Coach's
Column

What does our roadmap for high-impact teacher support look like? Being a teacher is hard work. Teachers often need the summer to refresh and recharge. Even those of you who work year-round typically spend the summer reorganizing, finalizing plans for the upcoming year and looking forward to the fresh start we all count on fall to bring.

This school year may have brought many of you a wave of challenges. Amidst all of these challenges, there is a very good chance many of you were unable to recharge as often as you may have need throughout the school year. When you are running on fumes, an already challenging job can feel overwhelming and sometimes impossible. It may often feel like the starting line of a marathon year. There will always be challenges hiding behind the bends and turns that you won’t be aware of until they are right in front of you. You are going to need a compassionate, supporting team of people cheering you on and the right tools in your toolbox to get you over the finish line. Luckily, contrary to popular belief, teaching is not a solo endeavor. Teaching is a team sport.

So how can directors and administrators provide the kind of high-impact teacher support that gets teachers and students where they need to be? The kind of support educators need right now is something actionable, something they can apply right away. They need concrete examples of what this work looks like. They need scaffold support that will meet them where they are and show the how to take it to the next level, a road map to navigate the race route.

This is where the partnership of our early childhood education coaches here at Childcare Resources comes in. We are here to support administrators and teachers as you create a culture of growth though goal-setting, assessment, and non-evaluative feedback. We help to support and accelerate growth through informal observations, training, modeling, mentoring and professional development.

As you enter into this summer season, how can we work in partnership with you to help finalize “survival guide” plans for next year as you prepare for a fresh start? How can we map a “fail proof” route so that there will be evidence for success for all? Let’s coordinate the ultimate summer road trip with prepping for summer and into next school year.

• Step One: Determine your destination – Where will you go to get refreshed? What will you do when you get there?

• Step Two: Give yourself a check-up before you hit the open road – Your health and well-being need to be the first priority.

• Step Three: Don’t forget to pack the essentials – Do you have all that you need to begin another incredible school year? What needs to be left behind?

• Step Four: Happy travels – be in the moment. Refuse to worry about tomorrow, but deal with each challenge that comes your way, one day at a time. Tomorrow will take care of itself.

If you are like me and run out of ideas to relax and de-stress over the summer, click this link for 86 ideas to choose from. Which one are you looking forward to trying?

Starting in June, our coaching team will be off until August. We look forward to working with you all when we return. Have an absolutely incredible summer. Make sure to come back refreshed, revived and ready to start an incredible new school year in August.

Wishing you the best,

Amanda