The Master Teacher Blog

Typically, instructional coaches do not require teachers to change. After all, their role is traditionally not an evaluative one. They generally cannot mandate changes in practice or hold teachers accountable in the same ways that principals and other supervisors can. These can seem like insurmountable hurdles to success.  

Yet, instructional coaches have some advantages that are not always available to formal supervisors. Their relationships are based more on trust, credibility, and support rather than formal evaluation-related powers. Change is chosen rather than imposed, and shifts in behavior are more likely to be based on insight and understanding than compliance. These advantages can lead to levels of cooperation, commitment, and continued growth that are sometimes difficult to achieve in formal supervisory relationships.  

Of course, there are challenges associated with coaching roles. If instructional coaching is unfamiliar, or past coaching attempts have not been successful, resistance can be a natural reaction. Here are a few of the most common challenges instructional coaches face, along with counterstrategies to consider. 

Challenge: Confusion about coaches' roles. Teachers may assume that coaches are reporting to administrators or feeding evaluation processes.  

Counterstrategy: Begin the relationship by clarifying what the role is and is not. Assurances of confidentiality, commitment, and consistent support can help to start the relationship off on the right foot. 

Challenge: Some teachers may choose to participate at minimal levels.  

Counterstrategy: Patience, reassurance, continued open invitation, lowering perceived risks, and beginning with small steps can be places to start and build on.  

Challenge: Lasting change through influence takes time. Pressures can compromise the time and shared experiences necessary for change-producing influence to develop.  

Counterstrategy: Realistic expectations and goals can help to relieve the pressure to move too quickly. Recognize where change is occurring and build scaffolding to support growth even when time is at a premium. 

Challenge: Building trust while maintaining a focus on growth. Teachers come to the coaching relationship with varying levels of confidence, expertise, and commitment to grow. A one-size-fits-all approach is likely not to work for many teachers.  

Counterstrategy: Take time to build trusting relationships before focusing on areas for growth. Listen and proceed carefully. Be ready to adjust as necessary. However, maintain strong support and never lose sight of the need and potential for growth.  

Challenge: Translating feedback into action. Coaches can be tempted to present feedback that is too comprehensive or scattered. When this happens, teachers often become overwhelmed and use little, if any, of what they hear. Equally important, feedback that fuels action matches what is relevant and important to the teacher. 

Counterstrategy: Careful listening and a focus on what the teacher sees as important and realistic can increase the likelihood that behavior will change. Information and action suggestions that match teacher readiness offer the best bets for action. 

The most powerful tools instructional coaches possess are the trust they build, the credibility they earn, the evidence they share, and the relationships they nurture. These can be potent forces in helping teachers to shift their practice and increase their impact. When teachers choose to change because they are convinced of the need and the potential benefits of doing so, they are more likely to invest, persist, and prevail in the adjustments they make.

Every August, school leaders invest countless hours preparing for the new school year. Class schedules are finalized, classrooms are prepared, professional development is planned, and staff members return in various states of eagerness to begin again. Amidst all of that preparation, one group often arrives carrying a unique combination of excitement and uncertainty: new special education teachers. 

Whether they are entering the profession for the first time or transitioning from another district, these educators are stepping into one of the most complex roles in education. They're expected to both learn their students and teach them, of course, but also to build relationships with families, navigate compliance requirements, coordinate services, collaborate with multiple stakeholders, and establish instructional routines—all within the first few weeks of school. The sheer volume of information and responsibilities can leave even experienced educators questioning whether they are doing enough. 

Research consistently identifies special education teachers as being at a higher risk of burnout and attrition than many of their general education peers. However, the same research points to a hopeful reality: When schools provide intentional onboarding, mentoring, and coaching, teachers are significantly more likely to remain in the profession and thrive. 

Studies examining special educator retention repeatedly identify similar themes. New teachers report feeling isolated as they navigate complex responsibilities, unsure of where to turn for guidance and hesitant to ask questions for fear of appearing unqualified. They often describe the challenge not as a lack of commitment, but as a lack of connection. They need trusted relationships, specialized support, and time to learn these systems that more experienced educators may take for granted. 

As leaders, we cannot eliminate every challenge a new special education teacher will face. What we can do is intentionally shape their early experiences. 

The first days of school are about orientation, certainly, but they are also about establishing a sense of belonging. Every administrator has welcomed a new special education teacher who arrives eager to make a difference. They come with fresh ideas, energy, and a desire to support students. Yet within days, that excitement can quickly be coupled with—or replaced by—anxiety.  

