Instructional Coaching with Ms. B

In this episode, Naomi O'Brien of Read Like a Rock Star helps us understand how race can affect our work as instructional coaches. She shares her experiences as a Black teacher working with coaches as well as defines microagressions, bias, white supremacy, and other important ideas that we need to understand in order to coach teachers equitably. She also gives us some questions to think about when...

Professional development doesn't have to be boring! When we create engaging PD, people are more likely to learn, and when we give them opportunities to bridge learning to their classrooms, they're more likely to apply what they've learned! In this episode, I share my favorite six strategies that will help you turn all of your PDs into engaging, purposeful workshops for teachers! -Chrissy Beltran B...

Instructional coaches can provide tremendous support to teachers through PLC and PD, and help set the course for learning on your campus. But where do you start? In this episode, I share three methods for conducting a needs assessment and a step-by-step approach for putting it all together to identify the next steps for learning on your campus! -Chrissy Beltran Buzzing with Ms. B Instagram: https:...

Collaborating to create curriculum is a challenge for instructional coaches. In this episode, Crystal Ceresani of The Sparkly Notebook shares her process with us from start to finish! Learn about how she prepares for a planning session, what logistics work for her and for my teachers, too, the norms and expectations that are really important for collaboration, how she uses data and assessments, an...

Virtual coaching is an exhausting challenge for so many instructional coaches! In this episode of Buzzing with Ms. B: The Coaching Podcast, I talk to Nicole S. Turner of Simply Coaching & Teaching about her work as a virtual instructional coach. We talk about building relationships online, what her role has looked like so far, and the lessons she's taken away from this new experience! -Chrissy Bel...

Instructional coaches are feeling overwhelmed with coaching virtually, and this can create a situation in which we don't produce our best work. This episode explains ten mistakes to avoid when you're coaching virtually, and what to do instead! Learn about why it's so important to create office hours, how an online coaching space can help you, and how to present yourself effectively as a coaching s...

Many coaches have found themselves moving into virtual coaching this year and are unsure about how to have purposeful coaching cycles when we are using technology to do so much of our work! In this episode, Stephanie Affinito shares a structure for virtual instructional coaching cycles as well as some of her favorite technology tools for supporting teachers in a virtual environment. -Chrissy Beltr...

Virtual coaching is a whole new ballgame for most coaches. This episode shares the first steps you can take as an instructional coach to set a foundation for solid virtual coaching! Learn about how to translate your coaching experience into an online environment, what virtual coaches do, and how to share your role with your teachers virtually. -Chrissy Beltran Buzzing with Ms. B Instagram: https:/...

Raise your hand if you've made mistakes as an instructional coach. You know mine is up! In this episode of Buzzing with Ms. B: The Coaching Podcast, I share about five common mistakes that coaches make and what to do when you've made them! Learn about why it's important to clarify your role, what to do if you realize you're gossiping, and how to recover from mistakes! -Chrissy Beltran Buzzing with...

Instructional coaches rely on good communication skills. But how do we communicate effectively with teachers in a way that encourages clarity, purpose, reflection, and an environment of learning? Melanie Matthews of Literacy at Work shares her tips for communication: essential skills for communicating well, using nonverbal communication, how to be a good listener, and more! -Chrissy Beltran Buzzin...

Instructional coaching can feel all-consuming, and sometimes we spend so much time getting through all of our stacks of things to do, we don't feel like we've accomplished anything important. In this episode, Angela Watson of The 40 Hour Workweek shares some principles and tips for focusing your energy and maximizing your time so that you can make space for yourself, too. Learn about the things th...

1/3 of new teachers leave the field within the first five years of their careers. That is shocking! Some of the best supports to retain new teachers can be provided by instructional coaches. In this episode, you'll learn about some of the most essential ways that new teachers need support in and how to best provide that support! Learn what to focus on first to get new teachers started on the right...

