Instructional Coaching How To . . . and Beyond

I just completed a MOOC through Coursera called Coaching Teachers:  Promoting Changes that Stick.  It was offered by Match Education based in Boston.   As it stands now in the field there is no particular career path or training leading to positions as instructional coaches and coaches are only beginning to be used in schools for the professional development of teachers.

Instructional coaching itself is a rather new paradigm.  A simple explanation is that feedback aimed at improving teacher skills is divorced from the evaluation process.  The work that instructional coaches do with teachers does not directly affect the administrative evaluation process.  Taking this element out of the picture reduces anxiety and more productively focuses on the intended outcome: improved student learning and performance.

Match's approach has coaches explicitly address teacher mindset. They parry the understandable tendency for teachers to take feedback personally.  Instructional practice is evaluated NOT the teacher.  I am reminded of the Japanese Lesson Study model I learned of in graduate school (Trinity University in San Antonio).

The Japanese Lesson Study model asks that all teachers consider themselves instructional coaches who work collaboratively with their peer colleagues.  The teachers select one lesson, watch one of their group teach it, discuss to create improvements and have another teacher implement them as they watch again.  Apparently there can be as many iterations as necessary. Other professional development activities such as Critical Friends and Learning Communities support this empowering and collaborative paradigm.

What would it be like if every teacher were an instructional coach?  I found that taking this MOOC increased reflection and self-assessment of my work as a teacher, not just as a coach.  Surveying the course as a lone teacher will prove productive.  But, what if those who teach the same course or a whole department or a school all take the course?

New Science Technology/Engineering Standards in Massachusetts

The public school teachers of Massachusetts are to implement new Science Technology/Engineering Standards come fall 2015.  These new standards grow out of the United States national Next Generation Science Standards.  These standards in turn complement the United States national Common Core Standards for math and English language arts.

How is a teacher to transition to these new standards?  In order to begin to understand the standards two methods come to mind: focus on the novel emphases and compare the old and new standards.  The new standards press us to help students come to understand and practice the methods of science such as modeling, argumentation and planning and caring out investigations.  The content or disciplinary core ideas remain essentially the same but are reorganized into large overarching themes. The standards themselves are stated in goal oriented language such that they describe what a student is to do in order to learn and exhibit understanding.  Here is an example of this approach applied specifically to the high school level biology standards.  The theme of interest is modeling.  Resources to support development of compliant lessons are included.

Philosophical Integrity

I'm a big fan of MOOC's (Massive Open Online Courses).  One of the latest I surveyed was Leaders of Learning by Dr. Richard Elmore of Harvard.   I found it to be a necessary update of my Educational Leadership course of more than a decade ago from the late beloved Dr. Sergiovanni at Trinity University. One thing Dr. Elmore advised was to find out what one's educational philosophy is (he provides a survey and four domains) and then find an educational environment that closely matches it.  He rather emphatically emphasizes that such a tack is necessary for health and happiness.  A decade ago following such advice was limited.  Today, although still not easy, it is within the realm of possibility to do so.  The education sector is expanding to accommodate what were once considered revolutionary perspectives on learning.

I expect to be healthier and happier as I participate in the education sector in a way consistent with my personal paradigm.  I'll keep you updated.