Making the Most of Our Time Together: Navigating the Final Days of the School Year

According to a study conducted in 2015 by the Microsoft Corporation, humans have an attention span of eight seconds, roughly the time span of a goldfish. While researchers elaborate that the human mind has much more potential to focus on an idea or action for more than a few seconds, any educator at the end of a school year would undoubtedly argue to the contrary. Student engagement becomes an uphill battle as the calendar pages turn toward warmer months, but we still have work to do. I hear my students lament about "senioritis" and the desire to break free from their K-12 education. How do I maximize my time with them and guide them through our final learning experiences before they run from our halls for the final time?

Storytelling is a powerful way to captivate people.

"Good speakers are great storytellers" is a phrase I say to my students at least once a week. Stories build suspense, foster creativity, and encourage us to connect ideas and each other. Find a way to create anticipation for a lesson or a concept. This past week, we started our final unit - special occasion speaking.

I always begin the unit by sharing stories from weddings I have attended, highlighting the best and worst wedding toasts I have witnessed. Jokes about the thirty-minute best man toast that involved bathroom breaks and a hall full of hungry guests to uncomfortably sit through childhood stories of the groom and his brother remind them that our speaking skills can and will be put to the test in numerous ways throughout our lives. My stories help them to recognize the connection between content and their lives. We can all leverage our stories and experiences to captivate our students and help them understand the greater context of what we are learning together.

Keep students active.

The spring is full of distractions. Alternative schedules, field trips, and end-of-year experiences are at the forefront of students' minds. When students actively engage in the learning process, they are less likely to be consumed by distractions. Collaborative projects that promote creativity and creation can help students master skills while also having fun.

One of my favorite assignments is a nonverbal video project in which students tell a story that relates to high school students without using words. This week students asked if they could incorporate videos into their final special occasion speeches. We went down a rabbit hole of TikToks and Reels that represented their high school experiences and related to the themes of their final speeches. Instead of scolding them for embracing their distractions, I found a way to tie their videos into their speeches by looking for themes and discussing how these videos communicate their values and beliefs.

Utilize technology to amplify their voices.

Distractions can be opportunities to redirect. They can also become part of the curriculum that keeps students engaged and actively using their interests to demonstrate mastery. Having students make videos encourages them to share what they're learning on a larger scale. Using their platforms, they are more inclined to share the fun, which turns lessons into flashbulb memories that they will take with them beyond the classroom walls.

Be ready to change course.

I am *that* teacher who plans the entire semester before it begins. I am comforted by a road map that helps me prepare for heavy grading weekends and allows me to understand my units' interconnectedness. While having a plan is valuable, I acknowledge and am always ready to shift course. Some days are rough, and a lesson needs to be retooled. Certain groups of students move faster or slower depending on their skill sets and strengths. As teachers, having a vision for the journey we want our students to take in our classrooms helps us to adjust our strategies to meet the needs of our students. We must be ready to rethink, retool, and revise to meet those needs.

The final few weeks fly faster than we can blink. While our attention spans may be swimming away during the last few weeks, we can keep our students engaged by inviting our students to be active in the learning process and co-creating powerful stories and memories together.

References:

Stutsman, Lori. “You Have Eight Seconds. Differentiate Your Business through the Art of Storytelling.” You Have Eight Seconds: Differentiate Your Business Through the Art of Storytelling, Microsoft Corporation, 15 Nov. 2021, https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/us-partner-blog/2021/11/15/you-have-eight-seconds-differentiate-your-business-through-the-art-of-storytelling/. 

From Exhaustion to Empowerment: A Call for Teacher Self-Care

Teacher burnout is real. From chronic student absenteeism to a lack of understanding of deadlines, I am hearing an overwhelming number of teachers locally and from my personal learning network express experiencing hardships and struggles in the school setting that have snuffed out the joy of teaching and learning. Exasperated by the end-of-the-year fatigue, state testing, and the longing for summer weather, teachers are worn out.

I get it.  

We talk about student SEL, but we often forget about teacher SEL. As an instructional coach, I often focus on bringing energy and positivity to teachers. Positive connections can help fuel even the most challenging days, whether formally collaborating or informally chatting in the hall. 

