Robyn Robinson

I believe in the field of education. I believe in building relationships, and I believe that when teachers are supported, they can perform. Recently, I was asked what a teaching support coach is. Here is my response:
What does being a Teaching Support Coach mean to you?
There is an old saying by an unknown author that states, “It takes a village to raise a family.” The school environment is a sense of family, in that, when one is struggling, everyone is struggling. As far back as I can remember support, loyalty, and encouragement were three attributes that built strong families. No one struggled alone. Teachers should have that same kind of support. Effective coaching provides this service because when the teacher is doing well, so are the students. Effective coaching helps promote the growth and development of beginning teachers to improve student learning. They are engaged, active, enthusiastic, and supportive. Effective coaching requires patience and a willingness to share his or her own experiences, ideas, beliefs, and management procedures to help the teacher to gain classroom confidence. This is what being a TSC means to me.
Relationship building is the number one reason for growth in children and teachers. Rita Pierson once said, “Children do not learn from folk they don’t like.” This is true for teachers as well. The human connection is important and adds to an individual’s own self-worth. For this reason, it is vital that teacher support coaches have the ability to build and create positive relationships. Teachers should feel secure and confident in the help they are receiving.
Lastly, the purpose of a TSC is to help improve student learning. When the things listed above are in place, student learning can begin. In addition, spending time planning, creating engaging and innovative lessons, modeling the teaching experience, and giving immediate feedback on observations all help the teachers to improve daily. Another factor to consider is students are not seeing teachers receive this level of support. Who is modeling for students that it is ok to receive help. When students see that even teachers need assistance to better themselves, it help them to be open to receiving constructive criticism, and thus problem solvers and critical thinkers are created. TSC’s are important for the overall growth of the school, and can definitely add value to student learning.