Professional Learning and Coaching
High-quality professional development (PD) is critical to ensure that all teachers and school leaders have what they need to be successful in their classrooms and schools. Effective PD can change mindsets and build new knowledge and skills necessary to provide students with effective instruction that positively impacts their literacy achievement.
Just like high-quality student learning, adult learning and PD should be intentional and designed to meet the individual needs of educators. PD opportunities should be ongoing, connected, and part of a long-term learning and improvement plan.
Coaching is one of the highest forms of evidenced-based professional development. Job-embedded coaching supports educators as they translate new knowledge and skills into new and/or improved classroom practice. Educators need support as they take new ideas, translate learning into actual practice, and change their own teaching behaviors and practices.
Job-Embedded Coaching
Evidence shows that job-embedded coaching is one of the most effective methods of professional development. Coaching should be connected to teachers’ classrooms and focused on instructional effectiveness and student achievement.
Coaches build staff members’ knowledge and skills and support the implementation of high-quality, effective instructional strategies by:
- Modeling or demonstrating for teachers.
- Co-teaching with teachers.
- Observing teachers as they implement new practices to provide supportive feedback.
- Helping teachers review data and problem-solve student situations.
- Supporting teachers’ planning for instruction.
Coaching Practice Profiles have been developed to synthesize research on coaching best practices to guide educators’ learning and development. Critical components of a coaching profile include:
- Effective communication
- Effective partnerships
- Effective observation to determine goals for improvement
- Effective feedback
- Effective modeling
- Effective data analysis to inform next steps for improvement
- Effective professional learning opportunities related to teacher’s goals
Download an example of a strong coaching practice framework.
Do’s and Don’ts for Literacy Coaches
According to the research, a coach’s first priority should be to work to establish a relationship of trust. This is done by listening carefully and being positive. It is a good practice to start with educators who want to work with a coach and to base that work from the teachers’ agenda of what they want to accomplish. To build trust, it is essential to follow through and maintain confidentiality. Next, good coaches must recognize and appreciate differences in teachers and how they work. It is important to establish priorities and let the data lead the process. Most importantly, an effective coach does not evaluate teachers or fall into the trap of acting like “the expert.” And, good coaches don’t jump in and expect immediate change. Effective coaches model being a learner and document the work. (Bean and DeFord, 2007)
According to literacy expert Tim Shanahan, there are some key considerations that are especially relevant for new literacy coaches:
- Improve leadership because literacy leadership matters.
- Increase the amount of literacy instruction by looking for lost time.
- Focus on essential curriculum elements that really make a difference in students’ learning.
- Provide focused professional development to ensure that teachers know how to teach the essential elements well.
- Make sure sound instructional programs are in place to ensure consistency across the school.
- Align assessments.
- Target needs of special populations especially struggling readers and English learners; Get parent support and help from the beginning.
- Motivate everybody by being the number one cheerleader.
Resources
IES Self-Study Guide for Evidence-Based Coaching for Literacy: PreK-Grade 12
https://ies.ed.gov/ncee/rel/regions/southeast/pdf/REL_2021062.pdf
10 Mentoring and Induction Challenges in Rural Schools and How to Address Them
https://gtlcenter.org/sites/default/files/MentoringInduction_Rural.pdf
10 Key Policies and Practices for Instructional Coaching
https://meadowscenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/10Key_Coaching.pdf
Cox Campus Professional Learning focused on B-5 Instructional Coaching
https://learn.coxcampus.org/tracks/birth-to-5-instructional-coaching