How do we continue to identify ways to engage in self-care and restorative choices that improve our day-to-day experiences and help us be better teachers for our students as they transition from one grade to the next, or in my case, from high school to college? 

First, we must create a culture of trust and openness. 

When a school is a safe place, our students are more successful. They are more engaged. As teachers, we must feel safe and allowed to be ourselves. When the professional environment is not open and supportive, teachers will stop taking risks, trying new strategies, and most importantly, they will stop collaborating and sharing great ideas. We need to trust that we can be authentic. 

One way to create that culture of trust is for administrators to provide leadership opportunities to their teachers. Often, teachers feel like their voices do not matter, and even if they have input on decisions being made, their input is dismissed or undervalued. A disconnect happens, and the reasoning behind decisions is often left out, which creates mistrust. Transparency matters, and taking the time to explain the why can make difficult decisions clear. 

Celebrating success is crucial and can shift the culture. 

This year, my focus has been finding ways to celebrate my colleagues. People need to be uplifted. During COVID and in this post-pandemic phase of life, strong teachers feel frustrated. "Normal" teaching practices and strategies are not working as they used to, and obstacles are seemingly popping up frequently. To combat the heaviness that many are still feeling, I believe in finding ways to celebrate the wins, honor leadership, and empower others to share their incredible ideas that often happen behind the closed doors of a classroom. This year, I have facilitated a sit-and-snack series that teachers throughout the building lead. 

The skills they share highlight strategies related to blended and personalized learning that any teacher can use in their classrooms, often immediately. I have also had the joy of starting a podcast called the "Teach in Ten" podcast with my friend and colleague, Cori Schwarzrock, which is focused on amplifying the stories of amazing teachers in our district. In both experiences, those teachers are uplifted and realize how valuable they are to our school community and our students. Teachers need to be empowered to share their strengths and recognize the value they bring to the school culture. The more plugged into their strengths, the more likely they will continue growing and engaging in the community. 

We need to reach out, offer support, and foster positive relationships.

I will be eternally grateful for the colleagues who have helped me navigate my 20s, encouraged me to find work-life harmony in the early stages of parenthood, and are the reasons I survived the pandemic. They are my lifelines and extended family who have brought me so much joy even in challenging moments of the last decade. We must lean into those relationships and find the people who help us grow, who are safe spaces when we need to vent, and who celebrate our success. 

We also need to remember to be those people for others. It's easy when we are feeling burnout to become isolated or to produce negative energy. When I am feeling low, I love to revisit the Marigold analogy - remembering that I need to find people who encourage me to grow, encourage me, and support me. Positive self-talk and conversations can help us to reframe our experiences and find the good in difficult circumstances. This positive outlook should not cross into toxic positivity. I genuinely believe saying, "This simply sucks," is acceptable. Acknowledge the difficulties, but do not become complacent in those hardships. Sometimes life is just hard, but our Marigolds - our PLN - can help us find the sun again. 

Beyond our experiences and immediate community, we also must seek resources and professional development beyond what we can create on our own. 

I am reading and learning all I can on teacher-SEL. I am fortunate to have a partner at home who is skilled in finding work-life harmony. My husband has also gotten into the Glennon Doyle podcast and other SEL-themed podcasts, which has given me a person with whom to dialogue about finding that balance, even in my busy seasons at school. However, teacher-SEL cannot fall on the teachers. This practice cannot be another trend that an administrator adds to the end of a slideshow at the beginning of the year. Practicing self-care is easy to say and add to an agenda item, but it needs to be authentic, and support must be given. Whether that involves attending conferences, joining professional learning networks, or engaging in other communities, we need to find something to engage in self-care genuinely. With decision fatigue, we also need help and support to find these outlets.

Overall, we need to allow ourselves to reflect and understand that we are in the business of people. Our jobs are emotional and draining. We must find healthy ways to release the pressures of our days and fuel our decision-fatigued minds. We need to talk to our colleagues and loved ones, engage in self-care, and shut down our devices more often than we do. 

Teacher burnout is a significant issue that impacts both teachers and students. When we create a culture of trust, take care of our physical and mental health, and acknowledge the emotional intensiveness of our jobs, we can work towards reducing burnout and creating a more positive learning environment for all stakeholders. As educators, we must prioritize our well-being to continue to inspire and support our students to be productive and positive members of our communities at school and beyond. 

