This whole idea of Instructional Coaching is something new to me. I had never heard of it until recently. I knew of mentor teachers but that is not exactly the same thing. Instructional coaching requires a relationship that is trusting and honest. It will be one where all people involved will benefit. The video below is a brief overview of what instructional coaching needs to be.
After reading chapter four of The Impact Cycle, I feel that making a checklist will be a great starting point for the coaching process. I will be coaching a veteran teacher. We have discussed that she wants to get more student engagement for the whole class period. Her struggle is with the use of technology in meaningful ways that provide the engagement she wants. I use checklist for myself in other ways all the time. Knight et. al (2018) says, "Checklists help a coach remember everything by providing a clear structure and map for explaining the teaching strategies to teachers." (p. 86).
We will use the checklist and then use modeling. My approach to modeling would one centered around co-teaching. Co-teaching is something common in my school and for my specific job as an inclusion teacher. Students are usually comfortable with multiple teachers in the classroom and it will not be teaching a whole lesson. The plan will be to introduce students to the technology aspect of a lesson and make sure that they are able to get started. This will benefit the teacher by showing the students more ways to accomplish goals also.
Glover et. al (2019) talks about using a technology based platform to track the coaching process and keep things moving. About the program they say, "Teachers’ intention to implement interventions and sustain implementation across time and contexts is reinforced within the coaching platform by prompts for coaches to engage in modeling, role play, and provision of feedback in response to teachers’ practices." (p. 99).
The next thing to look at in coaching is to improve. Teachers can now be ready to use these new strategies on their own. Walsh et. al (2020) says, "Through this progress review, coaches intentionally encourage and assist teachers to find success and remain encouraged in their improvement efforts." (p. 1145). Teachers can modified if they need to for students with different needs at this point. They will know what is best for their students.
I feel like I am becoming more prepared to coach others. Each step of the way has carefully laid out plans and ideas. This helps me make decisions and keep focused on what needs to be done. I hope to continue to grow in my coaching efforts and am able to coach more teachers in the future.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ohssmq5tIE
Knight, J. (2018). The impact cycle: What instructional coaches should do to foster powerful improvements in teaching. Corwin, A Sage Company.
Knight, J., Knight, J. R., & Carlson, C. (2018). The Reflection Guide to the impact cycle: What instructional coaches should do to foster powerful improvements in teaching. Corwin.
Walsh, N. R., Ginger, K., & Akhavan, N. (2020). Benefits of Instructional Coaching for Teacher Efficacy: A Mixed Methods Study with PreK-6 Teachers in California. Issues in Educational Research, 30(3), 1143-1161.
Glover, T. A., Reddy, L. A., Kurz, A., & Elliot, S. N. (2019). Use of an Online Platform to Facilitate and Investigate Data-Driven Instructional Coaching. Assessment for Effective Intervention, 44(2), 95-103.
