Our Inner Dorothy

     Have you ever felt like you couldn't do something, and then somehow, someway, you actually did it?  Was it almost like you magically clicked your heals, and it was within your power?

     Today, I told one of the teachers that I work with that she is raising readers.  Her response?  She said that it was only because I taught her how.  Time to be Glinda, and tell her the truth.

     People have the power to do great things.  They just don't always see it for themselves.

     All year, the teachers that I am blessed to work with came to me to collaborate and grow together.  Sometimes, we met in my office during their lunch.  Others used their plan times to plan lessons and units.  There were after school meetings, ELA plan periods, text messages, and ideas shared in the hall.  Phone calls, Twitter comments, and even Cold Day conversations.  The teachers in my building embraced a growth mindset, whether in their areas of strength or weakness, and we learned together.  

     The truth is, they always had the power.  They just needed someone to talk it through and collaborate with.  Education is a challenging profession, and it takes a village.

     I am a literacy coach, and I have the best job in the world.  I have come to see that coaching is (in my humble opinion) the single best PD available to us.  It is a powerful thing when a learner decides to learn something, on their own, and they take steps towards their goals.  I know this, because I have been coached along the way myself.  I have also witnessed the growth our students make when their learning is individualized for them.  Their growth can be astounding at times.  So, too, can be that of a teacher.

    Thanks, my Hiawatha and D100 family, for a great year of learning. Thanks for welcoming me into your classrooms and into your students' lives.

    Thanks, +Virginia Burdett, for reminding me to share my purpose for coaching.  I loved being a classroom teacher.  I became a coach so that teachers could find the power within themselves to make decisions in their own classroom.  That was my intent 2 years ago, and remains the same today.  I want to empower people, with learning and growth mindset and reflection, to find their way.  It's just a click of the heals away.   We just need to put those ruby slippers on and believe in the power we all have inside of us.

     That picture is of my daughter (who just happens to have ruby slippers...).  Rather than just text Ginny back with the quote from Glinda, I had to get the camera out, head out into the backyard despite the drizzle, and take a picture of my own Dorothy.  We all have the ability to help others realize their power.  The teachers we work with, the students in our class, our own children...  They all have the power for greatness.  Let's help them become aware of it.