Welcome to Quarter Four

Six weeks. That's all that I have left with my seniors. Time is fleeting, and our final days together will be filled with final speeches, prom, and memories they will carry into their post-secondary pursuits. The word of the year has been full - full of activity, full of growth, and full of joy. While I still see students acclimating to the new normal in this endemic phase of COVID, our community seems relatively back to pre-COVID practices. The year feels normal - classrooms are noisy, and students are engaging in typical high school activities in and out of the classroom. 

These students are still trying to find balance, executive functioning skills, and adhere to deadlines so lax in uncertain lockdowns and more restrictive times. How do we make the best use of our final few weeks together? What skills must they refine before crossing the football field during graduation? Most importantly, how do I empower them to be literate and effective communicators in any endeavor they pursue? 

The fourth quarter is a sprint, so let's start running toward those final goals. 

This spring break, I took time to reexamine my learning targets and goals for the final two units of the semester. Using backward planning, I mapped out the time needed to complete their last two assessments and incorporated time to practice to reach mastery. Backward planning is so essential, especially as time is limited. While the day-to-day plan may shift and be revised, the overarching direction of the remainder of the course is needed. With a plan, we will maximize our time together. Plans also allow us to focus, evaluate, and shift approaches as necessary to help students reach the finish line with strength. 

Still, there is always time to foster relationships and encourage students to value their connections with their peers, teachers, and school. 

Building relationships is one of our most significant investments. While a silly bellringer sometimes feels off track, these moments to bond, collaborate, and share yield some of the most substantial results. When students feel connected to their teachers, peers, and the school environment, they are more successful academically and far more likely to retain what they have learned. 

The adage that people won't remember what we said but will remember how we made them feel applies here. My students probably won't remember the exact terminology for Monroe's Motivated Sequence. Still, their connectedness to the course and our time together will give them the confidence to logically and effectively apply persuasive appeals. I hope they can use their voices clearly, concisely, and confidently. I also hope they will remember that most communication is listening and adapting to their audiences. Our relationships matter, and as teachers, we can model the power of relationships in our daily lives with our students. No matter what comes next for them, this interpersonal skill will open doors and make their lives richer every day. 

The weather is somewhat unpredictable in the spring in the Chicagoland area, so wear layers -- and plan for the unexpected to occur both in and out of the classroom. 

A lesson I share with students on the first and last day of my class is that it's essential to live in the present but plan for the future. We should never wish away time. While we all could look ahead and say, "I can't wait until summer," or "Life will be so much better when ____ part of my life is done." Wishing away time, however, prevents us from appreciating every moment and every phase of life. My seniors often get overwhelmed by wishing away their senior year, but it is important to enjoy the present. Still, planning ahead, applying for scholarships, and taking advantage of opportunities such as internships, career shadowing, and extracurricular experiences can help students develop skills leading to further post-secondary possibilities. 

Finally, let's listen to those around us and appreciate the beauty of spring -- and each person. 

In the rush of the final quarter, it is easy to keep moving without valuing the people and moments around us. We can all learn so much from each person we encounter. My students this semester are particularly goofy. They bring larger-than-life energy to the classroom every period. They are in an exciting phase of their lives as they make significant decisions about their futures and share their hopes for what is to come. 

Our stories are woven together, if even for a moment. May we see the best in each other and blend our current paths to leave a beautiful legacy behind us. The best way to empower others is to help them see the best in themselves, realize what they are capable of, and show how much their stories matter. The next chapter is an exciting one, but it's still unwritten. I hope my students take the skills they gained in high school to make that chapter joyful.

