1. The coach reflects on their first year in the new role of math coach, highlighting both successes and areas for growth. 2. They appreciate the support of teachers, staff, and students who made them feel welcome during this transition. 3. Looking ahead, the coach aims to focus their coaching time on quality support and collaborative teaching models in the new school year.

1. Coach’s C onnections
Volume 1, Issue 10
May-June 2010
A Final Reflection as a First Year
Math Coach
Do you ever sit back in June and I really appreciate all of the Inside this issue:
Another highlight has been the
reflect on your school year? Do you teachers, staff and students that I
planning and delivering of math
think of all of the wonderful things worked with this year. Everyone A Final Reflection Page 1
lessons to five different grade levels.
that you are going to start fresh made me feel welcome. I thank you
I feel that I have been improving in Workshops on the Web Page 1
and new in the upcoming year? all for that because it has been
my planning and assessment but there
difficult not having a staff or a Links to Literature Page 2
As teachers, we are fortunate to is so much more to learn and
group of students to call my own.
have our school year come to an end experience! The World of Blogging Page 2
and start fresh, in the new school Thank you for opening up your class-
It has been a real pleasure to get Photo Album Page 2
year. As a new math coach, I also room and sharing your time and
feel good that my year is close to an space with me. It was a bit scary at together with teachers and educators
end. I am reflecting on all of the times modeling so many lessons out of the classroom in a PD setting. I
positive work that I have done and every day. As you may know… some feel that I actually had time to talk
things that maybe didn‟t go so well. lessons are great and some are not and share stories. During the school
so great, even if they were well day I know how busy you all are.
This has been an exciting year for
planned and thought out. So many
me in this new position. It‟s not like I look forward to a new year with a
factors exist that are
other years that I changed grade more focused time on quality
uncontrollable, such as a full moon
levels, classrooms or even a new coaching. I hope that we can work Workshop Wednesday
or a rainy day with no recess!
school! This year has been full of together in a co-teaching and
firsts for me. I know what the job The highlight of my year have been collaborative way.
In person or on the WEB!
of a „teacher‟ is suppose to look like meeting great teachers and child
and feel like, but what about a educators that are unique and
You all have so many gifts and talents
„coach‟? I have never met a coach amazing. I have never had the to share with your students and
little alone experienced being a opportunity to work with teachers staff. I can only hope that my time
math coach. in my past, other then when I took spent with you only enhances your
intern teachers. I have learned quality of teaching and in turn I
I definitely have missed my own increases student achievement for all.
something from each of you that I
students and classroom, but as the
had the opportunity to work with.
year progressed, it didn‟t hurt so Have a great summer!
Workshops on the Web
If you would like to book an after school 2. Planning a Math Night Web Workshops-Podcasts
Workshop Wednesday, please call or
3. The Power of Ten Frames and I plan on receiving some PD of
email one week in advance.
Making Ten my own, from our very own
Location of Your Choice! Michelle Morley!
4. Increasing Communication Skills
You can choose from any of the in Mathematics I am going to learn how to pod-
following topics: cast, so I can bring workshops
5.Tools for Classroom Assessment
1. Getting Organized in the Classroom to you anytime, anywhere! Com-
ing this FALL to a laptop near
you.

2. Page 2 Coach’s Connections
Links to Literature
After reading this very imaginative book, have
SSK.3 Build and describe 3-D “What Do You See?” by Judith Snyder
your students create their own book. Take pic-
Illustrated by Brad Davies
objects. tures of familiar 3D objects around your school.
Have students represent them using simple 2D
shapes.
a) Create a representation of a 3-
I went a step further and made a Photo Story,
D object using materials such as with students narrating the text. Check it out on
modeling clay and building blocks, my BLOG.
and compare the representation
to the original 3-D object.
SS1.4 Compare 2-D shapes to
parts of 3-D objects in the envi-
ronment.
SS2.5 Demonstrate understand-
Odyssey Books
ing of the relationship between
2-D shapes and 3-D objects.
Technology-The World of Blogging
I haven‟t been very faithful to my BLOG The ten issues of the Coach‟s Connection Volume 1 http://susanmuir.blogspot.com/
this year (sound familiar?). I plan on get- will be attached for your future reference and
the upcoming monthly newsletters will be added as
ting it up to date with a variety of new
they are completed.
pages. I will continue with the main page
as a personal reflection of my daily life as A link to the workshop podcasts will also be
accessed through my blog site.
a Math Coach. Some new additions will be
a page for each grade K-4. Within the This blog is professional reflection of my journey
page I plan to have a sample lesson from as a math coach. I hope that is also becomes a
resource for you and many others out in the „web
each strand and any new and exciting
world‟.
things that I have tried in the classroom.
I will email the administrators when it is ready for
viewing.
Thank you for a great year!
From:
Nellie Number and
Susie Shape

3. Page 3
Photo Album of Learning
What are Your Thoughts and Suggestions?
How can I make Coach‟s Help me make this happen.
Connections better?
Email your comments and sugges-
I want this to be a coffee table tions:
read (easy read), that you take smuir@mail.gssd.ca
away one new tidbit of
information or inspiration, each
time you read it.