Effective onboarding is less about delivering information and more about sequencing experiences. Before teachers can confidently manage compliance responsibilities, they need to understand the culture of the building. Before they can navigate difficult conversations, they need trusted relationships. Before they can create systems for service delivery, they need time to learn who their students are. 

During the first week, the focus should be on people. New teachers should be given multiple opportunities to connect with administrators, colleagues, related service providers, and the students they will serve. They should learn who to call when they have questions, and they should feel comfortable asking those questions. The second week can begin to shift toward systems like developing schedules, organizing service documentation, creating accommodation tracking processes, and reviewing upcoming IEP responsibilities. By intentionally pacing the experience, leaders communicate that growth is expected and support is available. 

One of the most powerful things an administrator can say to a new special education teacher is, “You don't need to know everything today.” That simple message creates space for learning. It acknowledges the complexity of the role and reinforces that mistakes, questions, and uncertainty are all part of the process. When teachers feel psychologically safe, they are more likely to seek help, collaborate with colleagues, and remain engaged through challenges. 

Education can be a lonely profession, whether we are teachers, administrators, or other staff members. Trying to “go it alone” can be an expensive option for our emotional, mental, and physical health. During trying times, we need others to whom we can turn, those people who understand and who have something useful to offer. 

Because the nature and scope of the challenges and experiences we encounter vary, we may need various types of support. When we leave support-building efforts to chance or default to simply who is close to us, we risk not having the robust assistance we need. We must also build our support system before we find ourselves in need of it. 

So, how might we think about the components of a personal and professional support system? A useful way to approach the task is to consider support as concentric circles. The circles closest to us might be more personal and naturally occurring, while the outer circles are more professionally focused and intentionally built. Or we might start with the circles we feel we most immediately need and focus on other areas as time allows and as we are ready. The key is to start now, not wait until we are most in need of support. 

Here are six common forms of circles we might consider. Each circle serves a specific purpose and plays a unique role in our constellation of support. Some circles may have members in common with other circles—or they may even only contain one member. We may also find that we engage more than one support circle to address a unique need. The key is to decide what type of support we need, build it if it is not in place, and then, when needed, draw on that support without hesitation or guilt. 

Our Personal Support Circle 

This inner circle supports our emotional well-being. It includes our spouses, partners, family members, closest friends, and others who care about us first as people and then as educators. They help us to maintain our perspective, balance our emotions, and protect our mental health. People in this group might even nudge us to think and talk about more than work. They can share our victories, listen to our frustrations, and support us through difficult times. 

Our Colleague Circle 

Our colleagues understand our professional world, often sharing our experiences, frustrations, and celebrations. They may be sources of ideas, resources, and solutions to real-time challenges. Colleagues can offer emotional understanding and timely support. Their experiences often make them good sounding boards for our ideas, struggles, and musings. Equally important, members of our colleague circle can provide daily support and help us to feel less isolated, especially during difficult times. 

Our Mentor Circle 

Mentors are important resources regardless of where we are on our professional journey. They can be rich sources of wisdom and offer insightful guidance when we need it. Mentors can help us navigate unfamiliar situations and avoid common mistakes. They can help us to shorten learning curves and develop stable professional judgment. Multiple mentors often provide a diversity of thought and advice that surfaces a range of options and alternatives from which we can choose. However, we need to engage them early before crises fully develop or we might find ourselves backtracking on positions and decisions. 

Our Professional Learning Circle 

Not surprisingly, this circle includes professional learning communities, learning networks, professional organizations, book study groups, and others. Members of this circle help us remain current in our craft, avoid professional stagnation, consider the future of our profession and education, and look beyond immediate concerns and distractions. However, we need to move beyond discussion and debate about ideas to shift our practice and build our skills to gain maximum advantage from our professional learning circle. 

Our Challenge Circle 

This circle features people who have our best interests at heart and are also willing to challenge us to grow. They give us honest feedback and tell us what we need to hear, not just what we want to hear. Members of this circle may challenge our assumptions and beliefs. They nudge us to go beyond our comfort zone to try new approaches and ideas, even when we may initially stumble. 

Our Renewal Circle 

People in our renewal circle may share our hobbies, participate in our volunteer activities, be members of our exercise group, or support the causes we support. They may not be associated with our profession, and they may not directly contribute to improving our practice. Nevertheless, they help us to remain healthy, curious, and energized. They can also remind us that spending time away from work is important and not something to feel guilty about. However, we need to be fully present for them and for the activities we engage in if we hope to reap maximum benefits. 