There's No Place Like... The Journey

Newton's first law of motion state that an object in motion stays in motion. I argue that that should be the law of efficiency instead of motion. Keep moving until the task is done. As we near spring break, efficiency and focus start to wane. My students are holding on as we travel down that golden brick road toward the magical place known as spring break. In my early years of teaching, I often saw the world in black and white. We were on target to accomplish all the goals I so meticulously crafted at the beginning of the school year, or we were wasting time, and an impending twister would swoop us and take us completely off course. We'd never reach our destination if we strayed off the path for a moment, right? *Cue dramatic special effects.*

While a decade or so of experience and three children later has taught me that efficiency and effective teaching is so nuanced. An array of strategies and approaches must be taken to see the full-color spectrum and the magic of learning. Moments of being sidetracked to discover a new idea or take a different path lead to incredible results far greater than checking an item off the list. Learning is about the journey - not the destination. Just as Dorothy discovers in The Wizard of Oz, what we learn along the way and who we learn it with has a far greater impact than reaching a mythical emerald city (or perfectly achieving goals). What we as educators can help our students realize is that they have the power within themselves to achieve greatness, but they have to believe it, too.

Creating an effective student learning experience is like the characters Dorothy meets in Frank Baum's classic story. Truly gaining knowledge takes brains, heart, courage, and a touch of shenanigans along the way.

First and foremost, cultivating the best learning experiences for students takes brains.

Okay, I am the first to self-deprecate and poke fun at myself for needing to have the "perfect" lesson plans three months ahead of schedule. I am a person who needs a plan. Sidenote: Yes, I'm even the person who schedules "fun" with my family, but seriously… anyone who knows Team Sukow knows we are constantly laughing. Scheduled fun is more exciting than it sounds!

Like the Scarecrow in the Wizard of Oz, we would only know which direction to go with careful thought into the overall curriculum. Having an intended path helps guide the experience. A clear path gives us something to strive for and work toward and helps students recognize the bigger picture. Learning targets feel tedious to craft but are essential in planning a course's day-to-day and overall scope and sequence. The best-laid plans, however, include contingencies, options, and flexibility. The Scarecrow constantly loses his stuffing, but he's ready to put himself back together at any time.

As we create the overall framework and direction of a lesson, we need to remember that relationships come first.

When Dorothy and the Scarecrow walk along, they immediately bond and learn to rely on each other as they encounter surprises on the yellow brick road. When meeting the Tin Man, our protagonists immediately act to help their new friend. They demonstrate heart and show there is always time to build relationships, even when an end goal is set. When the Tin Man first is reanimated, however, he is rusty and has a harsh perspective of the world in which he has been frozen.

As teachers, we all have our moments of frustration. So do our students. SEL is such a critical part of the learning process. From learning executive functioning skills (or learning to walk again as the Tin Man literally) to being vulnerable and sharing our life experiences as we learn, our emotions are the invests that help our students to be not only ready to learn but also ready to venture out of the academic forest into the emerald beyond known as the real world.

Preparing students for the real world also takes great courage, as our world and what our students will face constantly evolves.

Change is the only constant in life. In a world with ever-evolving technology still reeling from post-pandemic effects, we must bravely face the obstacles we are still dodging as educators. Students still have gaps in skills or are out of practice from specific expectations they once had. Families moved, faced hardships, and countless political and social issues came to light that may have been overlooked before. The weight of our world is still heavy, but we can face our challenges. We can accomplish much despite our fears, just as the Lion realized.

The courage to have difficult conversations does not occur in a vacuum, though. The Lion had friends who helped him reflect and see the bigger picture. They journeyed with him on his quest. Again, learning is not black and white. Academic skills are more than memorizing facts or checking off an SEL goal. These skills work together to get to the end of the journey.

Just as for Dorothy, who was able to defeat the Wicked Witch and leave Oz, we too can reach our goals with students, but it is essential to remember that it's not about getting to the end of the story. Authentic learning is about bravely taking those bends in the road, finding joy in both the joyful and challenging times, and working together to create the best learning environment - a home away from home.

It's All in the Timing

Over the last year and a half, I hit the snooze button on my writing. Navigating The pandemic and pursuing another master's degree have fried my creative juices. From assisting my district in adopting a new LMS to navigating parenting three young children (the youngest immunocompromised), life's been more difficult than I'd like. We have all faced unique challenges, but I'm beginning to see the light. I'm ready to use my voice and write.

The greatest lesson I have learned these past few years is the importance of timing. As an instructional coach, I need to anticipate the needs of my colleagues. Educational beats ebb and flow. The cadence of a semester brings unique challenges and patterns that have teachers seeking specific instructional or tech-based resources. At certain points in the semester, teachers need engagement strategies and assessment ideas, or they might just be looking for ideas on implementing a new tech tool. 

