Teacher coaching

Teachers need to get to a point where they feel like they need their grade level content teams in order to plan and implement curriculum, not like going to a team meeting is just one more thing or a waste of time. So how can instructional coaches help to create Collective Teacher Efficacy in teams? I’m glad you asked! Here are SEVEN tangible ways you as an instructional coach or literacy coach can intentionally help to create high-functioning teams that positively impact students’ learning.

Moving into a coaching role as a teacher can be daunting for anyone. You spent years in the classroom perfecting your craft and all of a sudden you are in a new role and feel like a first year teacher all over again. But, you don’t have to. This post serves as a guide for…

If more schools took the time for collaborative planning rather than top-down PD, we'd be in a better place.

Some educational consultants specifically help students to get into college or pursue a specific career path. Jocelynn is an educational consultant who works with schools and districts to design and facilitate professional development workshops and a peer coaching model. Her focus really is working in-house with the teachers and with school leadership.

A big part of being an effective instructional coach is using data driven information to help your help teachers do more for their students. While data can be your best friend in the classroom, it can be hard to know exactly what kind of data you need to be tracking. Between teachers and students, there is so much to observe. In addition to knowing what to track, it can be difficult to find a way to track your data effectively. So how can we ensure we are tracking the right data?

Now that we’ve prepared ourselves with research and gathered materials, it’s time for that 1ST MEETING! But let’s be real, whether this is your first year, or your tenth year as a coach, getting the “teacher buy in” can be tricky. So, after trying to decide HOW I could get the trust of my teachers, and begin to build that relationship, I came up with this ~ Cupcakes with the Coach!

As an instructional coach, there are certain items that can make supporting teachers easier. Each of the items shared here are highly recommended by myself as a teacher leader working in multiple buildings across a large district. Grab a binder and fill it with essentials like your standards, pacing guide, and teacher performance rubrics. Below…

“I just need something that gives me a quick sense of a coach’s skills,” wrote a coach from Florida.

“PD in a Box” is a physical box an instructional coach puts together for teachers. Each box has an instructional focus (ie. classroom management or reading workshop). All the materials included in the box are to help teachers implement the instructional focus strategy with fidelity and greater success. Directions, a focus strategy, implementation tips, and a personal note of encouragement from the instructional coach are included.

They do everything from observing teachers to leading PD. What is an instructional coach, and does coaching teachers work?