better relationships with the teachers and let them know that I am in this journey with them.

I also appreciated how the principal used the reflective approach to have the teacher identify her area of concern from the lesson that was observed. She didnt just say "YOUR KIDS WERE NOT ENGAGED!!" She asked the teacher what did he noticed about student participation. This reminds me of our 7steps of feedback when coaches are asking probing questions about the lesson observed to get teachers to name their next steps. The principal has a decision with the teacher to get her to reflect on her practices. As stated in the article it is more meaningful to the teacher than the coach when the teacher identifies their next steps]]> 2019-01-30 16:04:40 UTC https://padlet.com/ajohnson270/h8kvqr3vgyhi/wish/325898524 https://padlet.com/ajohnson270/h8kvqr3vgyhi/wish/326046838 To begin, while reading the article, I began to nod my head in agreement with much of the information presented. I must admit, when I was in the classroom, it seemed that Coaches were like spies to come in and see what I was doing. During the reflection meetings, the coaches would do all of the talking informing me what they noticed and telling me how to change it, only leaving me room to just agree. It was a breath of fresh air to read that, coaches are available to enhance teacher's craft, not tear them down. To add, it is vital for all teachers to be provided a coach. I believe after my 3rd year teaching, support was rarely provided. 
Also, building a relationship with teachers and allowing them the opportunity to reflect is effective. Teachers have aavoice and they should be able to use it. When thinking about the 7-steps process, the probing questions section allows teachers the opportunity to reflect and share their thoughts. According to the article, when teachers are able to have a voice, they are likely to walk away with knowing their coach provided listening ears and ways to support them. In closing, everyone deserves a coach. ]]> 2019-01-30 21:05:17 UTC https://padlet.com/ajohnson270/h8kvqr3vgyhi/wish/326046838