Another wonderful opportunity to continue my learning arises, through the book study on Innovate Inside the Box by George Couros. I've read the first part of the book and already there is so much to consider and reflect so I'll break my reflection into two or three parts these upcoming weeks.
Am I shocked that relationships was the first chapter... absolutely not! I'm a strong believer in the need to build relationships before considering anything else. This is true not only for students but for educators and parents/guardians as well. "It doesn't take much to create a connection, but it does take intention" (Couros p.13). This statement is so true! There are so many studies showing how touch can build stronger relationships at a faster pace. For this reason from day one, I stood at the entrance of my classroom ready to shake my students hands. Yes, I shook every single one of my 7th graders hands every single day which may be one of the reasons my immune system has gotten so strong! My first day procedures, consisted of sharing the classroom expectations which included how we entered into our classroom. One of those being, you had to shake Mrs. Guerrero's hand. I always explained that there were over twenty of them and only one of me which meant that I wouldn't be able to meet with every single one of them every day. However, I wanted them to be sure I at least said hello to them no matter what! Of course I did more than just say hello however, I thought it was meaningful that I explained the reason behind the hand shake from day one. By day 3, I had all of my students names memorized because as I shook their hands I made sure to make eye contact and say "Hello (insert student name here)" and if I couldn't remember I asked them their name and repeated it two to three times and promised that by the end of the week I would remember it. This was a promise I never broke! Every single day of the first two weeks (Monday thru Thursday) I would stay after school for 15 to 20 minutes to call every single student's parents/guardians to let them know who I was and to remind them that I would do anything to help their student learn. Unfortunately, at the secondary level many parents/ guardians tend to receive phone calls solely when their child has misbehaved or has a failing grade.This ensured that the first phone call they received from our school was a positive one. After I called every single parent I would spend 15-20 minutes after school on Fridays of the first two months to make positive phone calls home by selecting one to two students from every class. Whether it was to praise them turning in their assignments, helping another classmate, asking great questions, etc. I highly recommend these two small strategies if you are wanting to build a welcoming and strong classroom culture. They are easy to do and can begin at any point of the school year!
I am now in a different position which means I am now collaborating with adults more than with students however, the need to build relationships is still there. Couros stated it best "leadership was not something to which I was entitled but that came from being someone worth following, someone who could help others move forward in a positive manner" (p. xxi). My journey to learning how to be a coach is in the early stages so I am definitely no expert but I have come to the realization that everyone wants to be heard. This is why I am a stand for the belief that everyone has well intentions that should be heard and deserve to be appreciated. I've learned the act of listening, not just hearing but actually listening is one of the best strategies to building relationships with adults. There will always be something that has to get done, nonetheless there are times when we simply need to pause the work and just listen. On top of listening there are a couple other strategies I learned from two wonderful educators: Lucia Flores created an "about me" survey that she sent to our math department. This survey had questions about favorite treats and likes/dislikes of everyone in the department. I sent the teachers I coached this survey (later than I wish I had) so that I can randomly surprise them with a small treat now and then when there seems to be higher stress levels. The second strategy I haven't done but am most certainly going to do next school year and that is having those I coach complete the love language survey. Baily Dizdar shared how she had teachers at one of her campuses complete this survey so that when she provided professional development choices she could group teachers based on their love language. Such a simple and easy to do idea yet so mind blowing that I hadn't thought of how this could be used when coaching teachers or with students! What have you done or want to try out to help build relationships with your students or fellow educators?
Self-Care act of the week... if I'm being honest I did a horrible job of keeping up with some of the self-care habits I've picked up this past month. I will have to do a better job of continuing them even when I'm stressed or "too busy". That being said, those who know me know I am extremely passionate about what I do to the point that I take my school computer home every single day. Except for this week... I left my school computer at my desk every single day except for Tuesday. It's a small step to ensuring that I create a work-life balance because I am one of the worst when it comes to a healthy balance. I hope you all have a wonderful week and find at least one day to minimize the stress you may have!
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