Spheres of Influence

How fun is this?

Three years ago I moved into a position of instructional coach for my building. The majority of my days are now spent as a content-generalist coach focused on helping teachers improve pedagogical skills. Our opt-in model keeps the conversation focused on one thing: pedagogy as opposed to content. This is a very smart model for honing in on the “P” sphere of Mishra & Koehler’s TPACK framework. However, perhaps even smarter is the fact that I am not completely removed from being behind the wheel of my own classroom. Teaching my own class is a way to assure my attachment to at least most of the day to day experiences of our folks in “the trenches.” My opinions on instructional practice and concrete strategies are only as good as my ability to pull them off in my own classroom. I say this for perhaps a different reason that you might think. The core of my role as a coach is to question, to advise, to consult, encourage, and inspire my colleagues toward better and better things. It really isn’t about “me.”

Check the link HERE for the full post to see how I bring this back around to two of my newest biology colleagues (& former students) Jennifer Toalson & Alex Paolillo. Please join me in welcoming them to our world and showing them the reach of digital learning networks!