Wednesday, September 20, 2017

Welcoming the Coach

If you read my blog, you know that I'm a fan of co-coaching and distributive leadership rather than a separate role of coach in elementary schools. Yet many elementary schools are embracing the model of hiring coaches to support educators. The reason that I am a greater fan of co-coaching over a separate position of coach is that I feel that separate positions add to the layer of support in schools that don't work regularly with students, whereas the co-coaching role gives that time and support to the teachers in the field who are directly working with students day-to-day. I believe that most people working in schools should be directly tied to time-on-task with students and direct accountability and care of those children. When the layers of professionals removed from students becomes too large, I believe that resources that can best support students are challenged.

That being said, I do work in a system that embraces the coaching model at elementary school, and with that in mind, I've been thinking of ways that I can best maximize that support to develop my teaching after all these years. So today and Friday the coach will come in to model math games that support dynamic student teaching and learning. While I know that math games are a positive part of the math curriculum and used to solidify and deepen concepts, I've never watched a skilled professional model that effort. I look forward to the learning ahead, and I'm sure that the students will enjoy the games.

As educators in thickly settled school systems, it will always be the case that there are initiatives in the works that you support, and initiatives which you may question. When it comes to initiatives you question, the key is to find ways to utilize and support those initiatives in ways that best support your learners and professional practice.