Seeds and Soil, When Teachers Struggle

That’s a good thing when it comes to supporting teachers.

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I’m into gardening – my daughter and me. One thing I’ve learned (the hard way) is soil matters. The recently planted Musclin mix didn’t sprout. My table wasn’t filled with luscious greens.

After a quick conversation with Google I learned it was the soil.

The soil wasn’t right for the seeds to sprout.

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I’ve never met a teacher who didn’t want to grow. I’ve never met a teacher who didn’t want to have success with his students.

Even the saltiest veteran wants her students to thrive.

When you perceive a teacher is struggling, the first question is not about:

• curriculum
• instruction
• data
• lesson plans

The first question to ask is about climate. Is the instructional climate right for this teacher?

Last week I posted 5 Reasons that Teachers Can’t Be Judged By Scores and it digs deeper into reasons that teachers “struggle.”

Consider passing it along to your campus with a quick message that says you have their back. It’ll work wonders for your instructional climate.