Support Teachers Or Challenge Them? We Can Do Both

COACHES CORNER

Support teachers or challenge them? We can do both

Traditionally we welcome each new year as a fresh start, and many of us looked forward to 2021 with that same sense of hope, albeit more guarded than usual. Then, the insurrection at the Capitol on Jan. 6 brought us yet another example of the fragility of things we often take for granted. Many of us held our breath until Jan. 20, when we witnessed restoration of the fundamental bedrock of our democracy. This year’s Inauguration Day was different than previous ceremonies, and even as we lament this and our many other losses, we are reminded that resilience is possible. In the eloquent words of inaugural poet Amanda Gorman: The new dawn blooms as we free it For there is always light, if only we’re

Read the remaining content with membership access. Join or log in below to continue.

Sed ut perspiciatis unde omnis iste natus error sit voluptatem accusantium doloremque laudantium, totam rem aperiam, eaque ipsa quae ab illo inventore veritatis et quasi architecto beatae vitae dicta sunt explicabo. Nemo enim ipsam voluptatem quia voluptas sit aspernatur aut odit aut fugit, sed quia consequuntur magni dolores eos qui ratione voluptatem sequi nesciunt. Neque porro quisquam est, qui dolorem ipsum quia dolor sit amet, consectetur, adipisci velit, sed quia non numquam eius modi tempora incidunt ut labore et dolore magnam aliquam quaerat voluptatem.

Sharron Helmke

Senior Vice President, Professional Services at Learning Forward | + posts

Sharron Helmke, senior vice president of professional services at Learning Forward, designs and manages the organization’s consulting service programs that support state, regional, and local organizations in translating their improvement and learning goals into custom-designed high-quality professional learning programs that result in scalable and sustainable change. During her twenty-plus years in education she has served in a variety of roles at the campus and district levels, including teacher, instructional coach, and district-based program administrator. She is an international coaching federation certified professional coach, a Gestalt professional coach, and a trauma-informed care provider, all of which inform her approach to supporting educators. She is the author of numerous professional articles, including “To make a difference for every student, give every new teacher a mentor” in the August 2022 issue of The Learning Journal.