What is the state of your support system? Which circles of support do you have in place? What is missing? Where do you need to give attention and invest your efforts now? Summer is a great time to reflect on the support system around you and begin building it where it may need strengthening. Of course, we also need to regularly renew our existing circles of support to keep them healthy, vibrant, and ready to access when we need them. 

Throughout the school year, both the highs and lows of teaching can result in a state of exhaustion unlike any other. Consequently, when summertime rolls around, many of us find ourselves feeling the kind of bone-tired that leads to a diminished passion for the profession. Taking time to reflect and rekindle that passion may seem like a nice-to-do activity rather than a must-do experience. Physical and emotional separation from teaching can help—and might be a good place to start—but renewing our spirit, recentering our enthusiasm, and rekindling our passion for teaching may require more than just a hiatus. 

Unless we intentionally engage in activities to reenergize and revisit what drives us, we risk returning to school in the fall only partially ready to restart and with our drive to nurture and change the lives of our students not fully replenished. Equally important, our students benefit most when we start the new year emotionally present, intellectually energized, and spiritually renewed.  

Of course, the key question is, “What can I do to renew my spirit and rekindle my passion?” Fortunately, there are several activities to choose from. Here are some possibilities to get started: 

Not every activity suggested in this article may feel comfortable or meaningful to you, and that’s okay! What is important is that your summer break involves more than simply physical separation from the classroom. By reflecting, reminiscing, refocusing, and recommitting, you can set the stage for an optimistic and energetic start to the next school year. 

The truth is that our students, our colleagues, our administrators, and others who depend on our work do not need us to be perfect. They need us to be caring, responsive, learning, and committed to growth. Our willingness to not always be perfect can make us more accessible, more relatable, and more human. These are important characteristics for the students who learn from us, colleagues who work with us, and others who depend on us.

Artificial intelligence can do many things, but it cannot lead—not in a classroom, not in a school, not in a district. AI can generate information, analyze data, summarize knowledge, and even mimic expertise, but it cannot read a room, exercise contextual judgment, or demonstrate emotional stability and wisdom. It is not a leader. 

Leadership is a complex, uniquely human behavior. In fact, rather than replacing leadership, the rise of AI has magnified its importance. Our students, staff, and communities want to know that we understand what matters to them and that we will be there for them. They want assurance that we can handle complex and emotional situations, and they want to feel that we are capable and trustworthy. These elements cannot be handled by technology.  

Consequently, now is the time to really, truly lead. The clarity, credibility, and conviction we bring to our work cannot be easily replaced by technology. People want leaders to whom they can turn in times of confusion, drama, and pressure. This is our opportunity.  

The truth is that as the capacity of artificial intelligence grows, so does the need for insightful, stable, skilled leaders. Consider these ways in which leadership becomes even more important and valued in an era of artificial intelligence. 

Judgment gains importance when information is abundant.  

Leadership gains value by demonstrating discernment, wisdom, and contextual understanding while considering information that AI can provide. Knowledge and expertise remain important when integrated with AI, but the value leaders add becomes less driven by their knowledge. Asking the right questions, navigating ambiguity, and making sound decisions in the face of uncertainty and competing priorities matter even more.  

The value of trust grows with the proliferation of auto-generated content. 

Incidents of deepfakes, hallucinations, and algorithmic decision-making raise caution and skepticism about the information AI produces. Trust remains among the most valuable currencies in organizations. Consequently, leaders who communicate openly, consistently, and authentically come to be increasingly relied on. People are more likely to assume credibility based on their emotions than to evaluate it solely on an intellectual level.  

Calmness and consistency are crucial in times of complexity and constant change.  

AI is accelerating the pace and breadth of change for most institutions and industries, including education. Rapid change inevitably generates confusion, fear, resistance, and fatigue. Leaders can provide stability and reassurance by projecting calm, consistency, and clarity. The key is not to pretend to have all the answers. Curiosity, adaptability, intellectual humility, and commitment to learning are increasingly important and impactful leadership behaviors.  

Genuine human connections mean more in the context of AI-simulated emotions. 

AI can simulate empathy and understanding, but artificial, mechanical emotions have limits and often lead to disappointment and a lack of fulfillment. They are poor substitutes for genuine emotional safety, human connection, and meaningful relationships. Leaders can offer authentic attentiveness, genuine care, and emotional intelligence that technology cannot fully replicate. People want to be seen, experience hope, and feel psychological safety in ways that only humans can provide.  

