Coaching cycles support the growth of teachers in the classroom. They are a sequence of partnership opportunities between the teacher and coach that range from intensive to light support. What support opportunities included in coaching cycles is not black and white. Instructional coaches and other teacher leaders have the flexibility to create support options tailored…

Are there clear teacher expectations of what instructional coaching looks like at your school site? If not, you’re not alone. Many schools do not define, share nor uphold expectations for the role of an instructional coach. This does a disservice to teachers who have access to a support but no idea how to utilize it.…

There are numerous problems in education. We are using outdated methods in today’s school climate. With this strategy, we will never get ahead nor will we meet the needs of our current students. Luckily, there are educators willing to solve these problems. Even though some districts and states might have unique obstacles that require unique…

Teacher morale has taken a nose dive the past two years as educators have worked tirelessly through the pandemic. They’re teaching double time with students in the classroom and learning at home, managing a revolving door of quarantining children for ten days at time, and maneuvering social distancing protocols.  On top of that, teachers are…

It’s time we start the conversation about how to transform classroom instruction. The pandemic has shaken up the very old and outdated structure of classroom instruction. As we begin to rebuild our new normal, we need to take inventory of what works best for kids and what we need to reimagine. I was recently reading…

Coaching cycles are a way for instructional coaches to individually support classroom teachers. The role of an instructional coach is to guide the growth and development of teachers. Coaching cycles provide a roadmap instructional coaches can follow to keep teachers on the growth trajectory. This post will share how to get started with coaching cycles…

International Literacy Day is September 8th. It became an official holiday celebrated around the world in 1967 as a way to work towards creating a more literate society. This holiday can be celebrated by everyone in the community, and doesn’t have to only be for one day either. It could become a week long or…

Learning objectives are goals teachers set for each lesson. These objectives are skills students are acquiring rather than content topics being covered. Students work hard to achieve the objective by the end of the instructional lesson. Teachers often write these objectives on the board to share them with students. Administrators look for them when they…

Team synergy can be difficult to create but highly impactful when cultivated. Artfully bringing together the perfect recipe of individuals on a team allows their strengths to shine, their instructional proficiency to soar, and their impact on students to skyrocket. The question is then… How do you create the most effective combination of team members?…

This four-part series shares leadership tips for instructional coaches. Each subsequent post will be specific to an aspect of coaching. Part One shared generalized tips, Part Two discussed organization, professional growth, and teacher motivation/buy-in and Part Three focused on how to best support classroom instruction. This post is Part Four and discusses how to support…