I’m Worried About Becoming the “Assessment Queen”

So I was talking with a friend about whether or not coaches should be doing tasks like reading inventories, ELL assessments, etc. in the first days or weeks of school…after all, everyone is busy and coaches usually have time in the first few days of school. After some back and forth, we decided it’s just like eating ice cream… it’s about moderation. There is good stuff in ice cream like calcium, but you just don’t want to go overboard and eat it all day, every day. So, set limits. Offer to do a few assessments and be helpful, but let folks know that you have another role as coach and this is a short term offer of assistance. My friend also suggested that when the year is up and running, you should make it clear that you won’t have time for that and will be focusing on your coaching work. That way you are holding your role sacred but also building relationships and supporting your colleagues.

Technology Ideas for Engaging Teachers

So I have to admit, I’m not the most technological person around. In fact, I’m pretty thrilled that I know how to pay bills online and manage this blog. Wow! That’s a step! For this posting, I’d like to enlist some help from one of our friends; Sean Nash from Benton High School in St. Joseph, MO.

Sean has masterminded an incredible website that serves as a networking tool for the teachers in his high school. Check it out at: http://virtualsouthside.ning.com/. When I first saw the site, I started thinking about all of the untapped technologies that are out there to support coaching. And Sean has gracefully agreed to teach us a few things about how he went about this process including: how he went about setting it up, as well as what benefits and challenges he has found when using this sort of technology. Sean, take it away…

As always, anyone with other ideas, chime in as well.

Inspiring Books to Use with Teachers

In an earlier post, Kathy wrote, "Our coaches attended a workshop today, and the presenter shared a book called "Write On! A Guide for Babies of All Ages" that several of us are planning to use as a read-aloud to our staff members. It's a perfect analogy to being a new coach . . . crawling, pulling up, trying to walk, falling, and finally running." That got me thinking about the use of great books to motivate, encourage, and excite teachers who are just coming back from summer break.

Last year, I was in Florida working with a district and their coaches used the book, "So Few of Me" by Peter Reynolds (who also wrote Dot and Ish). I loved it as a way to acknowledge staying creative and happy in the midst of an overhwelming workload. I love the line, "Leo wondered, what if I did less but did my best?" This would be a great read aloud for a staff of teachers.

Another friend turned me on to the book "Scaredy Squirrel" by Melanie Watt. She uses it to encourage teachers to take risks and learn new things. A great line is, "He'd rather stay in his safe and familiar tree than risk venturing out into the unknown." Another book with a similar theme is, "She Taught Me To Eat Artichokes" by Mary Kay Shanley. It's about reaching out to friends to learn new things. It is a bit longer but also a great read aloud with great illustrations.

What other books have you used with teachers? Let's get a list going... and thanks Kathy for the idea.