What's in Your Gratitude Bag?: Coaching Edition

Recently my cousin accepted a new job as a literacy coach. The focus of our coaching roles (literacy and technology) and the levels that we teach (elementary and high school) differ. Still, she wanted advice on how to coach. Her inquiry made me begin thinking and preparing for 2021-22. This year as in-person learning resumes, students and teachers may return fatigued. Instruction may require rethinking, replanning, and reenvisioning as teachers and students adapt to a new normal. While many school stakeholders certainly do not want to redo any part of last year, we must reflect on the benefits and the challenges that taught us so much during pandemic learning. 

My first piece of advice for a new instructional coach is to focus on relationships. Teachers need to feel safe to share their instructional practices and experiences with the coach if the coach wants to impact student learning. When teachers collaborate with me, I always follow up with small gestures of gratitude. From handwritten notes, stickers, motivational pencils, and more, I try to keep a stockpile of small tokens that can be used to show my appreciation and respect for my colleagues. These items are often found at the dollar store or in the discount corner at Target. However, the gestures of expressing gratitude foster strong relationships and remind my colleagues of how much they are positively impacting their students and the school community through their efforts to grow, learn, and inspire. 

To support her preparations to adopt this critical practice in her coaching bag of tricks, I hit my favorite bargain bins to create a visual representation of how to coach with heart. 

Always fill your coaching bag with kind words. 

Regardless of the circumstance or the stress level, a challenging classroom situation can be remedied with kind words. Having students and or teachers write down goals, affirmations, and kindness is an exercise that can recenter and uplift anyone. Even in times of notable success with academic goals or achievements, kind words can still have a lasting impact. After meeting with teachers for a coaching cycle or delivering a professional development session, I always write a handwritten note on a card or a customized post-it note to remind my colleagues that they are valued.

Don't forget to fill your coaching bag with supplies. 

In addition to kind words, having the right tools readily available at any time makes for a reliable coach. A pencil, fun pen, or colorful post-its can be helpful in and out of the classroom. Having a tool to share with a teacher to inspire them or provide them with a way to brainstorm ideas goes a long way. Leaving a practical but inspiring token brightens a person's day and can continue to serve as a small reminder that meaningful learning is happening. Also, always having supplies on hand keeps teachers coming back to the coaching office or station when in need of a tool or a teaching tip. 

Fill your bag with books that inspire. 

Another way to keep teachers inspired is having an inspirational book on hand. I love the book Teach Like a Pirate and others written by Dave Burgess's publishing company. These books are conversational, informative, and engaging. Having a book to lend on an instructional approach or topic can be a great conversation starter. It is also a way to get teachers coming back. Eventually, they have to return the book with my name and annotations all over it. Still, I have purchased at least three Teach Like a Pirates and two copies of The Innovator's Mindset by George Couros. I am sure that I have more books out than I can count, but books are meant to be shared, loved, and sometimes lost in the process. Most of the time, I get them back, and when I don't, I am always happy to keep supporting edu-authors. Be Real: Educate from the Heart by Tara Martin, Shift This by Joy Kirr, and Tech with Heart by Stacey Roshan are some of my other favorites if you're looking for a summer read. 

Fill your bags with resources that keep you organized. 

As Gretchen Rubin notes in her book Outer Order, Inner Calm: Declutter and Organize to Make More Room for Happiness (2019), "Nothing is more exhausting than the task that's never started." Even teachers procrastinate or avoid getting started because we feel overwhelmed, have too much physical or mental clutter, or are tired. Having tools or tricks to help teachers stay organized can serve as a motivator to take action. Whether it is creating a Google Sheet to help a teacher track data, labeling file folders, or dropping off a fresh stack of post-its, being ready to help a teacher feel organized can completely shift their mindset. Most often, I find myself assisting teachers in organizing their Google Drive or webtools. Using the bookmark toolbar such as Toby, color coding, or developing a naming convention are small tips to help teachers feel more organized and save time. Teachers can also organize their commonly used comments to save more time and give better feedback to students. Permanent Clipboard is my favorite tool to give to teachers seeking better organization as it provides students with feedback and organizes them. 

Fill your bag with ways that allow you to lift others. 

Whether it is time-saving tech tips, books with endless amounts of reading strategy tips, or school supplies to make people smile, the most important item to have in your coaching bag is whatever best allows you to lift up others. As I consider what advice to give any new coach, the best thing to bring to the table is oneself. We are all unique individuals with great strengths to offer students and our colleagues. For me, my strength is to see any glass as half full. That positivity is how I'm wired. Using optimism to help teachers see the best in a given situation allows me to begin a conversation that can lead to lasting change in their classrooms and in our school. Find your strength. Reflect on who you are and what you value. Then find ways to keep your coaching bag full by taking care of yourself and seeking inspiration to keep filling that bag. I try taking care of myself by spending time chasing around my three kids, running, and reading every nonfiction book in my school’s library that I can manage to find and forget to checkout, much to the chagrin of my librarian buddy. :) We are in the business of learning, and our clients are colleagues and students who we are fortunate to serve all school year.

To get started on preparing for a new coaching role or just a new school year, take out a post-it or a notebook. Find your favorite pen and create a gratitude list. Then you'll know exactly how to fill that bag.