Slice of Life #15: Making a Difference By Being Different

Slice of Life #15:  “Write About What Makes You Different”     --Sandra Cisneros

As a literacy coach, I am literally one-of-a-kind in my district, making a unique difference by being different.

By nature of our work, most teachers have to work alone most of the time.  I work alone sometimes, usually when doing some planning, scheduling, or paperwork like mileage reports.  But what makes me different is that I must seek and create opportunities to work with others.  

 Working in isolation is not an option—at all, ever.

Being a literacy coach allows me to thrive; as a friend recently said to me, “If you’re not social, I don’t know who is.”  I love teaching and consider it fun to read professional books, share information, try teaching strategies, to look at student work, and to think about how to increase achievement.  That has been true for the 25 years that I’ve been a teacher. 

What’s newer to me is that fact that I have discovered that collaboration with teachers is deeply joyful, challenging work.  It can even be a bonding experience; I can assist with the sometimes daunting task of analyzing student achievement data, help with determining needs and possible strategies for addressing the students’ needs, and then work with the teachers, side by side, to model and assess best practices.  I can provide a safe environment for learning and taking risks with instruction—and increase the likelihood of success by providing on-the-spot feedback and support.  That makes me different.

My door is always open—I constantly seek collaboration, conversations, and sharing of work.  I probably think about my colleagues more than best friends who teach next door to each other.  And, like the best friends, I only want what is best for each teacher and classroom of kids.  Unlike the best friend next door, I have the time and resources to be present—right there in helping—to make the quest for steady improvement more sustainable as we work together in harmony.  That makes me different.

Deb Cale, Director of Teaching and Learning for the Johnson Community School District says, “Research shows that if a person doesn’t have a feedback or coaching component, only about 10 percent of what they’ve learned in professional development will stick with them.  But, if the coaches are there to support a teacher in implementing a new practice or instructional method, the learning opportunity goes up to 90 percent.”  WOW.  I mean W - O - W.   That makes my job different.

I have the incredible opportunity to make a big difference for teachers and then exponentially for students who benefit from our collaboration, both directly and indirectly.  What I bring to the table is my professionalism, knowledge base about teaching literacy, interpersonal communication skills, and a strong desire to help teachers realize their potential.  That, coupled with the opportunities I can seek, create, and provide as to coach, help to energize and sustain our teaching professionals in their ever-challenging, admirable work of educating our nation’s children.

Thank goodness that I am different because the difference that a coach can make is unique and needed.