288: 8 Takeaways from CoachFest

Gretchen attended CoachFest in the mountains of North Carolina. In this episodes she reflects on her experience and shares her eight big takeaways. You’ll step away from this podcast challenged to make the most of your next professional development opportunity! Quotables Sometimes your message is interpreted quickly and teachers can process and change fast and…

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Coach Life: Being Teacher for the Day

It’s not uncommon for instructional coaches to fill in for teachers when they are absent from school. An instructional coach is a former teacher and often certified in the area in which they serve. However, when an instructional coach fills in for a teacher, it takes them away from their duties of supporting all teachers…

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287: Spring Break State of Mind

It’s that time of year! Are you and your students experiencing spring fever? It’s a real thing and it makes the end of the year a challenge. Tune into this episode and be empowered with tips and tricks on how to combat spring fever, head on! Quotables A disengaged mind can be problematic. Give more…

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5 P’s of Meaningful Conversations as a Teacher Coach

Having meaningful conversations with teachers as an instructional coach is key to their growth and development. Providing professional development, facilitating professional learning community meetings, and engaging in coaching cycles are the bread and butter of instructional coaching. However, teacher leaders often leave little room for authentic conversations in their support plan. These conversations can be…

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An Engaging Literacy Night Parent-Student Activity

Many schools host families for a Literacy Night. This is a way to build relationships with families while also emphasizing the importance of reading and writing both at home and school. During Literacy Night, many interactive activities are shared so that parents can replicate the literacy practices at home to support their children. Many teachers…

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How to Cultivate Trust as a Coach

Trust means that since you consistently keep your word, others expect you will continue to do so in the future. When people trust you, they believe you. When they believe you, they listen to you. And when they listen to you, you are able to help them grow to their potential. It’s essential teachers trust…

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284: Working Beyond the Mission Statement

We have mission statements plastered on our school walls, websites and in our email signatures but are we truly living that mission statement? In this episode of the Empowering Educators Podcast, Gretchen shares how we can go from just having a mission statement to actually living that mission statement in a way that makes our…

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