Leadership Cycle 3

Reflective Narrative Template

Step 4: Reflect
Reflective Narrative Template
Directions: Reflect on your learning and leadership development in Leadership Cycle
3 by responding to the following prompts (up to 3 pages) in terms of your
leadership capacity to support teacher growth within the professional learning
context of the school. Type your responses within the brackets following each
prompt. Do not delete or alter the prompts.

1. Evaluate your strengths and areas for improvement for coaching and observing a
teacher’s practice in relation to selected CSTP. Based on this experience, what
professional learning needs in relation to coaching a teacher to improve instruction
and meet student needs have you identified for yourself and explain why you think
you should work on them.

[I consider my coaching strengths to be empathy, a desire to listen, and a belief that all
teachers can be great. It is my belief that these strengths were demonstrated during this
coaching cycle. Related to empathy, I know what it feels like to be a teacher, and
understand the various challenges of the position. I can also deeply empathize with
educators who strive to improve their practices, but who may need help with the
process of determining what pathway to take for the improvement to stick. Throughout
this coaching cycle, I checked in with the volunteer teacher about her CSTP goals,
offered ideas how my History background might be able to assist, and regularly asked
her questions and listened. I consider myself to be an excellent listener, which is what is
required of a site administrator who truly is focused on educational success. Site
administrators who claim to prophesize expertise typically have a more challenging time
of developing rapport with staff; rather, I consider my strength to ask probing questions
and listen demonstrates a strong willingness to get to the deeper levels of an educator’s
motivation. I feel that this coaching cycle allowed me time to listen to the volunteer
teacher’s educational philosophy, which I found truly rewarding but also helped me craft
some recommendations. I also hold true to the belief that all teachers can truly be great.
Some may be great with content, some may be great with planning, and some may be
great with communication and relationships. I want to assist on-site educators to find
their own greatness, share that with others, and support the constant development in a
positive manner. The volunteer teacher that I worked with is great with knowledge and
implementation of Special Education differentiation, but often admits self-doubt as a co-
teacher for historical background content knowledge. I feel that her vulnerability
demonstrated her personal strength and a trust in me.
Areas of personal improvement for my coaching methodologies include scheduling
teacher observations/classroom visits regularly so that timing works for all involved and
that visits become the norm, having difficult conversations when coaching doesn’t
improve a desired outcome, and the challenge of developing a system of effective
professional development in which every staff meeting leaves all involved feeling
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 Leadership Cycle 3
Reflective Narrative Template

mentally stimulated, challenged, and motivated. Quite regularly, I find that although site
administrators have best intentions to make teacher observations and classroom visits a
top priority, it is the easiest set of appointments for an administrator to delay or cancel.
Part of this equation happens to be that teachers are typically pre-conditioned to be
nervous about observations, so when a cancellation happens the situation perpetuates
itself, and demonstrates that the teacher is not as valued. I want to make sure that the
day-to-day coaching that I provide is consistent, which means that I have to
demonstrate to my teachers that I will be a regular visitor to their classrooms. While this
at first may cause anxiety, it is my feeling that my personality and regularity of visits will
move feelings to a more positive and motivational place. This coaching cycle was one
snapshot into how I will coach as a site administrator, and I need to remember the joy of
working with the volunteer teacher when planning for the future. Secondly, I need to
improve my coaching when it comes to having difficult conversations. I have not been
part of many so-called difficult conversations, so I feel that my coaching might at first be
mostly theoretical and based off of what I gleam from professors and cohort peers who
may have had a greater experience with difficult conversations. I assume that my
empathy will assist in moving these conversations to a positive and growth-based
mindset, but until they happen I won’t know. I did not have a difficult conversation with
the volunteer teacher during this coaching cycle. Thirdly, I consider it a structural
challenge to improve my coaching by developing truly effective professional
development. I was fortunate to be part of a team where we chose one major focus
each school year, and spent every PD working on that. This allowed our team to share
common language, collect and interpret data that all shareholders could interpret, and to
go deeper with the collective learning. Much like the coaching challenge of ensuring
time to make classroom visits a regular part of my daily schedule, so must I ensure that
professional development is focused and never grows stagnant.]
2. Reflect on and cite evidence of how effectively during this cycle of coaching and
observation you maintained a high standard of professionalism, integrity, and equity
during your coaching interactions with the volunteer teacher.
[I felt very comfortable during this cycle of coaching. The volunteer teacher first worked
with me to determine two CSTPs that we both felt were growth areas for her. I enjoyed
this level of collaboration and trust, even before we conducted the pre-observation
meeting. I believe that having strong relationships between people (who happen to work
together as educators) goes very far when personal growth and coaching are involved.
During the pre-observation meeting, I felt that my line of questioning was based on how
I could sincerely help the teacher improve her practice. Her feedback to me was that my
style of coaching was collaborative, and that she felt relaxed. She also said that my
recommendations for CSTP focus were very intuitive; I cannot take full credit for this as
I know the volunteer teacher and her tendencies quite well. Related to integrity, I kept all
of our discussions confidential, and the volunteer teacher felt safe knowing that I would
hold conversations sacred. Related to equity, I found times that worked best for the
volunteer teacher in which to hold the pre-observation meeting, the observation, and
post-observation discussions. I do not want teachers feeling that they have to alter
schedules to accommodate my administrative needs. I also asked the volunteer teacher

