Coach Amutah

Coaching the first-years has been a bit of an awkward endeavor for me. Part of the awkwardness comes from my feelings of inadequacy as a teacher myself. I've only been in the profession for a year...only been working on a degree in curriculum and instruction for a year...so why am I qualified to give advice to others entering this daunting profession? Also, I've worried whether or not the feedback that I give is actually objective (i.e. things that would benefit them regardless of my own teaching habits) or subjective (i.e. things that I correct them on because, consciously or sub-consciously, I witness them do differently than how I would). I've rationalized my legitimacy in coaching on the ground that even though I only have one year of experience, that one year is a mountain (or at least a sizable hill). The experiences that I've had over the past 12 months may not make me a Zen master of coaching, but I still have valuable advice to offer others due to the rigor of experience entailed in that crucial first year.

I think that I am a fair, honest, and supportive instructional coach. Really. I try to be, at least. The importance of being fair stems from the aforementioned tendency amongst some coaches or instructors to chastise others for doing things unconventionally or not exactly like that particular coach or instructor taught them. I'm more of the persuasion that if it works (i.e. helps students learn, keep them engaged, or whatever) then do it. I am honest since I often repeat my mother's mantra, "honesty is the best policy." My mother can't stand dishonesty and I inherited her abhorrence for it. It only prolongs the eventual revelation of the truth, in my opinion. Honesty is the best way to help out those who you are coaching because you pinpoint both strengths and weaknesses of what they are doing. It should come from the vested interest that we as second-years have in the success of our first-years at becoming great teachers who are in classrooms throughout the state. That's wassup. Finally, I would like to think that I'm a supportive instructional coach as I really do try to listen as much as--if not more than--I talk. I want to be a source of venting for the first-years and acknowledge that their frustrations, troubles, and the like have been experienced by many and give them pointers that will help them persevere. Whether that's passing them a bottle of rum or assisting them with a lesson plan I want to be a part of their support system not just now, but throughout their time teaching.  

My coaching techniques are definitley reflective of how I was coached growing up. I think that my greatest coach was my mother. She has been very fair, honest, and supportive throughout my years and I owe much of my success to her. Coaching techniques that she used on me years ago still have an impact on me. They have also impacted my own teaching in that I'm more self-conscious of doing things that I might have cautioned my first-years not to do. One major thing is speaking with one's back to the class. Sometimes this is apt and ok...such as if you're writing on the board with your back to the class and a student gets out of their seat and/or starts talking. By knowing the student's voice you can direct them to get back in their seat and back on task without turning around. Simple. Other times it's not a great idea...such as if you're answering a student's question or giving students an explanation of a concept recently covered in class. Gauge the situation carefully. Outside of this, I don't think coaching has impacted my own, personal means of instruction. Who knows, however. I may steal some tactics from the first-years.