Must Do #4: Instructional Coaching—>How to Start Moving
The Five “Must-Dos” in Building an Instructional Coaching Program (Part 4/5)
Build a Schedule
What your day will look like could vary wildly depending on how your district defines your role.
Some coaches are involved in testing students for standardized tests, curriculum coaching, PD development, multiple committee assignments, coordinator of programs, teaching classes, and being a sub.
This is why it was heavily stressed in step one of building a coaching program, that ample time is given to defining the position.
Your definition is how you will start conversations with others when you are asked to add more to your plate.
Here is an example of a workweek for a coach from Elena Aguilar. This is a dream schedule. It can be promised to you that this is not the reality for just about anyone.
Far too many other demands will encroach on your ability to do research as frequently as needed or to get time for your own PD so that you can continue to grow.
It is a balancing act and being intentional and having clear boundaries on how to use your time to provide a greater opportunity for continuity for you and those you work with.
Administrators need to know what
stops you from doing your job well.
It is no different than if you were in
the classroom.
One thing is for certain: your schedule will change. It is no different from when you were in the classroom and changes had to be made on a weekly basis for special events.
With this knowledge, know what the most important parts of your week are. Is it the PD you offer, the teacher meetings you have, the committees you serve one?
Ask yourself, and others, this question if you are unsure: Will this have a direct impact on teacher and student performance?
The answer should be a quick yes.
Administrators need to know what stops you from doing your job well. It is no different than if you were in the classroom. Time with students was most important then.
Now, it’s time with teachers.
Be Balanced
A schedule is your framework for how you will accomplish your weekly goals - or at least attempt to.
You need time for yourself, time for administrators, time for paperwork, and time for teachers.
The last one is important, but if you don’t take care of yourself, you will burn out quickly.
This job can be a lonely job. You get one foot in the administrative world and one in the teacher world. Many teachers will see you differently. So will the admin.
It is a high wire balancing act at times. The need to be diplomatic is paramount. No joke. Teachers will need to know you are on their side. The administration will need to know you have the chops to get things done.
At the end of the day when you have had your fill, who will you go to? The self-care movement isn’t a joke for this position. It needs to get done. You can’t go to your teacher friends and talk about things the way you used to.
In this day in age, you are the place teachers will come to unload their concerns and stresses. They are tapped out. You will be a primary support if you have built the relationships necessary to be most impactful in this position.
Many coaches in smaller districts are a team of one. In larger districts, there will be a team you can go to for support. If you are a team of one, the idea of networking might be a new concept, but it will be important to build relationships with other coaches in other districts and schools to help you understand your new reality.
It can be as simple as sharing your common trials and tribulations. Ways you handle the balancing act, and how to navigate the stressors of this position. With so much ambiguity around how coaches do what they do, your network will become ever more important in helping you navigate your new reality.
The idea of balance will help you remain on course. Once you have started to move through an established schedule, have a clear idea of what your role is, and have made your way into the practice of the theory, you are deep into being a coach.
If you have made it to the point that you are starting to see the nuances of coaching, you are coaching. It may not feel like it, but that is expected. You are deep into learning.
So you have your schedule set, you are being as balanced as possible, and you are likely seeing there is so much growth you have to do for yourself.
The next stage in starting a coaching program is focused on you. It is when you see the need to grow in how you serve. It’s a mind shift for many and it will start you on a long road of self-discovery.
You do not have to walk alone. Feel free to message Agile Ideas Leadership for any questions or thoughts at info@agileideasleadership.com.
Cheers!
Ross Herdina, Co-Founder, Agile Ideas Leadership
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Build An Instructional Coaching Program
