Are you a tech coach, instructional coach, or something in between? Maybe you dream of one day being a coach? Ready to learn 
the top 10 secrets of being an awesome tech coach? This episode is for YOU! Being a coach is no walk in the park, but I can help make it easier.
It takes a strong foundation, experience, organization and lots of patience to be an effective coach. This episode will focus on my best-kept secrets, how to build relationships, organize your time, create meaningful PD and more!
I want to dive deep and help you become the best tech coach possible. There are so many great resources for you to excel in your coaching and consultant role, so get ready to learn!
Each of the 10 secrets is specifically designed to help you learn, engage, and inspire yourself and your students. My goal is to keep your brain sharp and your education moving throughout the summer break.
Tune in and learn how to stay focused through summer, plan for your educational goals, and keep your students on track. You won’t want to miss any of my tips for becoming an amazing edTech coach.
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In This Episode:
[00:38] – Welcome back y’all! Today Kasey shares one of her ISTE presentations: The Top 10 Secrets of an Awesome Tech Coach!
[01:58] – Shout out to Celina ISD in Celina, TX! Want to learn more about Shake Up Learning?
Bring Shake Up Learning to your next event – WORK WITH ME.
[02:48] – Shout out to Rebecca Brewer one of our active Shake Up Learning community members.
Join the Shake Up Learning Community
Join us! – https://shakeup.link/community
[03:53] – Have a question? Check out our SpeakPipe Button at www.shakeuplearning.com. You can leave a shoutout, a question, or share an idea by going to our show notes and looking for the microphone button to leave me a message.
The Top 10 Secrets of an Awesome Tech Coach
[05:27] – Tech coach can mean a lot of different things these days! Whether you identify as a coach already or are looking to become a coach, this episode is for you.
[07:02] – What does being a coach mean to you?
Secret #1: Relationships are EVERYTHING!
[07:54] – Secret number 1: Relationships are EVERYTHING! Learn how to build great relationships with Kasey’s tips.
Secret #2: Listen More and Talk Less
[14:08] – Try using the Impact Cycle questions and strategies from Jim Knight. Listen more and talk less and keep asking, “…and what else?”
Secret #3: Plan and Organize Your Time
[20:38] – Check out Pam Hubler’s Google Sheets template to block and organize your time between meetings, PLC’s, coaching sessions, and more!
Other tips from the Shake Up Learning Community
Use Google Calendar Appointment Slots
- Have teachers sign-up for one-on-one coaching sessions,
- Sign-up for classroom visits
- Leave notes or links to notes in the calendar appointment and share with your administrator
Secret #4: Manage Your To-Do List
[25:59] – Google Keep is a great tool for managing your to-do lists.
- Use Google Keep to organize your to-do lists
- Add images to the note to make it visual
- Prioritize!
- Fun tip: Use images or GIF’s for your lists to make them stand out! Here’s Kasey’s post for more details.
Assign tasks to yourself and others in your Google file comments.
- Use comments in Google Files to tag yourself (and others) and assign a task.
- (Tip: Use the “+” and email tag and assign.)
- You can view all your tasks in Drive.
Secret #5: Keep Meticulous Notes
Types of Notes
- Pre-observation Notes
- Observation Notes
- Coaching Session Notes
- General Coaching Log
- Any meetings with teachers or teams
- Any PD you deliver
- Informal coaching
- Meeting Notes
- Ideas
- New Learning
[28:53] – As a coach, you will attend a variety of meetings, in order to stay organized, try Google Forms.
- Use this as a log for your
coaching interactions and reflections - Here’s a link to my example.
Secret #6: Plan Meaningful PD
[31:32] – Plan meaningful professional development. Teach and treat your teachers as professionals.
- Remember they are ADULT Learners!
- (andragogy: andragogy means that instruction for adults needs to focus more on the process and less on the content being taught)
- Put teachers in the seat of a student
- START WITH THE WHY – Always start with the learning goals–NOT THE TECHNOLOGY!
