To Coach...or not to Coach?

Serving as an Instructional Coach can be a very daunting and overwhelming task. It can also be varied and uncertain in terms of tasks and expectations. Have you ever heard that joke about the "fine print at the bottom of a contract"? If any position in Education relates to this joke, it's that of an Instructional Coach (or Specialist).

A colleague came to me not long ago and expressed their interest in returning to the classroom from their time as an Instructional Coach. I must say, having spent some time investing in this colleague as a mentor, I was a bit devastated.

*Side Bar* I take pride in being able to spot a servant-hearted person; one who takes ownership of their professional learning by spending their time studying research-based practices (rather than searching TPT and Pinterest for activities) and seeks chances to turn such learning around immediately. That's worth admiring and when I observe such qualities in someone I'm inclined to move on such a hunch, by investing time and energy modeling, mentoring and maturing said person into their potential. But hey, it's not about me, right? *Okay I digress*

So I asked this colleague why they were considering returning to the classroom (which there is NOT a law against, by the way). Their response to me was that their true passion lies in working directly with kids and that they miss the classroom. Now, at face value, I took the response to mean that they had this aching desire to be in the classroom where they felt they could have the biggest impact! Few words/ideals are more true than that and I wouldn't dare fight such a theory and noble desire.

But after some thoughtful consideration, I mauled over their statement and proceeded to dig a bit deeper. Could this person mean by "they miss the classroom", that they feel as if they don't get enough time in the classroom? So after a series of probing questions, I hit gold! They were trying to articulate that the position of a Specialist/Coach was super overwhelming and inundated with so many other tasks that being where teachers needed them (modeling and supporting kids) was near impossible.

This is true in some settings. I remember my first year as a Specialist even though it was a blur. It was filled with trivial tasks that had nothing to do with Math, busy tasks that helped teachers but may or may not have been content related, included pulling data, being in meetings and helping teachers plan. I rarely sat with a kid or put into practice what I preached (so a teacher could see my value). The following year, my job title was protected by leadership as boundaries and expectations were clearly set and consistently held to. But this didn't take away the urge to sit behind my desk and complete tasks for teachers. I had to plan for our PLCs, plan to be prepared for our planning sessions, amongst the normal data pulling, analyzing, program coordinating (GT, testing, RtI, etc). So when was I going to do all of this AND be in a classroom for 70-90 min with a teacher and students? If perhaps a teacher did nail me to model or co-teach, I had to spend time preparing...more time away from classrooms.

But I learned that some things needed to happen "off the clock" and I needed to MAKE TIME for teachers. So I organized my schedule by placing priority on a specific few grade levels (supporting K-6 meant I needed to pick both a testing and primary grade to focus on).

1. After my PLC and planning times were set, I put my office hours during the lunch block (11am-1pm) and filled everything else in with classroom time!

2. When I sat in daytime (45 min) planning with teams, I looked for opportunities to come into their classes to support and model. If I heard them talk about not knowing how to approach something, after I gave an example, I followed my spill with "I can come in and model or co-teach"! This statement probably won me the MOST time invited into classrooms.

3. Sitting in PLCs discussing data were prime opportunities to invite myself into classrooms! Once a teacher inevitably asked, "how can I reteach this?..." I found my window of opportunity and put them on my schedule!

4. While observing in classrooms, rather than standing at the back taking notes, I sat with kids and helped them. I engaged in the classroom learning as if I was a student. This way when the teacher stopped me later and asked what I thought...I found a way to ask if they needed me to support them with anything- another window to slide into classrooms!

5. After each co-teach and modeled lessons, I made it a priority to follow up with the teacher and consistently ask, "Let me know if you need me to come in and help!"

6. Offering to stay after school with them to help them look up resources and flush out their lesson plans!

These practices, along with building relationships with teachers: eating lunch with them (although I'm an introvert and prefer time to myself or was busy and had other things to do), and chatting with them after school while they planned all conspired to build trust and before long I was invited to classes (rather than inviting myself).

So yes, there are 99 problems in Instructional Coaching, but getting into classrooms and working WITH teachers, should NOT be one of them! It should be a front burner priority. It is how we impact learning and make footprints in best practices. The desire to "BE IN THE CLASSROOM" should never die out. It should be the motivating factor for Instructional Coaches and Administrators alike. If we ever lose the hunch and drive to be in a classroom (after we've taken a different role than teacher) then we've forgotten why education is important. Now, while I personally don't believe climbing the "corporate" ladder should be a mindset for Educators, I do understand (and don't "shade" people for trying to financially improve - we all know Educators are the catfish of salaries). But there's so much more reward in the touching of lives, that I feel our focus should be pursuing what we are passionate about and gifted in. It should be about impacting more teachers and students with best pedagogical practices with the intent to stay as close to the classroom as possible.

As a District Math Program Coordinator, not much has changed. Going from serving 20-24 teachers to now 32 campuses (roughly 800 teachers), the mindset has to be the same. My plate is not only full, it looks like a buffet overflowing with food. But I make it my purpose to set aside a day a week to be on campuses, showing my face in classes, highlighting the wonderful things our dedicated teachers do everyday and looking for open doors to be in PLCs, planning and/or classrooms by invitation. I still get that tingly feeling when a teacher sees me in their class, and invites me to join in the lesson. No greater joy than working with kids and gathering authentic data to not only continue my growth as a lead learner but to make ripples in the lives of Educators and students alike! 

"I got 99 problems (things to do) ...

...but being in classrooms AIN'T one of them!"