by Rachel A. Robins, Crimson Cliffs High Instructional Coach (UT)
My eyes grew larger as I read comment after comment articulating teacher burnout, fatigue, and loneliness: I feel so alone…I am exhausted…I don’t know how to teach while my marriage is falling apart…I want to quit.
It was the latter half of the 2021/2022 school year, and my dream job as an instructional coach had finally come to fruition. I would begin coaching during the next school year. I knew things were not ideal. We had a faculty turnover that was raising eyebrows in the community. Teachers seemed very disconnected and stressed out. We rarely did anything as a faculty. I was close with my content team, but I wasn’t even sure who else worked in the building.
As our school was fairly new with a young faculty, I knew that many teachers had not experienced the power of instructional coaching. In addition to mentoring new teachers, I wanted to meet the needs of all faculty members to increase morale and build a faculty culture at my school. As I pondered how to begin, I thought of my students. How would I determine what the students needed? Well…I’d ask them, and I guessed it would not be any different with teachers!
Equipped with a Google form and a little hope, I sent an email to the faculty in late spring with a message and a link. As survey results poured in, I found the number one need was social-emotional support. Many teachers were feeling isolated, burned out, and in need of strategies and ideas to combat the emotional fatigue that often accompanies our profession, as well as help with teaching strategies. I spent the summer dreaming, researching, and thinking of solutions. I knew that ultimately, I needed to create a faculty culture that fostered a sense of belonging. That sense of belonging would pave the way to introduce solid strategies and ultimately provide better instruction for our students.
A Sense of Belonging
Elena Aguilar, author of Arise: The Art of Instructional Coaching, elaborated on this idea during a Cult of Pedagogy Podcast episode with Jennifer Gonzalez:
“One of the things that happens to us when we are connected to others and we can blow off steam or sit at lunch and talk about what’s going on is we can share our experiences, we hear others share theirs. Our feelings become normalized. Our perspective expands.”
Elena Aguilar
We don’t feel like, oh, there’s something wrong with me. We often extend compassion to each other. We extend compassion to ourselves. And sometimes we laugh, and all of those are other key factors that allow people to thrive”.
There is power in togetherness, and in a high-demand profession, we cannot be alone.
Programs That Worked
With a green light from my principal, I implemented a social-emotional group where we discussed wellness practices such as mindfulness, boundaries, healthy lifestyle practices, etc. to build coping skills. Teachers began opening up and sharing their common struggles. We started to hear stories of success. One teacher found that starting her day with drinking water helped perk her up in the morning. Another teacher had the revelation that she didn’t need to answer emails after school hours at home. Another teacher shared the peace he found in utilizing our district’s free therapy session on an online platform, which many had initially steered clear of because they didn’t know anyone who used it. I started to notice more smiles and laughter than tears and grumbling during these meetings.
I also began inviting teachers to share successful teaching strategies in monthly “Lunch & Learns,” and created a cohort for new teachers to support each other and troubleshoot the challenges of early-year teaching. To my delight, the trend spread throughout the faculty: other teachers initiated a book club, a faculty lunch bunch, faculty seating during sports games, and even a crocheting club. Teachers now have multiple layers of support and are reaching new levels of job satisfaction. The best part, of course, is that this all trickled down to our students, who are experiencing high levels of learning with connected, balanced teachers.
As an Instructional Coach, we must determine teacher needs and create the systems that will best serve your faculty. Here are three guiding principles that helped me as I worked to shift culture with my faculty:
1. Give them a choice: My principal gave me great advice in creating my systems that they should not be mandatory. I always remind my teachers I am their advocate and coach, not their boss. Even though I feared an empty room at my first Lunch & Learn, I was surprised to find that old film, Field of Dreams, got it right: “If you build it, they will come.” Teachers did show up because they knew it was their choice, and they found value in what was offered.
2. Give them ownership: I try to involve teachers as facilitators in all that I do. We all know that involvement builds ownership and ownership leads to investment. I know that if I were to leave tomorrow, these programs would continue because they are teacher-led, and teachers care because the programs work. I also frequently ask teachers what they need, and that is the focus for the programs I offer.
3. Give them consistency: Consider scheduling any teacher-focused programs on the same day and time to create a consistent schedule. For example, our social-emotional group meets every second Monday. Our school uses Google Calendar, so everyone receives a
calendar invite well in advance so they can plan accordingly– consistency and clear communication matter. Time is currency for educators, so I work to ensure we begin and end on time as well as continually check in with my faculty to see what’s working and what needs a refresh.
4. Give them respect and gratitude: Finding ways to express your sincere thanks for their attendance and participation will go a long way in helping faculty feel valued. I had to lay my ego aside and remember it’s not my personal party. I can offer an opportunity and make it worthwhile for the teachers who attend. If they come, great, and if not, it is no big deal, and I do not take it personally.
I recently invited my new teachers to our school orientation. I was so happy to introduce all that we do in our school to support teachers and to prepare to make 60 new faculty friends. Perhaps the age-old proverb says it best, “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” There’s no one I’d rather go far with than my crew of dedicated professionals, and together we can find joy in our profession.
Fast forward to spring 2025: another survey. I took a deep breath. Did my efforts over the past few years make a difference? Are teachers receiving the support they need? The answer was a resounding: yes! I received so much feedback that the programs I have created are appreciated,
needed, and valued. Morale has increased in my school, and we are retaining our teachers. Based on higher rates of achievement and increased enrollment, this satisfaction has influenced students as well.
So, my message for my fellow instructional coaches is encouragement in creating systems that support your faculty, because if you build it for them and with them, they will come.