- Pre-Assess your audience and differentiate
- Make it relevant, applicable, and practical
- Try a monthly topic focus to add variety and set goals!
See this post to learn How to Design Google PD That Works!
Secret #7: Show Not Tell
[35:47] – Whether you are doing professional learning or demonstrations, remember “show, not tell.”
- Practice (and model) what you preach!
- Showing and modeling is worth 100x telling a teacher what they should do.
- PD should mirror instructional strategies you want to see in the classroom.
- I DO, YOU DO, WE DO — for classroom demo’s
- Model lessons!
Secret #8: Everything Doesn’t Have to Be Face-to-Face
[39:12] – Every interaction that you have does not HAVE to be face to face.
Alternative Methods to Coach, Connect, Reflect, and Learn
- Blended PD with Google Classroom or other platform
- Asynchronous, online book studies
- Regularly scheduled webinars (recorded for convenience)
- Classroom visit video resource library
- Potty PD
- Twitter chats
- Padlet walls
- Podcast PD
- How to Give Credit for Listening to Podcasts
- Podcast PD Choice Board
Click Here to Make a Copy | Use the Template
[41:04] – Shout out to Northside ISD in San Antonio, TX for keeping a folder of videos of classroom visits.
Secret #9: Avoid the Summer Slide
[45:09] – Avoid the teacher summer slide by staying connecting and offering quick learning opportunities.
- Give them small bites of information, tips, and opportunities to learn and connect over the summer.
- PD BINGO (idea from Amber Teamann and Melinda Miller)
- Asynchronous online courses
- Asynchronous book studies
- Summer webinars
- Twitter chats
- Podcasts
- If you can’t give credit hours, consider jeans pass, prizes, drawings, etc. (get donations!)
Secret #10: Be a Connected Coach
[47:55] – Be a connected coach and kudos to you for listening to this episode!
Ways to Stay Connected
- Stay connected with your team
- Hangouts chat
- Google Group
- Facebook Group
- Google Classroom
- Stay connected with other coaches in your region and state
- Create a hashtag
- Create a group
- Stay connected globally to continue learning and growing together
- Shake Up learning Facebook Group
- Other social groups
- Hashtags #educoach #ETcoaches #techcoach
Want Even More Ideas? Download the eBook!
Podcast Question of the Week
[50:02] – Kasey shares the podcast questions of the week:
“What steps can you take to improve in your role as a tech coach over the next year?”
Post your answer to your favorite social media platform using the hashtag #ShakeUpLearning, or share it in the Shake Up Learning Community on Facebook!
[50:58] – Join Kasey in the Shake Up Learning Summer Book Study from July 11th to August 8th, 2019.
Learn more at this link, then head to the special Facebook group where each week we will discuss 4 chapters from Kasey’s book.
Kasey will post discussion questions that tie into the reading and issue a challenge or choice of challenges related to that section of the book.
We will share #booksnaps, ideas, lessons, failures and successes, links, and a whole lotta ways to Shake Up Learning!
[52:28] – Thank you for tuning in! Please subscribe to the podcast, and leave a review on iTunes. (Bonus points if you use the word “y’all” in your review!)
Links and Resources Mentioned in this Episode:
The Shake Up Learning Community on Facebook
Join the Shake Up Learning Book Study!
Shake Up Learning: Practical Ideas to Move Learning from Static to Dynamic by Kasey Bell
Shake Up Learning Summer Book Study Facebook group
The Impact Cycle by Jim Knight
The Shake Up Learning Show episode 6: Staying Focused on the Learning Goals, Not the Technology
The Shake Up Learning Show episode 10: How to Choose a Digital Assessment Strategy
Pam Hubler the Shake Up Learning Community Manager
The Shake Up Learning Show episode 12: How to Get Credit for Listening to Podcasts
Meredith Akers: Podcast PD Boards
Questions & Comments
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