How two days a week in classrooms transformed staff engagement, leadership capacity, and school culture.

“I finally understood that I was a ‘School Executive’ charged with managing a team. I employed smart, capable people who, if I allowed them to, could do outstanding work. But every time I jumped in to solve problems or run interference, I was denying my staff the opportunity to step up, achieve and grow. I was in the way of my staff’s career advancement.”

INTRODUCTION

When Rochelle Lofstrand stepped into the Head of School role at The GLOBE Academy in 2024, she inherited a school ready for stability, clarity, and renewed connection. Serving nearly 1,000 students in DeKalb County, Georgia, GLOBE’s unique mission of developing globally minded, multilingual learners demanded strong systems and mature leadership. Rochelle’s first year was spent rebuilding operations and trust after a season of transition, but in doing so, she became too removed from the school’s instructional heart: its classrooms and teachers. 

Determined to lead differently, Rochelle turned to The Breakthrough Coach to reclaim her time, and refocus her attention on teaching and learning. What followed was a powerful second-year turnaround marked by stronger staff relationships, enhanced school-wide leadership capacity, and a healthier, more sustainable leadership model.

CHALLENGE: Regroup and Recoup

When Rochelle arrived in 2024, GLOBE was emerging from a period of leadership instability following the exit of the school’s prior principal. To regain the trust of her staff, students, and families, Rochelle and her team initially went to work rebuilding the school’s communication and operational practices. However, because of the amount of time and attention this Year 1 project required, Rochelle spent very little time in 2024 observing and coaching her teachers. 

Rochelle confessed, “We did walkthroughs to look at snippets of instruction, but they didn’t produce enough data to determine if teachers needed more instructional coaching or content understanding and therefore, our observations didn’t really impact teaching and learning. At the end of my first year, I was feeling disconnected from my staff and unclear about what was happening instructionally.”

Rochelle’s sense of disconnection was ultimately validated by her teaching staff’s yearly feedback. In May 2025, only 13 of GLOBE’s 35 teachers completed their satisfaction surveys and of those, one third reported feeling a lack of support and recognition for their teaching practices by administration. Rochelle knew she needed to spend considerably more time in classrooms to impact staff morale and instruction, and this motivated her to attend the The Breakthrough Coach Foundations Course in June 2025. 

MINDSET SHIFT: What If the Leader Did Less?

During the course, Rochelle had an uncomfortable realization. She admitted to herself that she and her teachers really didn’t know each other – neither personally, nor as professionals. “I wanted to be able to have productive instructional coaching conversations with them, but I couldn’t because I hadn’t spent enough time observing their classrooms. They were 100% right in their criticism of me.”  

Rochelle also finally understood that she could no longer operate like a “sole practitioner” running her own enterprise. “I started to see that I was a ‘School Executive’ charged with managing a team. I employed smart, capable people who, if I allowed them to, could do outstanding work. But every time I jumped in to solve problems, handle day-to-day tasks, or run interference, I was denying my staff the opportunity to step up, achieve and grow. I was in the way of my staff’s career advancement.”

SOLUTIONS: Walk, Talk, Train and Develop

Upon returning from the course, Rochelle and her secretary, Pam Cardona, set out to transform her insights into action. Together, they immediately implemented The Breakthrough Coach’s Scheduling Methodology(™) designed to position Rochelle in classrooms for two full days every week. 

“Beginning August 2025, we designated Tuesdays and Fridays on my calendar for me to spend all day out in the building coaching. Then, at our first staff retreat of the year, I told my teachers ‘These are the days I’ll be in your classrooms. You can count on it. If anyone comes looking for me, that’s where I’ll be. On these days, Pam is in charge of the front office. If you need something, see her.’” Rochelle’s very public declaration, combined with Pam’s steady hand in the front office, motivated her to stick with the schedule.

Being out in classrooms every week enabled Rochelle to both coach instruction and quickly identify teachers who were actively seeking future leadership roles. Rather than taking things off their plates, Rochelle instead started inviting these staff members to participate in leadership projects with her as a way of building their resumes. 

“I had some very direct conversations with specific teachers in which I said ‘This needs to be done. Is this something you’re interested in stepping up to and getting experience with?’ In most cases, they were 100% game and it was a win-win! My staff benefitted from my coaching, they contributed enormously to the school’s success, and I was freed up to spend even more time out observing classrooms.”

Rochelle also learned to say ‘No’ when appropriate and to give people back their jobs. 

“I had certain people who thought I should play a more active role in handling their duties. In those cases, I had to have some difficult and uncomfortable conversations in which I stated clearly ‘I’ve got other things going on right now that only I can do. If you need help doing your job, let’s problem-solve who else can help you, but this time around it’s not me.’ These were tough conversations to have, but we all grew tremendously from them.”

RESULTS: Staff Satisfaction Soars

By the end of the 2026 school year, Rochelle’s consistent time in classrooms, her concerted effort to coach and develop aspiring leaders, and her newfound ability to clearly articulate her leadership role yielded four remarkable results:

• Rochelle completed all of her 2026 teacher evaluations two months in advance of the deadline;
• This past spring 100% of Rochelle’s teaching staff completed their Satisfaction Surveys;
• 50% reported that Rochelle now provides them with regular, positive feedback and support;
• 92% of her staff plans to return to GLOBE for the 2026-27 school year. 

Rochelle states that not only is she more connected to her staff and students, but she has also experienced a renewed sense of ‘self.’ “I’m working out again. I actually cook dinner for my family! I’m better, both mentally and physically, because I have the time to do the necessary self-care that leads to work-life balance and improved job performance.”  

CONCLUSION:

Rochelle’s story demonstrates that school improvement does not come from the school leader doing more–it comes from doing the right work. By stepping out of the office and into classrooms, empowering her staff to take ownership, and building a strong partnership with her secretary, Rochelle transformed both her leadership practice and her school culture. In just one year, she strengthened teacher support, increased staff engagement and retention, cultivated future leaders, and created a more sustainable balance between her professional and personal life. Today, GLOBE is benefiting from a leadership model built on visibility, coaching, trust, and the intentional development of others.