Inside the classroom, looking out...
Leading Like a C.O.A.C.H. Book Study
My primary role is that of a classroom teacher. I am not in an administrative role, nor a coaching role, yet I am striving to be a teacher leader and learner through service to others. I support the Reading Specialist by being a co-chair on the Early Literacy Committee and through our shared passion for achieving greater literacy outcomes for our students.
As I read and reflected on the five strategies for supporting teaching and learning addressed in Leading Like a C.O.A.C.H., I found myself struggling to know what stance to take in my response for this post. Since I’m not in an administrative or coaching role, I will offer my personal reflections from the point of view of a classroom teacher.
As an educator for 26 years, I can state unequivocally that relationships built around trust are critical to the overall success of the school. I’ve been in the profession long enough to live through relationships built on trust and those that were sorely inadequate in the trust department. Chapter 3 of this book is dedicated to the concept of creating confidence through trust.
I pulled some text from page 45 that I feel sums it up well.
“To create conditions for trust, we as leaders must exhibit behaviors that convey that our teachers are capable - that we believe they are trustworthy. It is what Tschaanen-Moren (2014) refers to as a ‘leap of faith’. We are confident that our faculty can facilitate student learning, and through our positive support they meet these expectations.”
Ironically, this is generally how trust is established within the classroom as well.
We, as teachers, must exhibit behaviors that convey to our students that we believe they are trustworthy and capable of the work at hand. When we let go of the need to control every aspect of the classroom and instead lead from a place of trust, shared learning, and curiosity, an amazing transformation takes place.
To further build on this concept of creating confidence through trust, I want to touch on the construct of instructional walks.
All too often I hear and read about teachers who don’t feel supported by their administration. Language to this effect typically centers on one of two things.
Absence of the administrator’s presence in classrooms and hallways, or
Lack of follow through on concerns.
Instructional walks have the potential to deepen the trust that you believe your teachers are capable and knowledgeable educators.
It stands to reason that being present on a frequent basis, affirming positive practices, and leading from a place of learning offers possibilities for educators to feel more supported. The instructional walk process is clearly laid out on p. 27; the visual does a nice job of clarifying the intent.
Figure 2.1: The Instructional Walk Process
In a time when de-professionalism of the education profession is rampant, instructional walks are a much needed and refreshing stance!
Because I am striving to be more of a teacher leader and learner, Chapter 7, “Helping Teachers Become Leaders and Learners”, drew my attention. I love the idea presented on p. 142:
“No more running the ‘testing treadmill,’ chasing scores and staying in one place; instead, you could have a community of professionals who owned their results because they had the authority and expertise to change how their story is told.”
This text speaks to me because I am so tired of the “scores” game. Having autonomy to make decisions based on the authentic needs of students while being part of a collective learning community of continuous renewal is possible. Indeed, it is critical! The testaments of success from the two examples in the chapter bring me renewed hope.
In the conclusion of this book, the author tells the story of the history behind the Don Hawkins Oak Savanna located on the school property. It’s a wonderfully rich story (p.155). The title poses the question: “What will be your legacy?”
This is a profoundly deep and powerful question. Ruminating about it had me reflecting back on something I heard about living legacies which pairs nicely with some text from Chapter 3:
“Our end goal is to create a sustainable, self-directed school of leaders and learners. We begin by shifting some of the power to where it belongs: with the teachers and the students in the classroom.” (p.46)
Let’s consider a school legacy as opposed to a personal legacy for a moment. I envision it to be a sustainable, self-directed school of leaders and learners with a lived vision, mission and beliefs shared by the school community that are so embedded in the culture that they continue to live on, well beyond any one teacher or administrator or class.
Ryanne Deschane is an elementary school teacher in northern Wisconsin. She has a B.S. in Elementary Education w/ Early Childhood Minor and a M.S. Reading Specialist. Ryanne is the 2023 Conference Chair for the Wisconsin State Reading Association. You can find Ryanne on Twitter @Ryanne_Deschane.
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Ryanne and Matt you have reminded us all of how important it is to trust the professionalism of teachers. In a time when teachers are feeling the pressure of curriculum adoptions, calls for parent oversight of what is being taught, and laws being passed that tell them what they can and cannot say we have to remember that teachers need to have a voice to stand up for themselves and the students in front of them. Teachers need to feel supported and encouraged. Instructional walks and being a part of school decisions are two very important ways to do this.
While I was reading about instructional walks, I thought about how they might have supported a principal that I worked with a couple of years ago. Toward the end of our discussion about one of my annual observations, my principal told me that she did not have anything for me to work on. She thought my lesson went great and there was nothing she would change. While I would love to think I have nothing to improve upon, that just doesn't exist in the world of teaching. That was a year that was particularly challenging for me. I was returning to the classroom after 7 years out as a literacy interventionist and it had been 13 years since I had taught this particular grade. This exchange did not make me feel better about my teaching, but it did make me doubt the competence of my principal and her ability to help me grow.