Celebrating Six New Colleagues

Thanks to Ruth for creating a community where celebration at the end of each week occurs!

Our school district hired many, many new teachers this year. However, this week, I am celebrating the good fortune my school district had in their hires of six specific new-to-our-district teachers. They all came with years of experience; some a few, some more. But the thing they all have in common - a passion for learning.

I am the literacy coach in four different elementary buildings; three of those buildings hired these six new teachers. I reached out to them this summer, as soon as my building administrators informed me of their hires. I welcomed them to their respective buildings, and I shared some district literacy learning opportunities available to them during the summer. I also offered to meet with them at different times to talk about what reading workshop, writing workshop, and word study might look like in their classrooms.

Here is why I am celebrating after our first week of school:

• Every single new-to-our-district teacher availed themselves of one, or more, of the summer learning opportunities available to them.
• Many of them attended the weekly summer literacy chats the coaches hosted.
• Many of them attended our district's two day summer Leadership Academy where they attended sessions to help them with student learning in their classrooms.
• All but one (and she had prior summer commitments) sat in my house for hours over several days as we talked about the components of workshop.
• I was invited into many of their classrooms this summer as these teachers were setting them up to help organize or think about spaces for student learning.
• With one group of three, we were able to sit down together and talk about the components and expectations for word study in our district.
• They all expressed their gratitude for all the amazing professional development opportunities in which they had taken part.
• They are all learners and continue to engage in conversations with me and their other colleagues on how best to help children learn.
• They all have expressed how lucky they feel to be part of a district that supports their professional growth.

And me... Well, I feel quite fortunate to coach and collaborate with these new-to-district teachers who value learning and PD. How lucky am I??!! I look forward to this year of collaboration with all of them!