Reflecting on the year so far...

WOAH! This is my first ever post on this blog! I have officially been an Instructional Coach/DLP for 7 months now! I have learned so much through this journey and I am even more excited to continue the rest of the year. As we know as educators, each year is full of learning experiences and growing, especially in the first year. The first year is full of trial and error. We learn from reflecting on our experiences and can begin making adjustments. I have spent an immense amount of time reflecting this first part of the school year and I have made adjustments and plans for the future.

As this year has progressed, I learned how important relationships are. Building relationships with the teachers and administration will provide you greater access and trust to begin working with everyone and make a change in the school. Just as Rita Pierson stated in her Ted Talk, "kids don't learn from people they don't like," teachers do not learn or want to work with people that they don't like or respect. Relationships are the foundation for education and growth. The same is true in a coaching relationship. I spent my PD time at the beginning of the year to introduce myself, explain my role, and to do some getting to know you activities. I did this so the staff could get to know me a bit better. When students came back to school, I made rounds to each classroom to ask if the teachers needed assistance in any way such as copies, finding activities, etc. I was invited to participate in activities with the students on these first few days so not only did I get to build relationships with teachers by doing this, but also with the students since I was new to my school. I ran errands for teachers. I made copies. I found out the answers to their questions for them. I offered and helped out with even the simplest tasks when school started back to make their transition into the new year easier and be any support that I could. This laid the foundation for more voluntary participation in my coaching cycles.

I have also come to the realization that relationships are not built overnight, and even when you do have a decent relationship with a peer in your building, they may not be so willing to work with you. When having individuals who are hesitant with coaching, I learned that it may be best to just step back from trying to coach for changes in the classroom that I viewed were necessary and to take the approach of providing assistance in any way. I decided not to give up but to just continue to be present so that eventually my help will be wanted or needed. This was not easy for me to do. I needed support and help to come to this realization. As coaches, we want to jump in and begin working with a teacher right away to make a change but that is not always possible. With one coaching situation, I became stressed when this individual was reluctant to let me help. The individual avoided any coaching based interactions with me. This individual did not volunteer to be on a cycle but was selected by me because I thought there was a need from observations and a data standpoint. I eventually took the approach of just talking with this teacher in the hall or walking in the classroom and offering assistance. Towards the end of the cycle, this teacher asked for my help with their PBL. I was able to offer some assistance with the planning and on the follow-through of the teacher's PBL, which to me is a small win in terms of coaching. I was let in the door in a small way, which will hopefully lead to even bigger changes in the future. Don't give up! Even the smallest informal coaching can make an impact for students.

In my reflection, I also came to the conclusion that I need better time management skills in my new role. When teaching middle school social studies, I managed my time much easier with my structured schedule. However, I make my own daily schedule now and I have struggled with finding the appropriate balance with all of my job roles. I am currently a coach but also the Title I coordinator, RTI coordinator and 504 coordinator. Each role has a different timeline of important dates and tasks but they vastly overlap each other. I also have a bigger load of PD to attend throughout the year. This has been my greatest weakness this year. I am a people pleaser and a semi-perfectionist. I have had so much anxiety over not being the best at my job or not meeting all deadlines or not having gone above and beyond on everything I do. I struggled with the change of my routine also. I have tried numerous different routines and schedules and I still can't tell you the best one or if there is one that is superior. I am continuing to try new techniques and strategies to make the best of my schedule. However, in the coaching world, it is necessary to be flexible.

I take the time each week to take a break and reflect on what has gone well, what did not, how I made an impact or helped someone, and what I can do better. Reflection is the key to improving and I know I can improve in many areas. To help fuel my reflection and drive my future plans, I sent out two surveys right after Christmas break. One was more geared towards new teachers and the other towards our returning teachers. I took this data to grow personally and know where I can make a difference at the school. I made sure the results remained confidential and that I was the only viewer of the results. I wanted to better my approach as a coach and try to make the teachers' work environments a better place in whatever way I could. The feedback let me plan for new ways to approach situations. I wanted to learn how I could better support my teachers, what professional development they felt like they could benefit from, what challenges they face, and their vision of education and our school. I planned a New Teacher PD full day session based on the New Teacher Survey. To me, reflection and feedback is key to improving because I am not perfect, nowhere near close, and I still have so much to learn and gain.

As I continue my first year coaching, I will seek out reflection time and feedback. I know this is my most valuable tool in my career so I can grow and be better as a coach for my teachers, administrators, and students. Education is about being a lifelong learner and this is essential to me taking on a new role.