Coaching....

“I am first a teacher. My job hasn’t changed, but my audience has. Now I teach teachers to use strategies and routines. My job is to still impact kids, but now I do it by helping teachers be as focused and effective as they can be.”

-Devona Dunekack, instructional coach, Pathways to Success

I think back to my time as a building coach in an elementary school. When I first began the endeavor I was unsure of the job responsibilities. I knew in my heart I was competitive and I wanted our school to be the best it could possibly be. In knowing that, I had a big job to do!

One of my passions is teaching children.  That’s not a big surprise, huh? When I thought about my role as a coach, I knew I had a role in inspiring others to be the best they could be with their instructional practices and the obligation to educate others on the most current teaching practices. I was thrilled!

Just recently, I was given Jim Knight’s book, Instructional Coaching. Oh my goodness, I couldn’t believe I had been the last four years without this book in my library. I cannot even begin to summarize the book’s contents and give it the credit it deserves, but I’m here to tell you-if you’re a coach, go buy this book today! One of my favorite sections of the book explains what instructional coaches do. Not only does this section of the book discuss all the important aspects of the role as an instructional coach, but also how to develop a file cabinet of relationship skills to make the most of your conversations with teachers.

Teaching is a challenging job filled with many ups and downs. Teachers need our support. I want to thank all of our instructional coaches that work tirelessly daily to impact our teachers' learning and increase student achievement. Pat yourselves on the back!