Streamline Coaching Workflows with Notion

Note: This piece was written by a member of Illinois’ education community and editorial support from the LTC. The views expressed in this article do not reflect those of the Learning Technology Center, its team, or its partners.

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The first quarter of the school year is always a whirlwind. Between launching coaching cycles, supporting new teachers, managing PD sessions, and attending countless meetings, coaches often find themselves spread thin. By October, reflection is key: what’s working, what needs tweaking, and how can we better manage the many moving parts of instructional coaching?

For me, the answer has been Notion. This flexible, all-in-one workspace has transformed how I keep track of coaching conversations, teacher goals, PD offerings, and resources. Instead of juggling multiple apps and sticky notes, I now have a coaching hub that keeps everything connected — and accessible.

Why Reflection Matters

As instructional coaches, your impact is measured not just in tasks completed but in the growth of teachers and students. Taking time at the end of the first quarter to review progress allows us to:

• Celebrate early successes and recognize teacher effort
• Revisit personal coaching goals and priorities
• Identify gaps in professional learning for teachers and ourselves.
• Adjust workflows before the midyear rush sets in

Reflection ensures we don’t just keep moving forward, but instead we grow forward.

How Notion Supports Coaching Workflows

1. Active Coaching Cycles. This database tracks each teacher’s coaching journey, including goals, timelines, and meeting notes. By linking cycles to individual teacher profiles, I can quickly see progress and revisit prior conversations without digging through old emails.
2. Teacher List. Every teacher has a profile page that links to their goals, coaching cycle, and observation notes. This holistic view supports relationship-building and ensures no detail gets lost.
3. PD Offerings. Instead of scattered flyers or emails, I house all professional learning opportunities in a searchable database. Teachers (and I) can filter by tool, grade level, or instructional focus to find what’s most relevant.
4. Observation Notes. Using templates, I capture key takeaways during walk-throughs or formal observations. Notes sync directly with teacher profiles, so follow-ups are easy and action-oriented.
5. Resource Hub. Notion makes it simple to embed links, videos, and documents. My Resource Hub doubles as a one-stop shop for edtech tools, coaching strategies, and instructional frameworks.

Reflection in Action

I’ve also been experimenting with adding a Weekly Reflection Template to my Notion dashboard. Each week I log:

• Wins to celebrate (teacher breakthroughs, student successes)
• Challenges that surfaced
• Next steps or action items
• Personal reflections on my goals

By October, this practice gave me a clearer picture of patterns across classrooms and highlighted where I could provide targeted support. It also reminded me that coaching is as much about my growth as it is about teachers’.

Tips for Coaches Wanting to Try Notion

If you’re ready to streamline your workflows, here are a few starting points:

1. Start simple. Pick one workflow (like observation notes) and build a database just for that.
2. Use templates. Create reusable pages for meetings, reflections, or coaching cycles.
3. Connect your databases. Linking teacher goals to coaching cycles saves time and surfaces meaningful connections.
4. Reflect regularly. Use weekly or quarterly check-ins to track progress and stay aligned to your purpose.

Final Thought

Quarter 1 is a natural checkpoint, a chance for coaches to pause, look back, and make small but meaningful adjustments. The right tools do more than make us faster; they shape how we stay grounded in our purpose: supporting teachers and students.

For me, Notion has become more than a digital notebook. It is a coaching hub that keeps reflection tied to action and organization aligned with impact. That combination of reflection and structure can be a quiet game-changer.

If you are curious about how Notion might reshape your own practice, I will be sharing a practical roadmap at IETC this November. My session, “Notion in Motion: Streamline Your Coaching Workflow with Smarter Systems”, will walk you through building your own coaching hub and give you templates you can put to work right away.