Keeping Coaching up and runningWhen I first started coaching I had this beautiful visual of what my schedule would look like. As a classic Type A hyper-organized individual it made my heart sing. ...and then I started coaching and that beautiful schedule looked more like this... As coaches we can face many obstacles to maintaining coaching cycles, especially if we or our site are new to coaching. We can easy get caught up with putting out fires and just trying to make everyone's job and life easier that we lose sight of our role, purpose, and priorities. So how can we shift time spent managing tasks to impacting practice? Don't Overbook Yourself! There is nothing worse than being late, having to reschedule, or having to cut short a coaching session! Not only does it make you frazzled, it communicates to your colleague that meeting with them is not a priority. Avoid this issue and misunderstanding by being realistic with how many coaching cycles you take on each quarter. I limit myself to no more than six formal coaching cycles (4-6 weeks long) at once. This leaves my schedule flexible so that I am able to be in those classrooms consistently within those 4-6 weeks. It also leaves time in my schedule to tackle all my other coaching projects and be available to support the rest of my colleagues outside of formal coaching cycles. Be Proactive Not Reactive! Schedule in 20-30 minutes on Fridays to create your To-Do list for the next week. Highlight or star your top priority tasks so that when you come in on Monday, you know what you need to tackle for the week. I also recommend meeting with your admin early in the week to readjust or add to your To-Do list so you aren't surprised by any last minute projects. Don't pressure yourself to check everything off your list each week. Recognize what tasks are critical and which ones can be pushed back to next week. Here is a snapshot of my To-Do list. It is always open on my desk and goes with me to every admin meeting. Advocate for Coaching! Hopefully this isn't an issue for you but my districts are constantly dealing with a substitute shortage. So who is the first person they pull to cover the classroom? Oftentimes it's the coach. While it seems logical that the coach should step in, it can be very disruptive to the flow of your coaching cycles. Additionally, it sets you back with all your other projects leaving you pressed for time later in the week.
While the occasional request to cover the classroom is okay, be very clear with your administrators that it means cancelling meetings with teachers. If you simply agree without being clear about how it impacts your schedule, it may send the message that the work you do isn't critical and that you are okay canceling meetings to sub.
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Flavia BahenaIntervention Specialist Archives
June 2020
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