While I consider curriculum coaching as a part of my responsibility to the CSB math department, years ago I never would have guessed how energized I have become through coaching as a whole. In addition to working with the math department, this year I have also had the opportunity to work with teachers in other schools on PBL. WOW!
While I won’t spend this post going into the details of the projects that are in creation mode (but imagine Meatless Mondays and Proportional Reasoning, Frankenstein and Scientific Advancement, and War and Rebellion and Social Activism today) I will say that working on these projects has inspired me to get back to my roots!
I have always believed in reciprocity through coaching but perhaps there were times in my career where I had so much time for innovation that I didn’t really see it. This year, this December, when I feel the pressures of recommendations, summer programming and my commitment to developing curriculum as a whole, I find that these coaching relationships are truly inspiring me to be my best self!
In particular, pay attention to stories from the Garage in the coming week because both 6th and 7th Grade are working on PBL’s this month, I am in the process of developing an 8th grade project for winter . Through all of this my current focuses are the daily grind and how I incorporate better ways for students to share and listen. When you work directly with others, either co planning or in coaching relationships, the flexibility you had as a siloed teacher disappear - this is something I have had to work on. And HELLO… EVERYONE has so much to share, revisiting protocols for these discussions has been class-changing!
Watch out, I swear I am back!