A coaching strategy that shifts with the seasons helps teacher leaders deliver strong support to teachers. If we only ever use one strategy for the entire year, we miss out on the opportunity to respond to the unique needs of teachers as they change throughout the school year. The previous posts in the series described:…

Teacher leaders need a coaching strategy when working with teachers in the classroom. For their support to grow the instructional skill level of a teacher, a strategy should be in place first. This ensures alignment between state/district goals, school curriculum, and teacher needs and wants. Being responsive with a coaching strategy means you cannot have…

A coaching strategy ensures teacher leaders have a focus for how to support teachers. This strategy is a thorough plan that is aligned to state/district goals, school curriculum, and teacher needs and wants. Having a seasonal coaching strategy ensures you are responsive to the growing needs and wants of teachers. It also continues to build…

Having a coaching strategy ensures teacher leaders have a focus for how they support teachers. This thorough plan is aligned to state/district goals, school curriculum, and teacher needs and wants. However, having one singular coaching strategy for the year is not going to be responsive enough to grow teaching capacity to its potential. The seasons…

Teachers should receive ongoing professional development (PD) for current instructional best practices. This ensures they continue to grow as professionals, performing at higher rates in the classroom, which also has a positive effect on student achievement. What to Focus On There are many instructional strategies teachers should employ when instructing students. However, two that have…

“How can I better lead PD?” teacher leaders often ask their colleagues. Professional development (PD) is ongoing learning for educators. Teacher leaders plan and execute PD in hopes it better equips teachers to help students learn and grow in the classroom. What’s the Deal with PD? Historically, PD sessions have been lengthy, rarely applicable, “sit…

Supporting teachers during the Back to School season can look different for everyone depending on your school goals, your title/role, and your administrator’s style. However, it’s essential that supporting teachers should be the number one goal for teacher leaders during the stressful weeks leading up to the start of the school year. There are a…

Instructional coaches are high performers in both instruction and leadership. Their work supporting the growth and development of teachers is why their position in education is essential. Administrators are busy crafting the vision and mission of the school while managing the operations. The teachers are the life blood of the school, making learning stick for…

A teacher mentor is one of the most powerful ways to support the growth of educators. A teacher mentor is a colleague who has shown tremendous impact in the classroom and is willing to help new or struggling colleagues learn how to do the same. In order to be an effective teacher mentor, there are…

Math workshop is a way to structure your math block so that students get repetitious practice on multiple skills. Students can be found in various centers working on different tasks for a pre-determined amount of time. They then switch to other groups and eventually work in a small group with the teacher on the focus…