Reflection at the start of a new school year

With just a few days before the start of the new school year, I reflect upon my role as an academic coach. 

This is my 26th year in education. I learned many things over those years, especially that building positive relationships is key to being an effective academic coach and that classroom management strategies are the foundation to any classroom.

I find that in order to be an effective academic coach, I need to possess 5 essential skills throughout the school year.

1. To be able to establish positive relationships with staff, students, families, and community.
2. To be an active listener
3. To provide clear and concise feedback
4. To be able to use data to institute change
5. To have a solid knowledge of classroom management strategies

I was recently in an interview where I found myself, after a pause of thought, state that “I believe building positive relationships with staff is essential to being an effective leader…I’m going to say that term a lot during this interview, however I want to make clear that I understand that term is an umbrella statement. One must know how to build relationships, which is multifaceted and takes both time and effort.”

One way that I build positive relationships is letting my teachers know that I am there to collaborate with them, not to just give resources and recommendations. If a teacher does not take accountability for their own classroom then they will not be open to make changes. And I am finding that the best way to be open to making change is to see why those changes need to be made.  This is done best through self-reflection.

Here are some reflection questions to ponder as we begin our new school year…

• What was your best moment last year?
  • How can you have more moments like that this year?
• What was your biggest challenge last year?
  • Did you overcome it? How?  
• What can you do to ensure all of your students feel welcomed?
  • How can you build a classroom community?
• What accomplishments from last year are you most proud of?
  • What is your goal for this year?

Take time to self-reflect, to answer these questions and to write down any others you may think of. Revisit this after your first week of school. Have your answers changed? What, if any, are challenges you perceive for the upcoming year? What is your plan to overcome those challenges?

Hoping you all have a wonderful school year!