Our “Preparing for the New Year” series has tackled strategies for enrolling teachers in coaching, using presentations as an enrollment tool, the importance of establishing role clarity and managing time, and the practical uses of an Impact Cycle checklist. Now that the school year is getting into full swing for almost everyone, we’ll be ending this series with some simple, but crucial tips for new coaches in their first days on the job. Going into a new coaching role can be quite intimidating, and it’s important to set a good foundation for what’s ahead.
Coaches face a great deal of complexity in their work, but in their first days on the job, two tasks are absolutely essential:
Be psychologically prepared
If you were formerly a teacher, you may miss the teacher-student relationships you have been used to, but with many opportunities to work with students in your coaching role and new ways to make an impact on their learning, the feeling will pass.
Connect with the staff as quickly as possible
Meeting one-to-one with teachers is a powerful and effective way to connect with people individually. It can also be helpful to provide a one-page document that describes what you do as a coach, along with some teaching practices to share.
Coaches all have different feelings and experiences first going into the job, and it can be especially beneficial to ask other coaches about their own early days. Recently, new coach Denise Bearden was starting a position at a new school and reached out on Twitter for suggestions. We’ve saved some of these great responses in a poster that you can print and use at school!
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If you have any additional tips or experiences starting out as a new coach, comment below!
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For more coaching resources for the new school year, check out the Resources page of our website.