Take That Next Step

Leading Like a C.O.A.C.H. Book Study

Photo by Charles Black on Unsplash

Maybe it’s just me, but so often I find myself putting off a project if I don’t think there will be a successful, “perfect” end-point. 

I had thought that I was doing better at taking risks and worrying less in my life post-covid [post?!], but this very writing of mine has brought back the vulnerable struggle of attempting perfection every step of the way. 

I took a break from writing last summer and did not participate in the professional reading responses as I had in previous years, so this time I felt like there was more to prove. The moment the book Leading like a C.O.A.C.H. by Matt Renwick showed up on my doorstep, I was thrilled! I didn’t open it immediately, however, because I wanted to devote my complete, focused attention to the work. 

When my school year had ended, I had all intentions of getting it started, but I was in the middle of a Colleen Hoover book, so… Finally, I had some evenings in between baseball games and chasing my boys that I was able to really dive in with my flairs, highlighters, and post-its. My plan was to read it cover-to-cover so I would best know which direction to take for my writing; but even when done, I was left with pages of ideas and unable to decide which would make the best choice. 

A few articles were drafted, but I noticed a new challenge for me was found in writing about leading teachers and colleagues, versus students. I had such high expectations for my writing and was not feeling successful, so I kept walking away. I read three more novels before deciding I couldn’t procrastinate the work any longer. 

What point am I even trying to make in exposing my messy process of a professional writing post?

I think it is that when we as professionals feel the support and envision the success, we are more apt to take the next step in professional growth.

Support and Success in the Classroom

For our students to be ready to put in the work that the learning process requires - sometimes despite a mindset of failure before even beginning - we empower them with opportunities for success. By pre-teaching, frontloading, providing background knowledge, offering accommodations or modifications, students are likely to feel successful, harness their abilities, and master new learning of grade-level standards. 

In addition to planning these intentional skill and confidence boosters, there are some conditions within our control to give students (and teachers) empowerment to tackle the challenges, press past the situations where motivation seems blocked by wary doubts, or throw hands up in a perfectionism surrender and say, “Alright, let’s do this.” Trust, praise, and feedback are how the learning community can grow together.   

Renwick’s book inspires us to do this for teachers: create opportunities for success. 

By leading like a coach and constructing the conditions for professional growth, the outcome is positive for all. “We co-create a collective belief that a community of professionals can make a real and positive impact on the lives of their students.” (p.42)

With use of instructional walks:

• Principals, district leaders, or educational coaches can be witness to the reality of the daily learning community. 

• Teachers can express and demonstrate their classroom’s strengths and achievements, and be the ones driving their own professional growth. 

• Coaches reaffirm the success through informal, yet explicit feedback on how the teacher is authentically contributing to student learning. 

Through leading a solution-driven (versus problem-based) collaborative approach, the educational team can reexamine our current practices and use authentic data to determine those that are most promising for our individual students, collectively moving instruction forward. As leaders and coaches, our most important role is to give support.

Jamie Cicconetti is the Director of Special Education in a rural school district in Ohio.  She is passionate about inclusion and equity for the students she serves.  Outside of the school day, Jamie and her husband Casey enjoy the adventures of spending time with their two boys, Luca and Gianni.  Jamie writes about her experiences in education at lessons4learning.wordpress.com.