Real communication is even more important in an era of auto-generated content. 

It is true that AI can make communication easier and more efficient. It can produce polished emails, professional-looking presentations, and succinct reports. However, the presence of these tools also makes meaningful communication even more valuable. People want to feel connections that are authentic, deeply human, and emotionally fulfilling. Leaders can tap into the benefits AI offers, but the communication that matters most is an extension of who they are and what they value, and it reflects the connections they make with their audience. 

Ethical leadership is crucial to evaluate machine-generated advice and direction.  

AI can be vulnerable to bias, dismissive of privacy, insensitive to equity, and unconcerned with human dignity. Technical competence is not a substitute for moral clarity and ethical considerations. Leaders can ensure alignment with values, exercise the courage to make principled decisions, and model other behaviors that protect and value those who depend on them to guide and serve in ways that reflect everyone’s best hopes and highest expectations. 

As technology continues to advance and get better at generating information and providing answers, people will increasingly seek and value leadership that features the human qualities of wisdom, curiosity, empathy, vision, and trust. Now is the time to embrace our role and lead with humility, authenticity, and courage. 

In every educator's career, difficult years are inevitable. Sooner or later, we will all have (at least) one. After all, each year brings a new group of students and changes in curriculum, structures, or expectations, and with significant changes often come significant challenges. What is most important is not that we had a trying year; no, what matters most is what we choose to do with what we experienced. The year ends, but what we learn from it and how we go forward can reshape our careers.  

To be clear, moving on is not about pretending the past year did not happen. It is also not about replaying, regretting, or endlessly ruminating on the experience. Moving on involves understanding, gaining perspective, and focusing on what we can do with what we learned. Here are some strategies to help make the transition.  

Resist replaying painful and unsuccessful moments. Pain attracts attention. We can get lost in time spent recalling, reliving, and massaging what hurts. We can become preoccupied with incidents such as conflicts with a student or parent, a lesson or unit that did not go as planned, or times we wish we had said or done something different. The truth is that while reflection can certainly be helpful, ruminating drains energy and yields little of value. Instead, this time should be devoted to letting go of any guilt, forgiving yourself, and allowing yourself to experience relief. Relief is not failure; it is evidence that the experience took a toll. 

Conduct an “after-action reflection.” Challenging experiences often leave unresolved questions, confusing emotions, and frustrating memories. Unless we examine and determine what to do with them, they remain with us and can hold us back. Now is a good time to reflect on the experience, make sense of it, and let it go. Depending on the circumstances, you might include a trusted and respected colleague in the conversation. Center your reflection and conversation around questions such as what frustrated you, what caused hurt, what you could not control, and what you learned. When you are finished, decide what is beneficial to carry with you and what to leave behind. Then, turn and look forward.  

Keep your identity and worth separate from the experience. Many factors can influence how a year goes. A difficult mix of students, curriculum, or organizational issues, behavior challenges, or leadership conflicts are possibilities, but they do not define who you are. Nor do they represent your value or effectiveness. Teaching is a profound human work, and it can be influenced by a wide variety of variables. The key question is, “What did you learn about people, teaching, or yourself from the experience?” Contemplating this question helps to shift your attention from regret to growth.  

Do not forget the students for whom you made a difference. At this point, there may be students whom you believe you failed to reach. You may or may not be correct. Often, the influence we have is not visible for long after students leave us. Your impact may be more than you know. Meanwhile, there likely remain students whom you were able to reach, with whom you had a strong relationship, and who flourished as the year unfolded. It can be easy to forget positive, successful efforts, especially when we are preoccupied with what we did not visibly accomplish. Commit to spending as much (or more) time recalling and reflecting on your successes as on less satisfactory experiences. 

Replenish your energy before trying to “fix anything.” There may be adjustments you want to make because of your reflections on the past year. However, before investing in that work, take time to replenish your energy. Prioritize sleep, exercise, relationships, fun, laughter, and even quiet time. Growth is important, but recovery is faster and more successful when our energy levels are high and our sense of who we are is restored. Trying to learn and change while running on empty is tough work.  

Identify what you want to change next year. At this point, you may have some ideas about what you want to do in response to your reflection. It may be time to revisit and adjust personal and professional boundaries. You might want to adjust some routines or structures. There may be classroom management strategies you want to adopt or even some support you want to secure as you start the new year. It is good to explore various options. However, before deciding what you will do, consider what one or two things will make the greatest difference and focus your attention there. Trying to do too many things at once is likely to result in doing none of them well.  

