Trust is the Foundation for School Improvement

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

Photo by Zdeněk Macháček on Unsplash

I just wrapped up my eighth year as an instructional coach, and Leading Like a C.O.A.C.H. has been enlightening as to how I can refine my craft.

As each new school year begins, we set goals plus intentions and then prepare to take the world by storm all in the name of helping teachers and students experience success. Inevitably, what happens is that the rush and the natural chaos of a new school year brings new and more pressing issues to the surface.

What I have come to realize is that those little fires that need to be dealt with can consume our time. If we let it, it can slow our momentum to make real progress - progress we are all not only capable of, but what we are in fact worthy of.

In reading Chapter 3, “Create Confidence Through Trust”, Renwick lines out important aspects to consider as we begin this work.

The Four Conditions of Trust

It is not by accident that he led with the importance of creating confidence through trust to lay the foundation for the other goals that follow in subsequent chapters. 

Many aspects and components stood out to me here as I not only look for opportunities for my own growth, but how we can thoughtfully continue to get back on track after what educators have endured over the past few years with the pandemic. This foundation of trust can be seen in the way we build relationships between teachers and administrators. In order for teachers to feel seen and heard, they must feel as though they can be viewed with all four of those indicators. It can also be seen in the way leaders establish the way they lead in their buildings. These are more than “transactional relationships”; it is the way we build ourselves as leaders in our buildings.

If climate is how it feels, and culture is who we are – then these four conditions are essential to building a positive environment for all students and adults in our school.  

Condition 1: Consistency

What stood out to me here is “consistency reduces anxiety and increases confidence”.

While consistency can’t stand alone in building trust, it helps people understand what to know and expect from others. My action step to grow myself in the area of consistency is to use the Collective Commitments exercise (pg. 48) in my coaching conversation with individuals and teams. This in essence sets the tone of the work.

For example, I will ask teachers to rank themselves periodically so that I can adjust and be responsive to their learning and growth. This can then lead into setting collaborative norms – how we will work together.

Condition 2: Compassion

My favorite aspect of compassion is the call to action to make things better.

We can show compassion when we convey caring and recognize accomplishments. My call to action here will be to remind teachers of their past successes and allow that to propel them through difficult times, or to remind them of how capable they are.  

Condition 3: Communication

Communication is crucial in order to understand and be understood.

Here’s what struck me most about this condition in the book:

“Teachers want to know what the expectations are schoolwide (challenge), and they need resources, time, affirmation, and feedback to know that they are progressing toward a goal or have achieved success (support)” (pg. 55-56).

Not only do our teachers want the communication of the challenge to be clear, but let’s also be clear in the ways that we will support teachers in order to be successful.

As much as I have focused on how teachers perceive me, I saw in this chapter that communication is also grounded in connection. Not only do teachers need to feel connected to me, but I need to feel connected to them.

Condition 4: Competence

Teachers want to be seen as competent; they also want to see leaders as competent.

This is built through our capacity to meet the needs of others. Being vulnerable in seeking feedback and acting upon the responses you receive affords leaders the opportunity to tap into perceptions. This is reality for the individual expressing their thoughts; it communicates one’s competency in addressing the needs of their staff. Also in the area of competence, I can grow by asking teachers if they would like for me to coach, to collaborate, or to consult with them.

Opening this line of communication allows us to have a focus and the teacher to feel seen and understood.

The Biggest Takeaway

Possibly my biggest take-away from Chapter 3 was the way we can convey trustworthiness by pausing, paraphrasing, and posing questions (pg. 49).

Much of my work as a coach is grounded in being an engaged listener. These three “legs of a stool”, as Matt defines them, support much of the work that is done with teams and individual teachers as they set student-centered goals. Only after I have engaged in effective listening instead of just listening to respond, can the real work of coaching begin.

Not only does this three legged stool guide and support my efforts into being present in the moment for our discussion, it allows me to become a more consistent, compassionate, communicative, and competent leader.

Paige Bergin is an instructional coach in Tulsa, Oklahoma. She wrapped up her 20th year in education. Paige enjoys reading and spending time with her husband and two boys.