Instructional coaching doesn't work without relationships with teachers. In this episode, I chat with Nita Creekmore from Love Teach Bless about how to build relationships. Learn about how Nita starts the year to encourage relationship building, and her favorite strategy for supporting teachers and getting into their classrooms! -Chrissy Beltran Buzzing with Ms. B Instagram: https://bit.ly/36zq9Ml...

As instructional coaches, we see inequities in the school system all of the time. But sometimes we're not sure how to initiate conversations around these ideas in order to change the school for the better. Join me as I talk with Elena Aguilar, author of Onward and Coaching for Equity, about how we as coaches can change ourselves and our schools in order to create equity. -Chrissy Beltran Buzzing w...

What are some important "ways to be" as an instructional coach? In this episode, I'll share some big ideas that we all should strive for - how to make building trust an ongoing way to be, and which other ideals are important to reflect in your demeanor. Learn about how to be realistic, while being a positive problem solver! -Chrissy Beltran Buzzing with Ms. B Instagram: https://bit.ly/36zq9Ml 
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Have you ever taken the time to think about your personality as an instructional coach? How do you present yourself to your teachers? How would your teachers describe you as a coach? In this episode, I break down a process that helps you think about how you want to shape your coaching personality and what actions you can take to support that goal! -Chrissy Beltran Buzzing with Ms. B Instagram: htt...

This year, instructional coaches are faced with brand new challenges. How do we support teachers in their learning when we don't know what the school year will look like? These tips from Sarah Miller will help you provide professional development and learning to teachers online, whether you're in person, using a blended model, or serving teachers and kids virtually through distance learning. Liste...

An instructional coach's time is always slipping like sand through your fingers. You can have the best intentions, but without a purposeful plan, you're unlikely to accomplish your goals -especially if you haven't created goals to begin with. In this episode, learn about how to use the SMART framework to create goals for your coaching work, and how to structure your limited time to maximize your w...

Do your teachers know what you do? Mine didn't, at first. That's why someone stopped me in the hallway and asked if I could make them some copies. True story. As an instructional coach, if your teachers don't know what you do, they aren't benefiting from your support to the fullest extent! In this episode, I share three easy and fun ways for getting your message out there and letting teachers know...

What is your role, coach? As an instructional coach, if we can't clearly define our role and what we are there to do, I can guarantee that your teachers can't, either. And if they don't know why you're there, they're definitely not benefiting from your support to the fullest extent! This episode walks you through a simple process for defining your role as a coach. I share the role that I created f...

Are you trying to become an instructional coach, or wanting to make a move to a new school? This episode will help you prepare for your instructional coaching interview! Learn about how to show up and the kinds of things you should think about to be prepared for in order to rock your interview. I talk about my number one tip, eight different topics that administration and principals might ask abou...

Instructional coaches, have you been yelled at by a teacher yet? Maybe not in person, but you might have fielded some pretty upset emails. In this episode, we talk about how to respond when a teacher is angry at you! Learn about responding in person and via email, why it's important to know your triggers, and how to de-escalate an irate or resistant teacher! -Chrissy Beltran Buzzing with Ms. B Ins...

Classroom management is one of the most challenging topics to coach. Every teacher has a different style and we've all had different experiences that lead to a different approach. And coaching in a classroom where there isn't a solid approach to management is extra stressful. In this episode, Haley O'Connor of Teaching with Haley and I talk about what makes classroom management effective and how t...

Do you feel like it's impossible to start coaching in classrooms? Sometimes getting started is the hardest part, especially when teachers have not had experience working with an instructional coach, or if they've had bad experiences! This episode explains six different ideas for getting yourself in the door to start instructional coaching! Number six is my favorite! Learn about goal-setting, start...

Have you put off having difficult or sensitive conversations with teachers because you were afraid of how they would go? Maybe you weren't sure how to start or how to address an important topic about issues of identity such as race, gender, or classism. In this episode, I chat with school counselor Stephanie Reyna about some tools and ideas that instructional coaches can use when communicating abo...