Get ready for a new beginning. One of the gifts of education is that every year offers the opportunity for a fresh start. Last year may have been a challenge, but it is behind us. We can give ourselves permission to let go of last year and embrace the opportunities and possibilities that lie ahead. It is time to flush away any remaining disappointment and pain from last year and give full attention to the wonderful things you will accomplish in the months ahead. 

Difficult years can lead to important learning; they can deepen our empathy, strengthen our resilience, enrich our wisdom, and broaden our perspective. We can take what we have learned from a challenging year without reliving it.  

Teacher Appreciation Week offers an opportunity for us to pause, reflect, and celebrate the importance of nurturing learning and shaping the lives of young people. Though they are meaningful, this week can and should be more than thank-you notes, small gifts, and other expressions of gratitude.  

This can be a time to reconnect with what makes teaching profoundly impactful work. We can appreciate what it means to teach and remind ourselves that the true impact of teaching lies in often subtle actions and nuanced messages that deeply affect students' lives. This evidence of impact is not found in lesson plans or documented in teaching records; it is imprinted on the identities, hopes, and aspirations students take with them when they leave us.   

As we celebrate Teacher Appreciation Week, we do well to remember the importance of our work, even when it is not immediately rewarding and may even be painful. The opportunities we have to make a difference in students' lives are undeniable. Here are five of the most profound actions and messages that are also worthy of our reflection and celebration.  

Your belief in students is a powerful force. Teaching is a profession driven by hope, possibility, and potential. Students come to us with varying amounts of each element. Many students lack confidence, see limited possibilities, and feel little hope for what school and life hold for them. However, what we believe about students and what is possible for them can be an extremely powerful counterbalancing force. When students feel our confidence, experience our commitment, and benefit from our assumption of their potential, they have reason to wonder, reassess, and believe. We bring credibility, experience, and insight that can instill in students a sense of possibility and confidence. Interestingly, just because we may not see evidence of significant shifts while students are with us does not mean they are not happening. In fact, many highly successful adults point to experiences with teachers who believed in them and gave them the confidence to become more than their background or obvious potential would suggest. The most powerful message students can hear and feel from us is “I believe in you.” 

Your consistency and caring are more important than perfection and performance. We may think we must be perfect to be effective. In fact, being ourselves, being there for students on good and bad days, and consistently sharing encouragement and guidance are more likely to create lasting memories and long-lasting influence than flawless, perfectly delivered, “hiccup-free” lessons. Our authenticity and consistency lower anxiety and reduce emotional distractions, thus making room for learning.  

Your hardest days are the most important for your students. Challenging days are not usually fun. They drain our energy, test our patience, and can leave us wondering what we have accomplished. Yet, on the days when students struggle to learn and need our coaching and encouragement, when students require our help to control their emotions and manage their behavior, and when outside life distractions compete for attention, they need us the most.  Our presence, empathy, and compassion may be what carries students through. These may be the days students remember and cherish long after they leave us.  

Small learning shifts and progress now can make a lifetime of difference. It is easy to take pride and reassurance in the work we do when students experience major steps forward in their learning, develop an important insight, or learn a skill that opens new opportunities for them. These are times worth celebrating. However, small steps, incremental improvement, and barely perceptible growth today can often be the beginning of a journey that changes a life trajectory. We are privileged to work with and influence children and young people at a time when they have most of their lives ahead of them. What seems small and insignificant today may become a major factor in how students view themselves, their potential, and their aspirations for what life can be and how they can make it so.  

How you teach matters as much as what you teach. We study the curriculum, plan, and deliver lessons. We design experiences and assess student learning to ensure they learn the content and skills that are expected and valued by the school, community, and society. This aspect of our work is important. However, it represents a less-than-complete picture of learning in our classrooms. In fact, how we approach our work, how we relate to what we teach, and the respect we show for the learning process are at least equally important. Students often recall their experience with us long after they have forgotten the facts, dates, and formulas we taught. Our enthusiasm, authenticity, commitment, persistence, caring, and even our sense of humor can create lasting memories and enduring values that students later revisit, adopt, and use to guide their life and work.  

These are messages to carry with us always, not just during times set aside for recognition and celebration. Regularly taking time to pause, reflect, and appreciate the opportunities we have to make a difference in our students’ lives can be a rewarding and renewing source of hope and confidence to keep on keeping on.