Coaching- How a Teacher Becomes Better

I recently read a book called “Building a Better Teacher” by Elizabeth Green. She journaled about the journey of the U.S. educational system. It was extremely thought provoking but infuriated me at the same time. I am thankful for how far our educational system has come, the funding and support behind quality teaching, and all the entrepreneurs out there trying to make newer and more effective schools through their investment of finding and producing quality teachers.

However, I think completely overhauling educational programs is not the answer. Teachers need to be trained and hired under more rigorous requirements and then held accountable through multiple evaluations of both the teacher and student. The only system that will truly allow U.S. students to gain momentum in the global achievement race is one that is multifaceted, accounting for multiple factors while allowing teachers and students opportunities to grow.

I do believe that some teachers are natural in the classroom. Some might even say that these individuals were born to teach. That doesn’t mean other teachers are not born to teach or that they will never be successful in a classroom. It just means that the ones where teaching comes naturally to them, are a step ahead in the training portion of the process. They still remain in the race because they also need coaching, it just might look different than someone coming in without any experience or natural talent. The commonality between all teachers is that they are coachable to become better versions from where they began.  Without this belief, we leave natural teachers alone hoping they teach themselves to be more effective. We all know that’s not realistic nor helpful. Then we focus all of our time evaluating beginning teachers thinking each observation or each assessment is going to magically make that teacher better. Both approaches make neither type of teacher more effective. In fact, it makes them both worse.

So, here we are… all teachers need to be coached.

I have fallen in love with coaching new teachers and am so thankful that I work for The New Teacher Project that allows me to help new and upcoming teachers! It has shed light on so much about my own teaching journey that I wish I could go back and change. [See my post here.] But, at least its better late than never and I was able to incorporate all that I was learning as a coach to perfect my own teaching practices. Thank you Doug Lemov and your fabulous book of highly effective teaching techniques! This book is one piece to the puzzle. Teachers need a mentor or coach to help prioritize the techniques outlined in the book. Trying to master all techniques just muddies the water and decreases a teacher’s effectiveness. Start with one technique, read about it, watch it in action from a mentor or expert, practice yourself,with experts and then receive feedback from these same experts.

Normally teachers are asked to read books for professional development purposes, most often in the summer as a project. A small discussion might follow, but generally that’s were the insight stops. Teachers don’t have enriching discussions to elicit more understanding nor do they see the approach in action. They certainly do not even practice it. They are told to bring the topic or strategy back to their classrooms and make it work. But even then, they do not receive feedback on how well they did it or how to improve. They might receive an evaluation with a score and a few sentences of how to score better on the rubric, but no connection to authentic learning and teacher effectiveness as a whole.

If you’re not a teacher reading this, you might find this laughable. Teachers, you know deep down how true this actually is and how damaging it has been to your own growth. If teachers are to preach life-long learning to students, then they must model that themselves by asking for help and then receive it from experts. Yes, Doug Lemov’s book was helpful, and because I am self-motivated I practiced by myself to perfect my craft. But, let’s be honest. Lots of people out there aren’t like me and thus need the guidance. Even after reading and practicing on my own, an expert’s insight on my performance and ways to improve were not present. So even with my drive and determination I fell flat. I had tools, but did not have all the necessary tools to lead to improvement.

This is why its so important that any educational reform be one that is multi-faceted. There is not one magic pill to cure it all. Education requires a skill set that is so intricate and extensive that a one size fits all, or one type of bandaid will not suffice. Whatever it might be needs to provide the necessary literature, discussion, practice, and most importantly on-going feedback. Don’t just tell teachers in the moment how they are doing, but follow up with them often. Hold them accountable for being better each time. That is how we revolutionize teaching, a step forward with each brick that we lay.

A teacher coach is one part of the equation, but a significant part. This is an expert in the field who can spot under par characteristics quickly and provide actionable feedback to get a teacher back on track towards effectiveness. Expert eyes and ongoing support, through modeling, discussion and feedback, will allow all teachers to become better for the sake of our children.

What forms of coaching can help more teachers quickly? How has coaching changed your teaching for the better?

About the author, Gretchen

I am a teacher trainer and coach. Working elbow to elbow with teachers and teacher leaders to ensure instructional proficiency and student achievement soar lights me up. We have a real need in our nation for strong educators to remain in the field. My blog, book, podcast, courses and instructional materials are geared towards empowering teachers (and those that lead them) to receive the support needed to grow and thrive today, tomorrow and always.

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