Lessons Learned

1st Year Lessons Learned

  • If/when you don't have teacher meetings/appointments scheduled, use this time to proactively work toward personal learning and growth.
  • Defer to expertise, both within your team, school, district, and/or your personal learning network.
  • ASK QUESTIONS! If you don't know, ASK! Remember the answers and/or take note of the answers somewhere that you'll be able to refer to easily.
  • Small wins often serve as the foundations of trust and relationships built that may eventually lead to a coaching partnership.
  • "They" (teachers, coachees) don't care what you know until they know that you care!
  • Having moved from a school-level to a district-level position, PERCEPTION is crucial! You are now considered a representative of the district which teachers often refer to as "them." Even though we may consider "they" and "we" equivalent, doesn't mean that others do as well.

2nd Year Lessons Learned

  • It's easy to settle back into those coaching partnerships and relationships you built the first year. While there is nothing wrong with continuing to engage in another coaching cycle with them focused on new growth goals, don't neglect to reach out to and engage in the coaching cycle with teachers you've not partnered with before.
  • As a representative of the district, you should be an advocate for the district by serving as a messenger, "sense-maker," and occasionally a defender of district messages, initiatives, and/or decisions! This isn't always easy to do or readily accepted without push back, so be prepared.
  • As teachers better get to know you and recognize you and your role, your calendar will get fuller and fuller! Time management is crucial to be successful! Find and use a consistent calendaring system to help you manage your time by setting appointments, reminders, and sending/updating invitations to others.
  • Collaborating with other coaches, specifically those with a different skill set (technology, content, strategies, school data, etc...) can help each to grow and improve which has the potential for a greater impact on teaching and learning district-wide.