“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!
