Are You One of Us?

A Reflection on Identity

Recently I was asked by a fellow teacher:

“Are you one of us?”

Even after being in a coach position for 4 years, there is still confusion about my role. There are a couple factors at play here. One factor is the role I play in certain scenarios. If there is a lock down for instance, I am one of the people with a radio. Two, even though I have a good relationship with my teachers I think sometimes they feel like I’m “checking up on them” because the administrator has asked me to. Three, there is an openness to my position that is different from a teacher even though I have the same contract. When I first started I actually was blocked at first from a meeting and was told at the door “Only teachers.”

I’ve had the honor of being a coach in two corporations but the roles were glaringly different. One coaching was mandatory and I was an evaluator/quasi admin. Here, it is voluntary and not evaluative.

But it got me thinking about perception and how I’m seen. The Better leaders Better Schools Leadership podcast last week was guest hosted by Amber Harper who is the founder of The Burned In Teacher. It is an acronym and she helps teachers go from burned out to burned in. She was a guest for over a week sharing tips and action steps. One activity that got me thinking was…