All of these strategies are effective but do need to be practiced in order to be executed with respect. As mentioned earlier in the chapter, it is critical to leave emotions out.

Over the past several years I've been trying to name what happened during the pandemic that impacted how I connect with others. This description of the impact habituation gets me thinking about how that time in our history really did impact our sensitivities for others.

Not being able to find common ground seems to be a much used excuse to avoid conversation.

This can take awhile to develop the confidence to use your voice. It is important to help teacher candidates and those new to the profession have a "seat at the table".

It is difficult to believe that anyone in the field of education could have this type of mindset and justify their work each day.

I really appreciate the way this is worded. It embraces the idea of equal conversation partnership.

It is quite obvious when someone is "going through the motions", you can tell in the way that they listen.

Just reading these approaches makes me uncomfortable. I can picture each of them feel their inefficacy.

The idea of "pausing to consider what they believe" reminds me of the Brene Brown survey from the previous module. One of the recommendations and action steps I reflected on. If you have a firm understanding of your core beliefs as a leader you can avoid these types of ineffective communications.

It is important to continuously revisit relationships as well. An initial interaction with someone may set a certain tone for a relationship but we must allow people to change and revisit our biases towards others.

Respect is a responsibility to us all. I appreciate that this list is framed as such to acknowledge that relationships are an active endeavor.

As an interventionist, most of the support I've received has looked very different than that of a classroom teacher. It would be interesting to see what an effective model for classroom teacher and intervention staff would look like. We are not afforded PLCs and co-planning opportunities like grade-level teachers.

This is where I've really felt supported from instructional coaches. It can be so helpful to have a 3rd party who has seen your instruction come along with you in the reflection process.

This can be one of the most laborious parts of facilitating or being in a position of leadership, yet is it a critical step. Ensuring all stakeholders feel they are a part of the solution makes the work in carrying it out more efficient in the long run.

This case study project seems to serve so many purposes; it gives the observer a detailed look into one student background and needs. It also helps to bring to light some factors teachers need to consider for every student and highlights that an objective view is critical in working with human beings.

This can be difficult but productive work. Reviewing and reflecting on teaching practices though video almost allows the instructor to be their own observer. This aligns well with the philosophies and practices of cognitive coaching as well.

In many buildings I've worked in, and instructional coaches position morphs into to administrative realm. It is really important that a coaches role be clearly separate from an evaluative role. This is especially important for teachers new to the profession to understand as they may feel some level of vulnerability and fear with being honest in the coaching process. Relationships are key to building that trust.

This is a great analogy; small changes that happen over time and may not be noticeable day to day but the overall transform can be remarkable. That's what makes this model effective, small changes aren't as intimidating to take on.

This is why so much learning happens in the first several years of teaching! Though application comes through teaching internships where mentors are critical in that transfer of skills, it is equally important that schools invest in and staff high-quality instructional coaches.

Without a supportive environment, students will not be willing to take risks and share their thoughts in response to higher level questioning.

In my own teaching experience, it feels that this was the most frequently used coaching method in my coursework. I can recall some co-planning but would have loved to have observed a master teacher presenting a lesson I helped co-plan. As a special education teacher I'm in other classrooms all the time. I'm grateful to have the experience to learn how other teachers present instruction and strategies they use with students!

It could be a helpful practice at the start of each school year to collect words of wisdom from teachers in the building to share with teachers new to the career as well as those who may be new to your building.

When mentors take on this role, they open up the door to a wide range of "unintentional" mentors for new staff members. It takes a fine sense of knowing a person's strengths and needs to facilitate these relationships. It is also really important for new staff to come to these connections organically, but mentors can serve an important role in lighting the spark for connections build.