Becoming and effective teacher can be challenging at times. Especially in a high-stakes, accountability-driven environment like today’s education system, there are new pressures and expectations on teachers that can make it difficult to excel. In response to this challenge, some schools have begun implementing instructional coaching programs. These programs place professional coaches within schools to help teachers develop their skills and knowledge in order to become more effective educators.
What is the Goal of Instructional Coaching?
The goal of instructional coaching is to help teachers develop their instructional practices so that they can inspire their students to learn and grow. When teachers have the capacity to coach their students effectively, all students can benefit from higher quality learning experiences. By modeling effective instructional practices, teachers can help their school culture be more effective. Another goal of coaching is to help teachers develop new skills or learn new subject areas so they can serve their students better.
Coaches can also help teachers reflect on their practice and identify areas for growth so they can continue improving as professionals over time. Finally, coaches can help teachers create a personal learning plan (PLP), aldo refered to as a Personal Development Plan (PDP) that aligns with their professional development needs. Through the PLP/PDP, teachers can identify goals and receive guidance and resources to help them reach those goals. This can include anything from planning professional development workshops to reading research articles on best practices in the field.
Instructional Coaching Process
The coaching process typically involves four steps that can be conducted as one-on-one coaching or in a small group setting. The four steps are:
- Defining the coaching relationship and establishing trust
- Creating a plan for development,
- Monitoring progress
- Celebrating accomplishments.
Teachers often start the coaching process by identifying a goal for coaching. This goal can be related to a particular subject area (e.g., improving their instruction in math) or general professional development goals (e.g., gaining confidence when giving classroom presentations).
After setting a goal, teachers and their coaches should establish trust by creating a safe space for open communication. Teachers should feel comfortable sharing their goals and reflecting on their practice. Coaches should also encourage open communication so teachers feel comfortable disclosing challenges they may be facing in the classroom.
The next step is to create a development plan based on the goal. This plan should indicate how long the coaching process will last and which topics the teachers should focus on to achieve their goal. After creating a plan, teachers and coaches should monitor progress throughout the coaching process. Teachers should keep track of how they’re progressing towards their goals so they can celebrate their accomplishments.
Coaches should provide feedback on how teachers are doing towards meeting their goals. This can include observations in the classroom or reviewing lesson plans. If a coach is reviewing lesson plans, they should not provide feedback on the content of the lesson plan. Finally, after the coaching process is over, both teachers and coaches should reflect on their experience. Teachers can learn from the coaching process so they can apply their new skills in the classroom. Coaches can also reflect on the coaching process to improve their coaching methods in the future.
Benefits of Instructional Coaching
Instructional coaching benefits teachers and the entire school environment by helping teachers improve their professional practice. This can include identifying areas for growth and setting goals for future development. Coaches can also help teachers create a PLP/PDP that aligns with their professional development needs. Through the PLP/PDP, teachers can identify goals and receive guidance and resources to help them reach those goals. Students can also benefit from instructional coaching.
When teachers are better equipped to achieve their goals, they can provide students with higher quality learning experiences. Finally, administrators benefit from instructional coaching too. When teachers are better equipped to achieve their goals, they can provide students with higher quality learning experiences. Better instructional practices can help improve the school culture, which can positively impact the school’s image.
How to Become an Instructional Coach
The best way to become an instructional coach is to first become a teacher. This means gaining experience teaching in a classroom setting so you can observe best practices in action and identifying areas for growth in your own teaching practice. Once you’ve become a teacher, you can also receive training in coaching to help you become an instructional leader in your school. Instructional coaches should set clear goals for coaching their teachers. Coaches should also make sure their coaching methods are appropriate for the setting and fit their teachers’ needs and goals. Coaches can do this by conducting regular one-on-one meetings with teachers so they can help them progress towards their goals. Instructional coaches can also receive training in coaching their students. This can be done in a one-on-one setting or in a small group setting with other students. Students can learn how to become better learners and set goals for their own development.
Conclusion
Instructional coaching is a form of professional development that helps teachers become better at inspiring their students to learn and grow. Through coaching, teachers can identify areas for growth in their practice and set goals to achieve future development. Coaches can also help teachers create a personal learning plan (PLP) that aligns with their professional development needs. Through the PLP, teachers can identify goals and receive guidance and resources to help them reach those goals. This can include anything from planning professional development workshops to reading research articles on best practices in the field. Teachers can also coach their own students to help them become better learners and set goals for their own development.