Coaching <---> Teaching

Friday afternoon proved to be pretty interesting and insightful for the 8th graders who worked with two of their teachers to plan and execute our first annual "Dolphin Day." The gist of the hour-long session that was hosted for grades 4-7 was that the 8th graders paired/tripled up to prepare activities ranging from a trivia game to how to draw cartoons, from how to make a Vine video to how to perfect your soccer skills. It was pretty amazing to see what the 8th graders chose to and were able to do...except for the group I was supervising...

I thought being with the basketball skills group would be a fun way to spend the hour. Instead, I spent a lot of my time getting two out of the three eighth graders to run their drills. At times, one eighth grader was doing the drills with the younger kids while the other two were messing around on one of the side basketball hoops. And they wondered why the kids weren't listening or why their station wasn't going well.

What I noticed from watching this all unfold was the close parallel between a good coach and a good teacher. Now, this is not new insight by any means, and I'm pretty sure I've even noticed it before, but it was a good reminder:


1. A good coach models for his players / A good teacher models for his students.

2. A good coach plans detailed drills and games, and he makes those activities clear for the players / A good teacher creates detailed lesson plans and clear directions for his students.

3. A good coach supports his players, never demeaning them but rather correcting form, attitude, etc. when necessary / A good teacher supports his students, praising effort for persistence and creating a warm environment where students take academic risks.

I'm sure the list of similarities goes on, for, at the end of the day, a coach is a teacher and a teacher is a coach.


The 8th graders apparently debriefed after the hour-long session, and it seems that many of the students came to the realization of how important it is to plan, prepare, and execute with precision and detail. In the wise words of John Wooden, "Failing to prepare is preparing to fail." So true, Coach Wooden, so true...

I'm glad we, as a school, tried this new tradition, and I hope it continues next year. Go Dolphins!

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In other (unrelated) news, things have been anything but dull around here...Last night I met up with my sister for dinner before chaperoning the 7 & 8th grade Deanery dance. This morning, my sister and I tackled our last LONG long run (20 miles) before the marathon - next week we start to taper! After a nap, I ran a few errands, and, when I came home, I finally nailed the necklace holder I had ordered into the wall. I am proud to say I nailed it in straight and free-handed the first time.

Phew. I think I might read a bit (if I can decide what book to read...) before going to meet up with friends for dinner and see "Jesus Christ Superstar," which I am hoping lives up to the hype.

which one to choose...?

Tomorrow I need to get cracking on these final grad school projects...