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 Leadership Cycle 3
Reflective Narrative Template

if she needed any support (materials, technology, etc.) during the observation. As an
administrator, I always want to perpetuate my own feelings that I am still a teacher.]
a. How were you able to facilitate a two-way conversation that encouraged teacher
voice and ownership of their strengths and areas for growth based on evidence
of practice in relation to the CSTP?
[As an educator, I pride myself on trust and relationship-building my top asset.
Therefore, I had a pre-determined trusting and positive relationship with the volunteer
teacher. I believe that positive relationships come before content standards and CSTP
focuses. Our two-way conversation was a success because I asked her for permission,
I explained the process in great detail, and I asked her if she had any questions or
concerns. Most importantly, I wanted to make sure that being the volunteer teacher for
my coaching cycle actually would hold benefit for her, as I wasn’t looking for a partner to
run through the motions with. I specifically asked this educator because she enjoys
being challenged professionally, and is comfortable in seeking feedback for methods of
improvement. As we were planning, I made it aware that the primary focus would be on
her work toward the CSTPs that she identified, so the process was very self-motivating.
At the conclusion of her lesson, our conversation related to evidence of CSTP growth
started with a series of questions and self-assessment, and only then did I share my
thoughts.]
3. Informed by a continuous improvement mindset and focus on equitable leadership,
what are your next steps to coach and support this teacher to improve instruction
and meet student needs?
[I am excited because I can tell that the volunteer teacher is hooked on learning more
about World War I, which plays directly into one of her CSTPs. This alone I consider to
be a huge step, for when passion for the advancement of learning is present, half of the
work is done. I will ask her if I can share some of my favorite World War I resources with
her, and then slowly begin to collaborate over primary/secondary source materials.
Additionally, I want to ask the volunteer teacher what her vision for her teaching would
be if she had a historical content coach for one full year. I want to see her challenged by
this question, but also want to see where her creative mind ends up. I will then offer my
assistance to help her arrive in that place of vision, to make it a reality. I want to
challenge the volunteer teacher to plan and implement a World War I unit in which the
students have to become the experts. This type of facilitated model of learning will allow
the volunteer teacher to be removed from the traditional role of expert, and instead
focus on becoming a learner alongside her high school students. These ideas of
increasing engagement will surely fuel her passion to make additional connections
when novel reading and all-class discussions take place. Lastly, I want to be sincere in
telling the volunteer teacher that her practice is very important to me, and that I will be
present to help her, or to dialogue about ideas and/or challenges.]

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