How can an
instructional coach help the principal achieve their vision for the school?
On Episode 66, Jacy Ippolito and I discussed
creating a coaching culture in schools. One of the things that we talked about
was why the principal-coach relationship was essential for reaching school-wide
goals.
This was such an important topic that I wanted to go deeper into it. Angela Kelly Robeck joins me on this episode to discuss the different ways a principal-coach relationship can impact a school.
Angela is an author,
certified coach for school leaders, and the host of The Empowered
Principal Podcast. We talk about how to build a positive partnership
between coaches and principals.
The Principal-Coach Relationship
Ideally, the coach-principal
relationship should be mutually satisfying. It functions best when both parties
work together to implement the vision for the school. This requires having a
clearly defined coaching role and staying in your lane.
However, most
principals are overwhelmed and do not have time to think about the coach's role
in the building. Coaches can help by sharing ideas and explaining how they
would benefit the school leader.
The Importance of Communication
Having a productive
relationship requires good communication. The leader needs to convey their
vision to the coach and staff.
Once it is
communicated, the principal should delegate and allow the coach to do their
work in the classroom. They shouldn’t undermine the coach’s job or assign them
quasi admin tasks because that can damage the relationship with teachers and
lead to resistance.
But what can a coach
do when a principal micromanages them or doesn’t listen to their input? Angela
recommends stepping back and getting clear with your values and vision. Start
working on what you can control and ways to reach your goals.
You get to decide
how you present yourself. When you show up positively, people notice and see
your commitment. When you do what you believe in, the teachers will notice and
feel that.
Principals want to
hear wins and challenges. Angela suggests giving the principal three quick wins
along with discussing any challenges. She explains how principals don’t want
coaches to hide problems. Instead, they want to know about them. They also want
to hear ideas that the coach has for how to overcome them. Problems usually get
solved quickly when you come up with a solution to try out.
Questions a Coach Should Ask Their Principal to Understand Their Vision
Angela gives us
three questions coaches can ask principals to clarify the vision for the school.
These questions help coaches understand what the principal is trying to
accomplish. It will also help the principal get clear on what they want from
the coach.
Here are the
questions Angela suggests you ask your administration to better understand
them.
1. If there was one
legacy that you could leave behind as a school leader, what would that be and
why?
2. How do you see my
role in supporting this goal? What is the big picture of how a coach fits into
this? How do you envision this on a day-to-day basis?
3. What emotions and
energy are you aiming for on campus? How do you want classrooms to feel? What
is an ideal school culture in your mind?
Leveraging the Principal-Coach Relationship
Relationships,
whether personal or professional, require work and aren’t always easy. During
the episode, we discuss some ideas for getting through challenges with people.
Angela shares why
your relationship with your boss is more about mindset than you think. She
explains that the way we feel about and engage with someone comes from how we
think about them. When we are struggling with someone, it’s usually because of
the thoughts we are having about them.
Our brain creates
this story about the person and every time we interact with them, it’s looking
for that confirmation. When we become cognizant that it is happening, we gain
control of it.
We can create a
different story and find positive qualities about that person. This will make
it easier whenever we have to interact with them. She gives specific techniques
we can use to neutralize these feelings and have more cooperative
relationships.
Finding Your Coaching Community
Coaching is not easy
work, but there are some things you can do so you don’t get overwhelmed. We
talk about suggestions for how to find a safe person to talk to about your work
so you’re not keeping it all in. The Coffeeand Coaching Membership is a great
place to get support and find like-minded people that you can talk to about
your work.
Angela also gives us
tips for helping educate principals on the role of a coach. She shares some of
the challenges of building the principal-coach role and how to overcome them.
We talk about how to build the principal-coach relationship and so much more!
Ready to listen? You
can listen below with the media player, or search for Buzzing with MS. B: The
Coaching Podcast anywhere you listen to podcasts!
Check me out at buzzingwithmsb.com and on Instagram @buzzingwithmsb.
Podcast produced by Fernie Ceniceros of Crowd & Town Creative
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