When my son, Hunter, was a kindergartener, I attended the funeral of his beloved hermit crab, Burton, who lived a relatively short life in an expensive tank on a dresser next to a lego set in the shape of Darth Vader. The array of perfectly cut organic grapes went untouched in Burton’s tank for days, and my family could not recall the last time he moved. These clues led my husband to toss a coin, and since I was the loser, I was given the job of prying Burton’s lifeless body from the fluorescent green Ocean City, Maryland shell he called home while my husband dug a hole in the backyard. Hunter watched the debacle from the kitchen window while eating popcorn. 

As I jabbed the lifeless hermit crab from the shell and listened to my husband ask, “Aren’t you done yet?” I saw something move. Was I dreaming? Are things blurry because I placed my right contact lens in my left eye again? With each poke of the shell, Burton came to life and slowly stuck out one of his ten legs. In disbelief, I quickly placed Burton on the ground and watched him scurry away as if to say, “Stay the f**k away from me.” I turned towards the kitchen window, only to see Hunter’s mouth filled with popcorn. The funeral came to an abrupt end. 

My husband went back inside the house to watch a Law and Order marathon while I did what any educator would do under these circumstances. I turned the almost death of my son’s first pet into a research project. I tried to comfort Hunter by doing a Wiki search to find out why we thought Burton’s time was up. As Hunter and I ate popcorn together, we learned that we were owners of a lonely, stressed-out hermit crab who wanted to play with other hermit crabs.

At first glance, these crustaceans seem the furthest relative from humans. Still, as you can see from my funeral escapade, hermit crabs suffer from loneliness and stress, similar to educators today. Teacher burnout is at an all-time high. An EdWeek Research Center survey suggests that sixty percent of educators relate to job-embedded stress, and many are looking to leave the field entirely. 

The start of 2022 is an excellent time to reimagine support structures for a school community. To preserve the well-being of educators and ensure engagement and academic success of the students they teach, instructional coaches – educators who partner with teachers to support student achievement can help educators. Here are ways the care we showed for Burton can help instructional coaches be a force of good in the months ahead.

#1: Burton Trusted Us.

I don’t know for sure, but I think Burton recognized the cadence in Hunter’s voice and his distinct kid smell. Around sunset, Hunter sprayed Burton’s shell lightly three times to wake him up and said, “Good morning, friend!” Providing Burton with play, shelter, and food regularly helped Burton see that his needs were being met (sort of), and he slowly bonded with Hunter by willingly relaxing in his hand. 

Lesson Learned: Trust Matters.

Hermit crabs possibly begin to trust humans when they feel safe and respected. The same is true of colleagues. Begin your time together by learning about one another. Collaboration might take the form of model lessons, meetings to analyze student data or lesson studies. Regardless of the structure of cooperation, trust matters. Consider the following discussion questions to develop a trusting partnership:

• What brings you joy in teaching?
• What type of learner are you? 
• What does professional growth mean to you?
• What do you hope for the children you teach?

#2: Burton Liked Routines. 

Burton was known to rise around sunset. He crawled to the side of his tank facing the Darth Vader lego set, and then he was off looking for food and water after getting showered with a spray bottle. Other hermit crabs start their day differently by circling their tank, looking for an escape route. Regardless of how they begin their day, each hermit crab has a routine, and messing with it might cause stress. 

Lesson Learned: Follow a Protocol.

Hermit crabs like routines and so do educators. Establish a way of working together by making sure colleagues understand the role you serve in the school community. (You might need to schedule a time to discuss this with your direct supervisor.) Before you and your colleagues sit down to get to work together, take time to answer these questions:

• How can we approach our work together to support student growth and achievement? 
• How can we support the social and emotional needs of students? 
• What goals do we want to set to guide our work? 

Once you engage in a conversation focused on establishing a routine, you are on your way to developing trust and mutual respect. Skip this step, and as an instructional coach, people might think you are untrustworthy.

#3: Burton Did Not Embrace Change. 

Sooner or later, a hermit crab’s shell gets a little snug, and it is on the search for a new mobile home. Regardless of how many shells Hunter threw in Burton’s tank, this hermit crab didn’t care for the assorted shells that showed up in Amazon Prime boxes on our front steps. Some hermit crabs are more open to house hunting and trade shells multiple times a week, but Burton was content staying put in the shell he was outgrowing. He preferred his snug shell-like anyone of us who likes an old tee shirt that’s been washed too many times. Burton wasn’t searching for a new home, and we couldn’t force him to change regardless of the circumstances. 

Lesson Learned: Change is Difficult.

There are moments when educators are comfortable and content (although that’s tricky these days) and moments when things feel uneasy and complicated. As an instructional coach, it is helpful to realize that not all educators you work with will react to new initiatives with open arms. Some might embrace changes and dedicate time to learning about them, while others are hesitant to get on board. In my career, it’s been helpful not to be “judgy” about how people react to change. If you aim to be an inspirational coach who people trust and want to learn alongside, tread lightly in this arena. When meeting with colleagues, and an uncomfortable encounter occurs, rather than reacting, think:

• Why might this individual be hesitant?
• What are other points of view I might not be considering?
• What’s getting in the way of teaching and learning?

How will you be a better leader? Comment below.