A VSTE Certified Coach Blog Series on Transformative Coaching
This blog is authored by VSTE's Certified Coach Program Coordinator & VSTE Professional Services member, Katie Breaud
Note: This month’s blog is inspired by Digital Citizenship Week (October 20-24) and Cybersecurity Awareness Month (October, annually).
In a recent meeting with instructional and technology coaches from across my school division, the common question arose - “Where’s the fun?” I should preface by saying our teachers are knocking it out of the park learning new guaranteed and viable curriculums. The Virginia Literacy Act stepped up our English Language Arts instruction, and now we’re tackling Mathematics. Our data is showing strong student gains. But in the back of my head, I return to that initial question. Post-COVID, as a collective, we’ve defaulted to digital worksheets and passive use of technology. Especially at the elementary level, our students aren’t creating at the level that they were pre-pandemic. They’ve shifted to the consumption role. And it’s justifiable, because our teachers are managing immense change. This has led me to consider: How can I adjust my coaching to move from supporting technology as a delivery method to helping students create with it?
Why Student Creation Matters
As coaches (regardless of the type) our job isn’t to support tools; our mission is to build capacity for meaningful learning experiences. Personally, this is what excites me about being a coach and supporting teachers. Student creation isn’t just engaging - it’s essential. When students create their own content, they engage in deeper thinking, are active owners of their learning, and build skills that transcend their classroom walls. This approach dovetails with Domain 2 of Forward Edge’s Core of Coaching Framework, which centers on Sustainable Change in teacher practice. As a bonus, it reinforces key competencies in the Virginia Digital Learning Integration (DLI) Standards, especially in the Creative Communicator and Innovative Designer strands. For example, in grades 3-5, students are expected to “use appropriate technologies to create original works” and “communicate ideas visually and graphically.” By enabling teachers to aim for creation-based learning experiences, coaches foster more than technology integration. They also foster creativity, critical thinking, and meaningful student voice.
Three Coaching Moves to Inspire Creation
- Lead with the Learning Outcome, Not the Tool: This shift has been especially important for technology coaches. When teachers hear about a tool they saw online that they want to try, ask: “What do you want students to learn or be able to do?” This small shift reframes the conversation around student learning and empowers technology to serve that purpose (as opposed to driving it).
- Celebrate Low-Lift, High-Impact Creation: Lessons don’t have to be completely overhauled to embed creativity. Some suggestions:
- Novice Teachers: Use Book Creator to make a class book. Each student contributes one page. Tie to a recent learning experience or field trip.
- Tenured Teachers: Use Canva for Education or Google Slides to create a digital visual summary of a social studies or science topic. Publish to a class website to serve as a review later in the year or for future classes.
- Veteran Teachers: Use WeVideo to produce a podcast series that students plan, record, and publish based on interests or topics of study.
- Make “Fun” Intentional: Fun doesn’t have to be fluff or saved for a holiday or the day before break; it’s student engagement with purpose. It’s about designing experiences that spark curiosity, creativity, and connection. Intentional “fun” in learning helps students feel emotionally safe, cognitively engaged, and much more likely to remember what they learn!
Tying This to the VSTE Certified Coach (VCC) Program
VCCs help teachers shift practice through coaching cycles, which include modeling, co-teaching, and reflection through a gradual-release process. Keep in mind that a shift from consumption to creation is just as much a mindset shift as an instruction strategy and technology tweak. Sustainable change happens when teachers see their students succeeding. Data doesn’t lie!
Tools Coaches Can Use
- Common Sense Media’s Digital Citizenship Week resources
- Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency’s Cybersecurity Education Resources for Grades K-5
- Project Zero’s Thinking Routines Toolbox
- TinkerClass: A PBL tool that invites students to listen, wonder, tinker and make like scientists, engineers, and detectives
Coaching Reflection Prompt
What is one way you can support a teacher in helping students move from content consumers to creators?
This post is part of a monthly series inspired by the VSTE Certified Coach program and the Core of Coaching Framework, designed to support and grow coaches across Virginia.
Transparency Statement: This blog post was co-developed with support from an AI writing assistant (ChatGPT). The author retains full creative control and authorship of the post content. AI was used to brainstorm ideas, organize outlines, and review grammar and spelling.
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