Thanks for sharing those resources.

@Joellen,

Thanks so much for reading and commenting on this post!

I look forward to hearing more about what comes out of the Instructional Facilitators Conference. I wonder if other, more experienced coaches, also feel that there might be something different about technology – or if it’s just because I’ve come from a Technology Facilitation background rather than Instructional Coaching.

I’m also wondering about your thoughts on how to transition from coaching light to coaching heavy. Do you have any specific advice for those new to the coaching model?

You have raised some wonderful questions in your blog about whether coaching in technology is different from coaching in other areas. I want to ponder this and engage with coaches I work with to inquire about their perspectives. I have a perfect opportunity since Jim Knight and I, along with three other faculty members of the NSDC Coaches Academy are together in Casper, Wyoming, at the Wyoming Instructional Facilitators Conference.

As I talk with coaches about coaching heavy and coaching light as I did yesterday, I find that this distinction is like fingernails screeching down a chalkboard. Mostly, I think, it is because coaches know that they want to do more and yet they are walking the tightrope between maintaining a healthy relationship and the challenging work of focusing and refining teaching. The tendency to interpret heavy as difficult is common, yet you made the distinction very clear in your description. I appreciate your thought reflection on this section of the chapter.

Thanks, Kim. I look forward to reading more about your experiences as a coach.

A good reminder to be more patient, considering you’re on year 5 and some of your staff are still confused by your role. I wonder if there’s anything schools can do to be more transparent about coaching responsibilities and goals so that it doesn’t take quite so long? Definitely something for our team to think about…

@Clint

Glad the posts are helpful! You make such a good point about not ignoring the unwilling students. We do have to find the hook that will get teachers interested, just like we do with students. I guess that our challenge – finding out what motivates our teachers and collaborating from that angle.

@Andrea

I’ve been thinking a lot about this post since last week and I’m wondering if sometimes having those difficult conversations actually makes you more valuable and more respected because I do think that most teachers want to move forward. I know I appreciate it when my thinking is challenged, if done in the right way, especially when it helps me do my job better. I wonder if I shy away from those conversations because I’m worried about my relationships with those teachers suffering, when actually they might make my relationships stronger. No answers, just some thoughts your comment brought to my mind.

Also, I wonder if you do have the power to change your position just by what you do on a day to day basis. I have no idea what the structure of your school is like, but I have been working on trying to do this myself: focusing on what is important and valuable and demonstrating that that’s where you’re time is going to be spent – instead of only doing what other’s expect. I don’t know if that’s feasible or not, but I just thought I’d throw it out there.

@Steve

Your comment really resonates with me – and I’ve got your book on my bedside table, so that’s my next coaching read for sure. We frequently talk about discomfort equaling learning. I wonder why it’s so hard for us (well, me) to be the cause of that kind of discomfort, especially when I do know how powerful it is?

I’m going to bring up the idea of creating a climate where teachers feel comfortable with discomfort at our next coaches meeting. That’s clearly going to be so important for us to move forward.

@Mary

I think there are lots of parallels to librarians here. It is interesting to see how often people in schools are referred to as resources, rather than collaborators. I guess it’s slow going in many areas… You might also find some other interesting protocols at the Teachers College Press (from the book The Power of Protocols).

@Janice

I love your spreadsheet idea! In fact, I have been starting to work on something similar (just by random chance) myself and I love how thoughtfully you have yours outlined. I’m going to do a little revising on mine to match my coaching goals as well. Thanks so much for the great tip!

@Dennis

Thanks! Angst pretty much sums up my feelings as well. Thanks for defining that very important distinction between students as teachers vs improving student learning. I do think that will help us make decisions about where and how to spend our time.

@Paul C

I absolutely love that visual, it certainly does help explain how a coach can make the transition from light to heavy. I totally agree that it takes a lot of time to move a whole school community forward. It’s a good reminder to take things slow.

@Clint H, I think one of the keys in the book is that as a coach teachers are NOT our students, but instead student learning is still our focus. We must do everything in our power to make teachers better so that students will learn, not for the purpose of making teachers better. It’s a small distinction, but a fundamentally powerful one when you consider its implications on whether I feel like I have the “authority” to do something or not.

As always Kim…spot on.

I am starting my third year in an elementary school and the district just changed my title from CTC (Campus Technology Coordinator) to TIP (Technology Instructional Partner). They have hired Instructional Partners for each school and so it is being emphasized that our roles are very similar. It is SO great to learn from each other and to support each other. Starting this third year seems different. I feel past the building relationships and getting to know you phase and ready to work more together.

My IP came up with a spreadsheet that I have started using that I think will be really helpful. There is one worksheet for each grade level and then the four teachers in each grade level are listed on it. Across the top are listed things that we hope to happen (model lessons, planning together, observation, etc…) and so in the cells below we can take notes about what we are doing. I think this will help me to see really clearly who I am not working with at all and which of the coaching methods I am avoiding.

We will see….