Over the last few months, I've spent much time reflecting on the best time and day to send an all-staff email or making myself visible so that I am accessible to my colleagues, especially during the higher-stress seasons of the semester. Like the Genie from Aladdin, I want to be ready to appear at a moment's notice, ready to ask, "(Poof) What do you need?" The more accessible I am, the more trust I garner from my peers. Maintaining that trust and fostering strong relationships across the building has helped me continue supporting and navigating the changing landscape of learning during a pandemic.

So, it's all in the timing? How can instructional leaders master the art of timing?

Utilize backward planning.

Always start with the end goals. Once those benchmarks are established, working backward through the process helps to create more accurate outcomes, inspire impactful lesson plans, and can provide greater insight into what students (or, in the case of an instructional leader -- teachers) need. As I set my own classroom goals this year, I continued asking myself, "What skills do I hope my students will take with them after my class? How do I encourage them to reach that point?" These questions forced me to think about the summatives and end products, which has allowed me to create opportunities to practice skills more frequently and directly. For example -- in my semester-long speech class, I wanted students to speak more. Students complete mini-group challenges to practice the interpersonal skills they need for their unit summatives more often and can identify the why behind their actions and speech development. 

(For more on backward planning, check out this amazing blog post by Jennifer Gonzalez).

Set small daily goals.

I create a to-do list every morning (or even the night before). These to-do lists give me energy and keep me focused on what needs to be accomplished and in what order. This short process of writing out and reflecting on tasks has helped me increase productivity and effectiveness. Forgetting an important task is easy, especially in a busy environment. Taking two minutes to plan or organize the day has been incredibly beneficial and rewarding. I love using a good pen and crossing off items on the to-do list. Remember to work ahead when possible. Crossing off one little task that could be put off until today saves exponential time the next day. 

Study instructional strategies and find inspiration.

As an instructional coach, I have focused on what theme I wanted to share with colleagues. We are still recovering from the pandemic. By the end of this school year, I hope teachers can say that they understand how they can use specific skills and strategies they used during the pandemic to enhance their classrooms. As a result, I worked with the administration at my school to encourage a focus on instructional strategies (rather than tech tools) to help teachers see how they might blend in new ways to engage their students using various tools and methods. Halfway through the year, I am excited to see that there's been momentum for using stations, including student choice, and exploring different approaches to learning. 

Reading current literature and learning from peers on social media platforms or at conferences (even digital ones) has been incredibly growing and powerful. We always have something to learn and can find inspiration for incredible people near and far! 

Finally, focus on relationships. Whatever pressing task is consuming you, remember that it can wait.

At the heart of a successful school are strong relationships. Tasks can almost always wait. No matter what, I always have time for a friend (or a student). My colleagues are so important to me. As an instructional coach, I remind myself that whatever tech glitch or concern a teacher has at any given moment, that issue is everything to them. By stopping what I am doing for just a moment, I can add relief to their day. I am building trust, and more importantly, I am making a statement about what matters most. When teachers (or students) feel heard, validated, and supported, their whole world can change instantly. And that change, that change is culture-building and life-giving. 

Time keeps on ticking, but we can make them matter even more.

Taking the Best from 2020: Lessons Worth Keeping

This summer, I am checking something off my professional bucket list by working on my principal's endorsement. Even with grad classes and internship hours, this summer is moving at a much slower pace than last summer. Summer 2020 was filled with meetings, committees, and preparing teachers to be ready for the most unpredictable school year of our lives. Despite the desire to never hear the Zoom doorbell again, many aspects of last year lead to positive learning outcomes for students and teachers alike. I have wrestled with a question this summer: how can we leverage those great lessons and learning outcomes to create innovative and powerful educational experiences for our students in fall 2021 and beyond? 

We embraced flexibility.

