Transcript

Text on screen: Coaching Teachers: Meeting Them Where They Are.

Logo: Count, play, explore—for early education.

Stephanie Ahumada, District Math Coach: My personal coaching approach is really just the same as I would do with students, observe, see where you personally are in your journey, and then try to meet you where you are. So we have teachers that are at all different levels of implementation, and so trying to insert the space in a very safe way. What I usually try to do is get in with teachers just in a, “Can I join your lesson?” first, and that way, I can just see what are you currently doing versus “Let me come in and show you something that I want you to see,” because I’ve found over time, this is my sixth year coaching, if I go in with a ‘demo,’ that a lot of times doesn’t turn into a very productive coaching relationship. It’s like, “Oh, thank you,” and they might ask me to come back so they can try it, and then it fizzles out after that.

What I try to do now is enter in as just a partner. “Let me come in, see what you’re doing,” and then have a conversation at the end of all these amazing things that you’re already doing. And then we go to, “What are you feeling like you want to try?” And then we go to the next step.

Text on screen: A special thanks to Stephanie Ahumada from Dinuba Unified School District, without whose help these videos would not have been possible.

Logo: Count, play, explore—for early education.