What problems of practice are impacting your work? by Arizona K12 Center

2025-01-28 18:19:23 UTC

Ratios of coach to teachers. I’m at 1:65. It’s hard for me to accept not being able to “do it all” and so I never feel like I’m doing enough. I have five teachers who require a vast majority of my time which keeps me from being available to many others.

2025-01-28 18:19:46 UTC

Problem #1: Teachers are not taking the time to plan lessons. Often they take a lesson from their approved text, and believe that the planning has already been done for them in the form of a teacher's guide.

Problem #2: Teachers doing all the work in the classrooms, not shifting the academic rigor to the students.

2025-01-28 18:21:03 UTC

Midyear we show different challenges with our new teachers. A few may be:

1) Navigating test scores and what to do with that information.

2)How to create meaningful instructional tasks that hit the requirements of the standard. Not just going through the curriculum or what their team is providing them.

catherinefield1 — 2025-01-28 18:21:26 UTC

Updated PoP:

How to help teachers take ownership of coaching conversations and follow through. There are a couple of teachers who don't implement anything if I am not in the room for modeling, co-teaching or just observing the teacher trying. It isn't a lack of understanding as we talk through how it would look and sound. The minute I am out of the room they go right back to just having their students copy their modeling.

Problem: Helping advocate for a teacher who is from a different career. Their class is showing zero percent proficient on district tests. I see this teacher making small gains in their teaching practices. I want them to get a contract for next year but the principal doesn't agree. How do I help advocate for him without losing my credibility with other principals in our district by asking to give him more of a chance if he doesn't show a change after next year.

2025-01-28 18:21:28 UTC

Problem of Practice: Getting new teachers to see the urgency of certain tasks, like attending school meetings, communicating when they are unable to meet, etc. Professionalism type things that you have talked to them about several times, but not serious enough to include admin because it could damage rapport.

2025-01-28 18:21:35 UTC

Problem #1 I have been assigned to a teacher that has been teaching for a long time but has lost her passion for teaching. I have been asked by the admin to be a mentor for her and help her get back on track with the district's expectations with her daily schedule and pacing, lesson plans, and following the curriculum. When I am meeting, conferencing, or modeling, she seems to be adjusting but then I go back in the next week and we are back to the old habits. My next steps???

Problem #2 I started out with 17 mentees and have been given more throughout the year and now up to 22. I was told to give each 2 hours each week but not sure how to shift this?

2025-01-28 18:21:38 UTC

I have a few teachers that are on plans of improvement and their anxiety level is extremely high.

2025-01-28 18:22:42 UTC

Some teachers believe they do not need to change because of the amount of the years they have been teaching. I am having trouble finding the right questions to ask to help them be reflective in their practice.

2025-01-28 18:24:39 UTC

Teachers are leaving the district. I started at 18 and I’m down to 13.

2025-03-25 17:57:23 UTC

Problem: Beyond coaching novice teachers. We are working with entire school communities to improve Tier 1 instruction.

2025-03-25 17:59:12 UTC

My biggest challenge right now is just finding time in everyone's busy spring schedules to actually have a meaningful conversation. Often times, it's a small window of 15-20 minutes before a teacher (or myself) has to be somewhere else. So I'm trying to figure out how to be very efficient in the time I have to still make an impact.

2025-03-25 18:01:58 UTC

My challenge right now is scheduling times to have one-on-one coaching sessions with each new teacher on my caseload along with all of the things we do at the end of the year like AASA testing and meetings to plan, plus teachers that already know they are leaving not seeing the value in completing a coaching cycle that is already underway. I am using google calendar to help organize.

2025-03-25 18:02:33 UTC

I am having difficulty with a few teachers who are rarely prepared. They know what lesson they will teach but do not preview the lessons and then don’t know how to solve certain problems or don’t have all the materials ready which causes misbehavior and boredom.

2025-03-25 18:03:38 UTC

I have a few mentee's on my caseload that love to get things done. Sometimes they are seeing it as a checklist rather than a meaningful developmental experience. I've observed this tendency in some of my mentees, who initially approached our sessions as a step by step requirement.

I'm trying to get them to see that mentoring isn't just going through the motions. We're doing a lot more reflecting, trying to get them to really think about things. The goal is to show them it's about real change and growth, not just ticking boxes.

2025-03-25 18:04:15 UTC

One of my mentees has had a difficult year with the culture of her campus and admin. She is looking for a new position and struggling especially since there have been cuts at surrounding districts and more experienced teachers are applying for the same positions. Trying to be a sounding board for her but she’s getting disheartened.

2025-03-25 18:05:11 UTC

One thing I noticed with the teachers I mentor is that they need a professional network. I have tried to facilitate this through an optional "coffee time" once per month where we all meet to collaborate and support each other.

Any other ideas of helping teachers build a network are welcome.

mgeyer6 — 2025-03-25 18:05:14 UTC

After going through a few coaching cycles with teachers, including planning with them and modeling strategies, I'm still going into classroom observations and seeing little to no change. They will implement a strategy and even acknowledge that the student data shows improved engagement and learning, but when I return a few weeks later, they've returned to the same practices - teacher doing all the work.

2025-03-25 18:05:15 UTC

Some staff members feel that the mentor should be able to "fix" the new teacher. It's difficult to explain to staff that I am here to help teachers become reflective in their practice and make progress in some areas. I cannot "fix" anyone.

2025-03-25 18:05:29 UTC

New Problem: We just hired a new (veteran) teacher that is not fitting in with her team and I currently work with two other members of that team. The other two members have confided in me as their mentor their issues with this new team member. It is a balancing act and weird happening at almost the end of the year and trying to build a relationship with this new person who has stated that she doesn't need help because she is a veteran teacher.