When working with fellow educators, I always say, “What makes us professionals is that we always do our best with what we know. We change our practice to do even better when we learn something new.”
Goal directed observation and planning, professional development, and instructional coaching are essential tools to improving student outcomes.
Instructional Coaching
Strategic planning and professional development at the school or district level are a very good place to start when your goal is to improve pedagogy and content knowledge. Instructional coaching is what supports leaders and teachers, empowering them to continue this work long after the professional development is over. The goal of instructional coaching is to support leaders within a district, building their capacity to facilitate ongoing growth and learning. Instructional coaching also provides a structure of support as teachers go back to their classrooms to implement the methods or content covered in professional development sessions.
Instructional coaching might look like:
- Online or in-person meetings with district or school coaches to brainstorm and plan for supporting teachers.
- PLC meetings held with teams of teachers who share common needs.
- PLC meetings focused on improving knowledge of specific content or implementation of curriculum.
- Opportunities to plan together and co-teach.
- Goal directed coaching cycles with a specific group of teachers.
- Planning and studying content in-person or online.
Consulting and Planning with School Leadership
The first step to systematic change, or improving practice within an existing system, is to identify what is going well and areas for growth. Online and in-person meetings with school leadership teams coupled with in-person classroom observations allow for strategic planning and goal setting. This foundational work helps us establish a plan for our partnership and sets goals to guide our work together.