Weekly Coaching Roundup: Introducing Yourself as a Coach

Are you looking for a few pointers on how you can introduce yourself and your coaching role? Welcome to SchoolStatus’ Coaching Roundup! Here, we share excerpts from some of our blogs and links to coaching resources.

Use a Coaching Brochure to Showcase All You Do as a Coach

Brochures are a fantastic way to showcase how your partnership with teachers can help them grow. Casey Watts shares some of her must-have sections to include in your own brochure, as well as some tips for distributing them to teachers.

“We can’t ever assume that teachers, or even administrators, understand what we provide as instructional coaches. So, building clarity around our role will allow others to utilize us well, promoting the culture of collaboration needed to unlock the potential inside our schools. . . . Part of building clarity around your role means setting boundaries and stating non-examples is a way to establish this.”

Coaching is Served

Kayleigh Wright teaches us how to whip up a coaching menu to help explain your coaching role to teachers and share all of the different ways you can help support them. Bon appétit! 

“First, I wanted to design something cute to catch people’s attention. Second, I needed it to be specific about what I offer as a coach to avoid any guessing or confusion. . . . The structure was easy to create because it was modeled after an actual menu: my appetizers are the little coaching tasks, while my entrées require more time commitment, and the desserts are for the final reflections.”

Explaining Your Coaching Role

Chrissy Beltran provides three methods you can use to introduce, or even re-introduce, yourself as an IC.

“If I could go back and have a redo (don’t we all want at least a couple of redos?), this is what I’d do instead: I’d explicitly introduce myself and my role to the faculty as a whole. Then I’d reiterate it in grade levels. Then, when I was approaching individuals for coaching work, I’d share it again. . . . ONE BIG IMPORTANT TIP: Make sure you and your principal are on the same page when it comes to your coaching roles and responsibilities. It’s important to have a conversation before you introduce your role to your teachers.”

Pilot the All-in-One Coaching Tool: SchoolStatus Boost

SchoolStatus Boost helps you stay organized and show your impact without ever needing to fill out a coaching log again. Two-way calendar sync, Google Drive integration, and a mobile app make it simple to keep everything in one place. Reports protect confidentiality and show leaders all the great work you’re doing.

SchoolStatus Boost

Fun(ny) Ways to Support Your Coaching Work

Kelli Schiltz finds fun ways to engage with her school community and build relationships to promote your coaching work and express your personality: 

“Naturally, when I began working with teachers, I saw the chance to use fun puns and treats as coaching reminders at key points throughout the year. To start, I listed out some of the top ways teachers and coaches can collaborate. I then came up with a pun for each one that involved some sort of candy or treat. I decided to go with a monthly frequency for these tasty reminders because I thought that was a good way to get a laugh from teachers—without being too much.”

Celebrate Your Profession with Digital Coaching Cards

If someone asked you to explain your coaching role quickly, could you do it? Stephanie Affinito highlights the benefits of digital coaching cards and why you should create one.

“A digital coaching card represents who and what you are as an educator. It honors the journey that you have taken, the journey you are currently on, and even your hopes for the future. It represents your story as an educator and shares that story with others to spark connection, collaboration, and inspiration. . . . It tells our story, articulates our coaching role, prompts us to think about who we are as coaches and helps us connect and collaborate with others.”

Planting Your Coaching Seeds

Kristin Houser walks new ICs through a 5-step process for creating a presentation that provides an overview of their role and of instructional coaching.

“If you’re new to a building or new in your role, introducing yourself and your instructional coaching program to staff can feel SCARY. Gah! However it’s a really important beginning of the year step, as it will provide the foundation for a successful ‘culture of coaching’ within the school.”