• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Advertising
  • Write for Us
  • Job Board
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact
    • Consulting
    • Advertising
  • Shop
    • Books
    • Shirts

The Educators Room logo

  • Start Here
    • Impact Statements: Teacher Expertise
    • Newsletter
  • Browse Topics
    • Content Strategies
      • Literacy
      • Mathematics
      • Social Studies
      • Educational Technology
      • ELL & ESOL
      • Fine Arts
      • Special Education
      • Popular Topics
        • Teacher Self-Care
        • Instructional Coach Files
        • Common Core
        • The Traveling Teacher
        • The Unemployed Teacher
        • The New Teacher Chronicles
        • Book Review
        • Grade Levels
          • Elementary (K-5)
          • Middle (6-8)
          • Adult
          • New Teacher Bootcamp
          • Hot Button Topics
            • Menu Item
              • Principals' Corner
              • Charter Schools
              • Confessions of a Teacher
              • Interviews
              • The State of Education
              • Stellar Educator of the Week
            • Menu
              • How to Fix Education
              • Featured
              • Ask a Teacher
              • Teacher Branding
              • Current Events
  • Podcasts
  • Courses
    • Practicing Self-Care to Avoid Teacher Burnout- An 8 Week Course
    • Becoming An Educational Consultant
    • Teacher Branding 101:Teachers are The Experts
    • The Learning Academy
    • Books
    • Shirts
  • Education in Atlanta
  • Teacher Self-Care
  • The Coach's Academy
menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Advertising
  • Write for Us
  • Job Board
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact
    • Consulting
    • Advertising
  • Shop
    • Books
    • Shirts
×

December 3, 2013 Featured

Adventures in Coaching- Learning When to Shut Up

  • About the Author
  • Latest Posts

About Franchesca Warren

For fifteen years Franchesca taught English/Language Arts in two urban districts in Atlanta, Georgia, and Memphis, Tennessee. Increasingly frustrated with decisions being made about public education from people who were not in the classroom, in 2012 she decided to start a blog about what it was really like to teach in public schools. In the last four years, The Educator's Room has grown to become the premiere source for resources, tools, and strategies for all things teaching and learning. To learn more about Franchesca Warren's work, please visit www.franchescalanewarren.com.
  • Abbott Elementary: Development Week was a Mess! - September 28, 2022
  • Frederick Douglass: “What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July?” - July 4, 2021
  • President Biden Pushes For Teachers To Get Their COVID Vaccine Dose By March - March 2, 2021
  • We’re Just People Who Don’t Want To Be Killed! A Student Reflection About Insurrection - January 26, 2021
  • Betsy DeVos Resigns: Most Teachers Say Good Riddance - January 8, 2021
  • Class Divide in Emergency Learning: A Crisis Overseas - September 10, 2020
  • Practicing Self-Care in the Midst of Chaos - August 31, 2020
  • Do the Work: Equity Symposium for Teachers - August 23, 2020
  • Universities Collaborate on the Biggest Experiment in Higher Ed: Reopening - August 3, 2020
  • The Day of Teacher Self-Care is Happening August 1, 2020 - July 21, 2020

Working as an Instructional Coach is a delicate balance of learning how to balance being a coach who frequently talks teachers "off the ledge" and not losing your teaching credibility.  On one hand you’re still a teacher because many times  you find yourself in classrooms helping a teacher with a particular lesson, but  other times you are pulled into "courageous conversations" between administrators and teachers  when there are practices in pedagogy that need to be adjusted. While my role changes daily (and sometimes hourly) there is one important lesson that I have learned in my new role—it’s okay to simply shut up.This lesson may seem simplistic, but you have to remember that for over a decade it was my job as a teacher (and a pretty vocal one at that) to talk and give my opinion when sometimes  people didn’t want to hear it.  Instead of shying away from conversations that were uncomfortable I was willing to say what my co-workers couldn’t say. However, as an Instructional Coach sometimes the best thing we can do to help a teacher is to not say anything.

Confused, let me explain. A couple of weeks ago a colleague of mine who is new in her position, came to me distraught that there were teachers who rejected her coaching, despite her having an extensive amount of experience in the classroom. She gave me examples of her trying to build relationships with certain teachers, but all of her attempts were met with a cold shoulder from the teachers (in her experience) who needed her help the most. After listening, I thought about myself when I was in a classroom working with students- I only respected teacher leaders who gave me my space and allowed me to see how they could perfect my practice.

You see we teachers are almost territorial about our classrooms and practice so it does no good to go into a classroom ready to help if you haven’t taken the time to jus sit back and observe your teachers and their practice.  After reasoning with my colleague about some possible ways to engage reluctant teachers, I left her knowing that one of the best ways to engage teachers is learning to shut up and just do.

As I work with my teachers I always make sure to listen with both my eyes and mouth on what they needs are.   Sometimes its glaring apparent of the areas that teachers need help in, but I still don’t come in barking orders that’s not in my job description. Instead, I always meet with teachers and simply ask this question, “Tell me about your classroom..” This question could be as simple as complex as teachers want them to be. Usually through answering this question it opens the door to more questions and by the end of a coaching session we’ve decided the areas of growth that the teacher wants to work on for the semester.  I always follow up our conversation with observations that combine video taping and me in the classroom to get a clear  reflection of the realities in the classroom.

Of course there are times where I want to  revert back to my teaching voice and direct what should be done, but I hold my tongue because I realize that’s not my classroom and that’s not my practice.  On the other hand some of my most reluctant teachers  come to me when they are having conflicts with administration over a less than stellar evaluation and they want my advice since I was in the classroom for so long. During those situations I gladly talk and speak candidly, but otherwise  I shut up and let teachers talk.  Remember, teachers have to find their footing in the classroom and my job is to help get them to that place.

Too purchase Franchesca's books, "Behind the Desk: How I Survived My First Ten Years in Education"  click here.

Print Friendly, PDF & Email

Related posts:

Adventures in Coaching: Sometimes You Just Have to Teach Default Thumbnail5 Ways to Boost Communication in a Co-Teaching Classroom Default ThumbnailEnglish Teachers Should Have More than a Footnote Default ThumbnailCommon Core Should Share Common Language
« Testing Pressure Should Not Define Young Lives
The Common Core - Finding a New, Common Path »

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

The Educator's Room was launched in 2012 to amplify the voice of educators. To date, we have over 45+ writers from around the world and boast over twelve million page views. Through articles, events, and social media we will advocate for honest dialogue with teachers about how to improve public education. This mission is especially important when reporting on education in our community; therefore, we commit our readers to integrity, accuracy, and independence in education reporting. To join our mailing list, click here.

What we do

At The Educator's Room, we focus on amplifying and honoring the voice of educators as experts in education. To date, we have over 40 staff writers/teachers from around the world.

Popular Posts

  • "Let's Make This Happen": Following Student Interests to Interest-Based Mentorships
  • Want to Keep Special Education Teachers? Try Mentorship
  • An Idaho teen who won his school board election has a message for educators
  • Moving Beyond Diversity to Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging: Lessons from a Sunday Sermon

Featured On

Buy Our Books/Courses

How to Leave Your Job in Education

Practicing Self-Care to Avoid Teacher Burnout

Using Your Teacher Expertise to Become an Educational Consultant

Check out our books on teaching and learning!

The Learning Academy

Footer

↑ back to top

About

  • Privacy Policy
  • Disclaimer
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Accessibility Policy

Newsletter

  • Sign Up! for emails and updates

Contact

  • Contact
  • Services
  • Media Kit
  • FAQ

 

Copyright © 2021 The Educator's Room.