Posts by Gretchen Schultek Bridgers

Great teachers will remain in the field of education if they are supported. One way to do this is through onboarding. One of the duties for teacher leaders, specifically instructional coaches, is onboarding new staff to the school. This means that the teacher leader is in charge of helping that new hire acclimate into the…

If you have a student teacher or a new teaching colleague joining the staff, you might be wondering about new teacher gift ideas. This post will give you plenty of options for how to support a new teacher while showing appreciation and encouragement for their new journey into the educational profession. New Teacher Gift Ideas…

For a while, I have been using the term “teacher leader” to mean anyone who supports teachers in their development. Because that is a broad term, I thought it would be important to dig deeper into what a teacher leader is, does and the impact they have in the educational field. What is a “Teacher…

“PD in a Box” has become a new, engaging way for teachers to learn at their own pace and on their own timetable. Professional Development usually occurs in-person as an onsite meeting among staff. Teaching best practices or new instructional initiatives are introduced and expectations for implementation are described. These meetings are usually jam packed…

Virtual coaching calls have become the norm during this period of remote learning and leading due to Covid-19. They are easy to implement and highly effective in improving teacher proficiency and student achievement in the classroom. A virtual coaching call is a 1:1 discussion a teacher leader has with a teacher that focuses on goals,…

There is a life after coaching. At times, it can feel that everything has lead up to your role as an instructional coach. And whether YOU or LIFE has decided your run is over, this crossroads can be anxiety-provoking. Luckily, many instructional coaches have figured out how move on while still continuing to have an…

Becoming an effective instructional coach is not as daunting of a task as one might think. It is true that instructional coaching is one of the newer additions into the educational realm of teacher leadership. Luckily though, each year more supports are created to help nurture the growth of instructional coaches. What is an Instructional…

The acronym PLC refers to Professional Learning Communities, which are organized collaborative structures among educators. Many schools have PLC’s, but how they are set up and run vary greatly. A discussion recently came up in the Instructional Coaching Connection Facebook group where a coach was looking for advice from other coaches on how PLC’s are…

One of the most underused superpowers for leaders is the act of listening. Focusing on instruction and pedagogy are a great foundation for successfully leading teachers. However, the simple response of listening while leading can immensely impact student achievement and teacher proficiency in the classroom. Let’s dig into what it is (and isn’t), why it…

Mentorship is the key to success. Every person that has achieved big dreams has been mentored by someone who came before them. The partnership between one person who is ahead with the person who is coming up behind is powerful. Mentorship allows for guidance, insight and warning for someone facing those very same obstacles for…