An ever-changing schedule and teaching circumstances forced us all to embrace flexibility. Health and safety regulations were constantly shifting as new information became available. School schedules and instructional plans were drafted, created, revised, and scrapped altogether. In that planning process, teachers identified essential skills and curricular topics that needed to be taught to support student learning. In addition, teachers across disciplines and age levels developed social-emotional learning strategies and other ways to provide students with a sense of community in their respected classrooms. Then teachers and staff had to determine the modality and methods to teach this information. We flew the plane and built it mid-flight; we were flexible. What mattered most was the connections and relationships, and all the rest came second - or some days not at all. Because of flexibility, we learned to reteach, reinvent, and recreate educational experiences that we never thought we'd have to create, all from our couches, spare bedrooms, and basements with our kids, pets, and personal lives swirling about us. And when the modalities changed from full remote to hybrid to full remote again in a week, we exhibited our flexibility and rolled with the metaphorical punches. 

While I hope to never see so many shifts in my academic career again, I hope that we are more open-minded to new learning modalities, curriculum shifts, and instructional technology. Frustrating as it was to scrap lesson plans and reimagine every academic experience, we had time to collaborate with others and reflect on what mattered most. We were flexible and then flexible again, and in some ways, we all succeeded with the educational experience we might never have tried if we were not forced to do so. 

We used technology in innovative and meaningful ways. 

A few of my colleagues and dear friends were tech resistant for a while. When we started using Chromebooks at a rapid rate, some said, "I'm fine with paper." As Google Classroom captivated our content, a few stuck to the shallow end. In March 2020, those barely wadding in the kiddie pool of educational technology had to dive headfirst into uncharted waters. Being in full quarantine, all teachers had to adopt educational tools to deliver content and only had a weekend to prepare. With that challenge thrust upon us, so many teachers rose to the incredible feat of using educational technology to communicate, collaborate, and innovate with their students. Teachers learned Kahoot, Pear Deck, Flipgrid, EdPuzzle, Padlet, and every Google Workspace tool in the toolbox. They mastered online feedback with extensions like Mote and Permanent Clipboard. They even became content creators with Screencastify and WeVideo. Teachers found countless tools and ways to formatively assess and engage students in the learning process even while learning from home. 

Some teachers might have stayed shallow with these tools or never tried many of them at all. Trying something new and creating a walkthrough video or recording can be intimidating. Like our students, we judge ourselves and strive for perfection, which can hinder the creative process, but we went all in and surprised ourselves because we had no choice. I am so excited to see what teachers generate and create moving forward. Because we have tried, sometimes failed, but more often than not succeeded with these new tools to innovate our teaching, we now can continue to do so while still enjoying our face-to-face time with students and maybe even writing something on paper every once in a while, too. 

We forged personalized learning pathways. 

With new educational technology skills and flexibility under our belts, we have the tools to implement blended learning and personalization into the classroom more than ever. Last year, teachers had to retool and rethink how they taught lessons. Many created videos and resources that can supplement and personalize student learning. The tools we spent hours designing and developing do not have to be wasted because we are back to in-person learning. 

We learned that some students learn better in a flipped classroom environment or with resources to rewatch or pause as needed during the pandemic. As such, I am hopeful that moving forward, we've created multiple ways for students to acquire knowledge and also various ways in which students can demonstrate mastery. My district adopted a new LMS platform that if we had not been in the pandemic, we would not have shifted our curriculum and assessments nearly as quickly. Again, now that we have created resources out of necessity, I hope that those resources will continue to provide multiple pathways on which students can navigate and learn. 

We encouraged student self-efficacy. 

Beyond school, the pandemic was difficult for our children. Being isolated, in a place of uncertainty, and coping with a myriad of challenges at home, countless students faced situations that increased anxiety and fear. While they had to cope with a great deal, they also learned that they could take charge of their learning. Students had to innovate and create. They had to think in ways they might never have to before. While some students disengaged, teachers also found that some students soared with digital and remote learning. While we can agree that in-person learning is what works best for most students at the K-12 level, some students found great success in a digital or remote environment. Incorporating some of those strategies into our classrooms can help increase student learning independence and efficacy. Students CAN be the drivers of their learning, and we witnessed this firsthand during the pandemic. Encouraging students to take ownership of their learning will help them pursue education and careers beyond the K-12 hallways.  

We extended grace. 

