Abstract:

"Written
on a sticky note stuck to the edge of my laptop are three
phrases: listen first, teach by example, be
patient. Three things I've learned as a school-based
literacy coach," says Juli Kendall, and wonders how teachers adapt when they move unexpectedly into roles coaching adults rather than teaching children.

Kendall, Juli Three simple secrets of school-based coaching. Teacher Leaders Network diaries. Retrieved from the Teacher Leaders Network 10 Apr 2008. Link: http://www.teacherleaders.org/old_site/diaries/JK01.html

Full Text:

Three Simple Secrets of School-Based Coaching

Written on a sticky note stuck to the edge of my laptop are three phrases: listen first, teach by example, be patient. Three things I've learned as a school-based literacy coach. My notes on these simple but essential guidelines are a scaffold for the coaching I do, a reminder to be focused on the needs of the teachers and their students, a collection of what I've learned over 15 years.

I wonder how coaches who are flung into this adult learning role without much preparation deal with the reactions of the teachers with whom they work. Many of us who coach have enduring memories of our first interactions with classroom teachers; indeed, our first early struggles are about as easy to forget as a bad case of stomach flu. Why, then, do so many education decision makers easily accept the idea that there exists a superhuman race whose members can walk into a classroom the very first day and "take on" the role of a coach without any guidance or even basic training?

If you find yourself thrust into that "superhuman" role, maybe some of what I've learned can help.

A number of unique coaching experiences have strongly influenced how I see the role of a school-based coach. I started out as a Title VII Resource teacher for a Program for Cambodian Students, K-3. For two years, I worked in four schools demonstrating teaching techniques for English Language Learners. My second coaching experience was as a Spanish Bilingual Literacy Coach for grades K-3. For three years I worked in teacher's classrooms demonstrating small group instruction. Next, I worked as a Standards Coach in a middle school (6-8). This presented unique situations as I modeled how to involve at-risk readers and writers in classroom literacy activities. Currently I'm a Literacy Specialist/coach for 5th graders at a K-5 school. For five years I have worked with teachers to implement best practices for students at risk of retention in elementary school.

As a coach, the first question to ask is "what doesn't work?" A clear and present danger for any coach is to see themselves as an expert. While expertise is probably what helps you get the job, showing off that expertise is a sure-fire way to get into trouble immediately. Here's where the admonition to "listen first" comes into play. Spending time talking with teachers, asking questions about their needs in terms of how you can help them help their students, reaps big rewards for a coach. That was the first lesson I learned. Preparing materials requested by teachers, Xeroxing, finding resources online and in libraries, these are the kinds of things that teachers need immediately. Once their needs are met it's possible to move into the curriculum.

What else doesn't work? Thinking that there's only one way to teach a lesson—my way—has gotten too many coaches off on the wrong foot. It's as simple as "teach by example." Teaching is a very private enterprise. While we like to think that teachers share and collaborate regularly, it's still the case that a teacher is usually in a classroom teaching by themselves all day long. First we have to get in the door.

I begin by offering to help—more like a teaching assistant. I've carried water for science experiments, sharpened pencils for writing workshop, and handed out books and other materials all in the name of building a trusting relationship. Trust makes a coaching relationship possible.

Once trust develops, the modeling of instruction can begin. It can be a team teaching approach, a demonstration of something a teacher requests, or a coach asking to try out a strategy or technique with the class. I think of it as the "inch at a time" approach. Trying to go too fast can have dire consequences on teacher/coach relationships. Here's where "be patient" comes into play.

In coaching, things just don't happen quickly. It takes time to build credibility, especially if you've moved to a school where no one knows you. It's really helpful if a coach has a strong understanding of the content and standards for which teachers are responsible. Then, as they work in classrooms, coaches can watch for small ways to incorporate best practices and make the best use of their time and expertise.

One of the trickiest things to do is to find time to conference with teachers without adding to their already overwhelming workload. Working alongside teachers in their classrooms, catching a minute or two to talk with teachers in the parking lot, these "on the go " conferences can be extremely productive and non-threatening, encouraging teachers to talk about what they need and to reflect on how things are going.

One final note about coaching: it's important to find ways to get feedback from teachers. It doesn't have to be a formal survey or interview, but knowing what teachers are thinking and how they feel things are going makes a big difference in how effective the coaching ultimately will be.

Coaching is difficult work, but the rules are simple. If you remember to listen first, teach by example, and be patient, you build trust, then credibility. That's a lesson every school-based coach should know by heart.

TLN member Juli Kendall passed away in August 2006. Juli was a National Board Certified teacher with 30 years' experience, who spent more than 20 years teaching and coaching in the Long Beach, California schools. She is the co-author of Making Sense: Small-Group Comprehension Lessons for English Language Learners (Stenhouse, 2005) and Writing Sense Integrated Reading and Writing Lessons for English Language Learners (Stenhouse, 2006). A four-year archive of her Reading/Writing Workshop journals is available at MiddleWeb. She was a true teacher leader.

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