mguhlin

Field Notes #1 – #Coaching

Welcome! This is an artifact created for TCEA 26 Convention and Exposition event (see info below). Want to learn how to make your own Field Notes? See you at Convention! The newsletter prompt was inspired as a result of the Unicorn Prompt.

“Coaching: Because ‘bless your heart’ isn’t a feedback model.”

A Note from the Director’s Desk

If you’re reading this, I hope you’ve had a moment to breathe—maybe with a cup of coffee at Thousand Oaks Cafe. If you see a guy at the corner table on Jones Maltsberger with slightly shaky arms, say hi, but don’t ask me to lift anything. I’m currently at 10 pushups on my way to a goal of 100 per day.

It’s a humbling spot to be in. But it’s a reminder that we don’t actually control the final goal; we only control the next rep. Whether it’s a pushup or a new UDL framework, the “shaky” part is where the growth happens. In coaching, we call that focusing on the internal locus of control. We can’t fix the state testing calendar, but we can fix the next 20 minutes of instruction.

Let’s get those reps in.

Before we jump into the content, don’t miss this Last Call for Online Registration…Here are the NotebookLM video versions of my presentations at the upcoming TCEA 2026 Convention and Exposition. Drop by to share your story! My session titles appear below with the NotebookLM audio overview (click title to listen to m4a audio file):


Last Call for Online Registration:T-minus one week ‘til TCEA…

Don’t let another year of the TCEA Convention & Exposition pass you by—it’s time to grasp opportunity by the horns and invest in yourself! TCEA is just over a week away, so we’re reminding you that the 2026 registration price increases at the door. 
Register online before Friday, Jan. 30, to save up to $45 on your TCEA 2026 badge. 
Five days of content and connection along the historic and scenic San Antonio Riverwalk… you really don’t want to miss this!Click here to register.

#1-The Tech Intersection (AI & UDL)

The Scaffolding Superpower (Diffit)

  • The Quiet Part Out Loud: We’ve all spent a perfectly good Sunday afternoon trying to “level” a text for one student while our coffee got cold. This AI does it in 30 seconds so you can actually enjoy your weekend.
  • The Gist: An AI tool that takes any article or URL and instantly creates leveled resources, summaries, and vocabulary lists.
  • The High Leverage: Directly powers Scaffolding (d=0.52), ensuring every student has an entry point without you losing your mind.

MagicSchool: The UDL Brainstormer

  • The Quiet Part Out Loud: “Multiple means of representation” sounds like a PhD thesis, but in a real classroom, it just means “I hope they don’t get bored.” This helps you plan for the “bored” before they arrive.
  • The Gist: A suite of AI tools that generates UDL-aligned choice boards and lesson variations tailored to your specific classroom needs.
  • The High Leverage: Boosts Teacher Clarity (d=0.75) by making sure the “what” and “how” are crystal clear before the bell rings.

Visual Design for Inclusivity

  • The Quiet Part Out Loud: If your Google Slides have more text than a 7-Eleven receipt, the kids aren’t “unmotivated”—they’re just visually overwhelmed.
  • The Gist: Simple graphic design tweaks that use visual cues to guide student attention and reduce cognitive load.
  • The High Leverage: Ensuresthe “big ideas” actually stick rather than getting lost in the clutter.

#2-The Coaching Core (High Impact)

Video Coaching: The Mirror of Truth

  • The Quiet Part Out Loud: Watching yourself on camera is like hearing your own voice on a voicemail—uncomfortable, but it’s the only way to see what’s really happening “inside the loop.”
  • The Gist: Using short video clips as a non-judgmental “third party” to help teachers analyze their own instructional moves.
  • The High Leverage: This is the engine for Feedback (d=0.63), turning a subjective meeting into a data-driven breakthrough.

The Power of Co-Planning

  • The Quiet Part Out Loud: Coaching shouldn’t be “Let me tell you what you did wrong.” It should be “Let’s figure out how we’re going to survive 4th period together.”
  • The Gist: Moving the coaching relationship from “observation” to “side-by-side” lesson design and problem-solving.
  • The High Leverage: This builds Collective Teacher Efficacy (d=1.01)—the single greatest influence on student achievement.

Micro-Goals for Macro-Wins

  • The Quiet Part Out Loud: Don’t try to fix the whole classroom by Friday. Just try to fix the first five minutes. Progress is progress, no matter how small.
  • The Gist: Strategies for setting highly specific, achievable “micro-goals” within a single coaching cycle.
  • The High Leverage: Connects to Goal Commitment (d=0.44), helping teachers feel a sense of mastery that prevents burnout.

#3-The Wild Card (The Human Intersection)

Internal Agency in the Classroom

  • The Quiet Part Out Loud: You can’t control the Wi-Fi going down or the humidity making the hallway smell like old gym socks, but you can control the 10 seconds before you respond to that one email.
  • The Gist: A focus on shifting energy away from external frustrations and toward our internal choices and reactions.
  • The High Leverage: Strengthens Teacher-Student Relationships (d=0.57) because a calm, centered coach creates a calm, centered classroom.

Atomic Habits for Staff Rooms

  • The Quiet Part Out Loud: If you want to change the culture, don’t start a committee. Start a habit. One small win today makes tomorrow’s “extra credit” work feel easier.
  • The Gist: Applying the science of “1% gains” to professional growth—focusing on the habit, not just the total.
  • The High Leverage: Supports Spaced Practice (d=0.62), ensuring that new skills actually become permanent parts of your teaching toolkit.

The Art of the Professional ‘No’

  • The Quiet Part Out Loud: Every time you say “yes” to a committee that should have been an email, you’re saying “no” to your own sanity. Guard your “Yes” like the last breakfast taco in the box.
  • The Gist: Boundaries are the foundation of effective leadership and long-term professional resilience.
  • The High Leverage: Indirectly protects Teacher Credibility (d=1.09)—because a burned-out leader is an ineffective one.

CC 2026 BY SA NC Miguel Guhlin | https://mguhlin.org

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