Finally, one takeaway I hope we continue to remember is giving grace to our students, our colleagues, and most importantly, ourselves. This past year, there were days when the internet failed us, when lessons didn't work, and when students were unable to show up for a myriad of reasons. Collectively, we attempted to assume the best in all people and all situations. We accepted failures and shortcomings, and we provided support to our colleagues when we needed to do so. Let us continue to see the best, believe the best, and lift up others when needed. When we remember and truly honor the word grace, our schools, and our world can begin to heal from 2020. 

As a future educational leader, I hope to leverage our most challenging experiences for the positive. Every situation is an opportunity to learn. This last year was perhaps the most challenging collective experience we all faced together. Taking the best moments and outcomes from this past year, I believe we can create a much more innovative and positive educational experience for our students moving forward. 

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. 

Bringing the Energy: Hooking Students from the Beginning of Class

Great lessons are like powerful speeches; they begin with a hook. Attention-grabbing devices set a tone for a speaking situation, whether that be a two-minute speech or sales pitch, or a 40-minute lesson.

Audiences find comfort in the familiar. They seek patterns and expect to be drawn into the communicative exchange. Being in hybrid learning with students coming into the room and hopping onto Zoom sporadically for five minutes can leave even the most organized people feeling disoriented. Building in a hook to each lesson can help calm the chaos.

While students are working on a hook or bell-ringer activity, don't forget about the energy of the room. When students walk into class, the energy in the room sets a clear tone and expectation for the pacing and the overall purpose of the course. Greet students with a smile or with the energy of a smile underneath a mask. Say their names - each and everyone of them. Make sure they know that they are seen and heard - even if they do not unmute. Get in the habit of taking that time at the beginning of the class - even if it eats into a minute or two of instructional time. Those interactions are more important than one extra practice problem or discussion question.

   

How can we get them started on learning while we are greeting and admitting both digitally and in-person?

Enter Pear Deck, Padlet, or a digital tool that can keep students working and make learning visible for all students no matter where they are learning. Using a digital platform helps all students active and engaged while I individually greet the Zoomers and the roomers. Keeping students actively connected to a task can help them prepare for learning and serves as a wonderful time to do a social-emotional check-in with them.

As students enter the room physically or digitally, create one organized location where learning material is posted. Whether that is the projector screen, the board at the front of the room, or an LMS homepage - having one location on which students are expected to go each day creates that routine. This process also frees teachers to be greeters instead of frazzled jugglers attempting to keep all the balls in the air.

Make learning fun.

Having to clear desks between periods and working to social distance in our classrooms has created a great deal of stress. Not having all students in the room at one time and having to avoid group work has taken some of the fun out of learning. Even though teachers have had to reframe and rethink the learning experience and environment, we can still sprinkle the fun back into school. Using bell ringers that ask goofy questions, require creativity, and allow students to be silly creates conversation. Whether they be celebrating each other or laughing at a drawing one of their friends did, this sense of silliness brings a class together.

My favorite intro slides and activities have little to do with class learning, but the responses can be used throughout a lesson. For example, today, students shared what type of superpower they wished they had and why they would pick that power. This silly question served connections to course content when we talked about smashing cell phones when they distract listeners like the Incredible Hulk or why we are so intrigued with stories as many of us are binge-watching WandaVision. Even when the hook doesn't seem connected to content, we can develop connections. Remember, once we get students talking about anything, they are far more likely to unmute and speak up when discussing course content later in the period.

Say it one more time for the kid in the back.

Review the lesson objectives. Even when routines are established, students are learning everywhere. They are facing internet issues, may have distractions around them, or may have social-emotional concerns for a myriad of reasons. Students (and teachers alike) are also just tired. Repeating those objectives at the beginning of class and then at the end of class helps reiterate expectations, centers students, and serves as a reminder for what is coming next. While many students may get used to a routine and know where to access due dates and daily course work, they still will appreciate clarifying moments at the beginning and the end of class.

Great lessons end where they began - with a hook. Attention-grabbing devices get people talking and set a tone for a class. When we bring the energy at the beginning of class, students are more likely to tune in. That energy can carry us through navigating teaching roomers and Zoomers alike. It doesn't take superhuman strength to forge meaningful relationships with kids - although when we foster those relationships, we can become superheroes in our students' eyes. Don't forget to take those few minutes amidst the chaos to create those moments for your students.