Coaching to Improve Teaching and Learning

Increased demands upon educators to continuously improve their practice and to ensure they meet the demands of ESSA ("Every Student Succeeds Act") means that there is not enough time for each educator to learn everything that is needed or to make all the mistakes themselves. Collaboration and communication are essential to meeting the goal of all students learning well. Coaching is a proven and practical vehicle for staff members, mentors and administrative evaluators to use in guiding each teacher to intentional best practice that will ensure student learning.

This course details the process of collaboration and communication that promotes quality outcomes in terms of student learning. By establishing a mutual purpose, mutual respect, individual commitment and using a variety of effective coaching communication skills, staff members can maximize the expertise, skill, and talent of coaching partners…. They learn from each other. The online format allows for reflection, practice, observation and analysis and application of skills to current settings. Emphasis is upon intentional best practice, celebration of success, planning for increased effectiveness in subsequent observational episodes and relationship maintenance. While the emphasis of the course is on establishing an effective coaching team, individuals also report that the process of taking the course enhances their instructional, assessment and classroom management skills.

Participants will:

• Understand the role of coaching in intentional best practice
• Understand the different purposes and uses of coaching
• Observe and analyze coaching episodes
• Self-analyze their own prior knowledge about coaching experiences
• Identify specific and guiding questions they want to answer with respect to coaching
• Distinguish between what makes an effective and an ineffective coach
• Explain the importance of trust and identify behaviors that will enhance trust in a coaching relationship
• Establish clear expectations for coaching partnerships
• Understand the importance of active listening and essential questions in coaching experiences
• Separate competence from performance of a single teaching episode
• Explain what is meant by confidentiality in the coaching experience
• Understand the varied roles that are played by coaches
• Understand that student learning is the bottom line in effective instruction
• Separate style from lesson content
• Explain how coaching can add meaning and purpose to teacher evaluation
• Understand the role of enduring knowledge in effective instructional planning
• Distinguish between a learning and an activity
• Design/select essential questions to guide the planning process
• Practice lesson planning and essential questioning with a partner
• Practice using a variety of methods for data collection
• Practice a variety of observation strategies through video analysis and scripted lessons
• Practice with lesson planning and observation with colleagues
• Understand the role of self-reflection in the coaching process
• Analyze a variety of possible essential questions to spur reflective practice
• Evaluate a coaching conference against specific standards of performance
• Understand and practice using Principles of Constructive Feedback
• Identify language that builds bridges and language that builds walls in conferencing
• Conduct a coaching conference
• Plan time to engage in coaching experiences through Coaching Action Plan