In a recent article in Education Week (July 16, 2008) Engagement is the Answer, Joseph Renzulli, www.renzullilearning.com, suggests schools need to adopt a new guiding principle, “No Child Left Bored”. He recommends that the drill and practice teaching especially present in the classrooms of poor and struggling students be replaced with teaching to develop high-end learning skills:
*Plan a task and consider alternatives
*Monitor understanding and the need for additional information
*Identify patterns, relationships, and discrepancies
*Generate reasonable arguments, explanations, hypotheses, and ideas
*Draw comparisons to other problems
*Formulate meaningful questions
*Transform factual information into usable knowledge
*Rapidly and efficiently access information
*Extend one’s thinking
*Detect bias, make comparisons, draw conclusions, and predict outcomes
*Apply knowledge and problem solving strategies to real-world problems
*Work and communicate effectively with others
*Derive enjoyment from active engagement in learning
*Creatively solve problems and produce new ideas
Renzulli states that these skills promote engagement, which he defines as infectious enthusiasm students display when working on something of personal interest pursued inductively. He believes this high engagement results in higher achievement, improved self concept, and self-efficacy, and more favorable attitudes toward school and learning.
I found a great example of teaching for high end learning in the July 29, 2008, New York Times.
Steven A. Farber is a biologist who studies how vertebrates digest fats, research that may be useful in combating heart disease. But Dr. Farber, 45, an investigator at the Carnegie Institution for Science in Baltimore, moonlights at a second job. He heads Project BioEYES, a nonprofit organization he founded seven years ago to bring science to inner-city schools in Baltimore, Philadelphia and South Bend, Ind. He and his staff members try to introduce children to genetics, natural selection and the scientific method. Their tool of choice is Dr. Farber’s favorite experimental animal, the zebra fish.
Note the approach………………………………….
On the first day, we bring in a bucket of zebra fish and say: “Now that you’re scientists, you have to be good at observation. Which of these fish is male and female?” After some hits and misses, the kids usually figure out that the fish with the swollen belly is female and the sleek one is male.
As I re- read the list of high-end learning skills, it struck me that the same list applies to teachers working in professional learning communities. Check the list. Do you agree?
Here are a few I have personally seen while observing effective PLC’s:
…..applying knowledge and problem solving strategies to real-world problems
….. working and communicating effectively with others
…..deriving enjoyment from active engagement in learning
…...creatively solving problems and producing new ideas
Those of you serving as instructional or peer coaches should be able to identify that much of your work is designed to create many of the same skills for your coachees.
…..planning tasks and considering alternatives
…..monitoring understanding and the need for additional information
…..identifying patterns, relationships, and discrepancies
…..formulating meaningful questions
…..transforming factual information into usable knowledge
As instructional leaders, school administrators should be focused on learner-centered skills of their staffs as a strategy for the development of learner-centered skills of their students. Engagement is the answer.
Showing posts with label peer coaching. Show all posts
Showing posts with label peer coaching. Show all posts
Sunday, August 10, 2008
Sunday, July 13, 2008
PEER COACHING: UMBRELLA OR SKELETON
When describing to teachers that a peer coaching program is not ”another thing”, I often suggest that it is a tool… an umbrella under which many of our existing programs or tasks get accomplished. Most recently, I was training 165 pre-K to 12 teachers and administrators at the Enka International School in Istanbul, Turkey in peer coaching. With the whole staff training together, English and Turkish speakers using simultaneous translation with headsets, we were able to explore the many ways that peer coaching fits into the day to day goals of teachers and administrators.
Darlene Fisher, the director of Enka School used the symbol of a skeleton. Coaching being the skeleton that supports the many activities of a faculty… a community of learners.
See how the symbols apply for you.
I usually start this conversation by looking at three types of coaching illustrated in an early coaching article by Robert Garmston:
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Consider technical coaching most commonly connected to staff development. This is the follow up coaching that is needed when teachers take new skills back to the classroom to integrate into their existing practice. We are all familiar with how our best intentions to implement new learning can be lost without coaching support, reinforcement and celebrations of persistence. Coaching should be how changes in practice or curriculum are implemented. Coaching should be written into any team or individual professional development plan.
I connect collegial coaching to the development of teacher relationships. In other words, the what we are coaching may be less critical than the fact that that staff are getting to know each other and our programs through peer observation and conversation. I am often amazed that in a coaching workshop teachers from the same building make a discovery about each other in a 10 minute practice conference. I had a science teacher say that he just discovered that the Art teacher taught some important material. Coaching should be a component of Professional Learning Communities (PLC). As teachers in a PLC get to know each other better, the quality of their work will deepen. Small Learning Communities and Middle School Teams can both speed the development of their relationships through peer coaching.
Challenge Coaching is helpful when teachers want to work together to create an new opportunity or solve a problem. I worked with an English department that designed a lesson structure for a critical thinking lesson. Then, one teacher taught the lesson and video taped it. The team coached the lesson, modified it and passed it on to another teacher who taught and video taped. The process continued until 9 members taught and together polished the lesson design. Grade level or department teachers can use challenge coaching to tackle a standard that is troubling a number of students or create a plan for a disruptive student that they share. Observing in each others’ classrooms and reflecting and problem solving together often builds creativity.
Within the two day training and a follow up day with teachers and administrators at the Enka School, the following discussions of peer coaching were heard…
In the training during practice, a teacher shared that he had just met a person on the staff that he didn’t know and it was June!
Enka is structured in Pre –K , 1-5 and 6-12 units… discussions emerged about the value of 5 and 6 teachers coaching each other.
Discussion emerged around departments and grade levels selecting a common area for professional development and agreeing to coach each other.
Several teachers wrote on exit notes that they were anxious to coach with teachers in other grade levels and departments.
English pre school lessons will be team taught next year to provide teachers greater flexibility in differentiating. These teachers were discussing how coaching could be a daily activity. Since teaming will be new for most, we discussed teams inviting a third teacher to coach them on their teaming.
E-portfolios are being explored by a group of Enka teachers. They met briefly to examine how coaching was a natural component to support the reflection element of portfolios.
How would you label the Enka staff’s ideas for peer coaching…… technical, collegial, challenge? Do you see many areas of overlap?
Peer Coaching……..umbrella or skeleton? Do you have a better symbol?
Darlene Fisher, the director of Enka School used the symbol of a skeleton. Coaching being the skeleton that supports the many activities of a faculty… a community of learners.
See how the symbols apply for you.
I usually start this conversation by looking at three types of coaching illustrated in an early coaching article by Robert Garmston:
Consider technical coaching most commonly connected to staff development. This is the follow up coaching that is needed when teachers take new skills back to the classroom to integrate into their existing practice. We are all familiar with how our best intentions to implement new learning can be lost without coaching support, reinforcement and celebrations of persistence. Coaching should be how changes in practice or curriculum are implemented. Coaching should be written into any team or individual professional development plan.
I connect collegial coaching to the development of teacher relationships. In other words, the what we are coaching may be less critical than the fact that that staff are getting to know each other and our programs through peer observation and conversation. I am often amazed that in a coaching workshop teachers from the same building make a discovery about each other in a 10 minute practice conference. I had a science teacher say that he just discovered that the Art teacher taught some important material. Coaching should be a component of Professional Learning Communities (PLC). As teachers in a PLC get to know each other better, the quality of their work will deepen. Small Learning Communities and Middle School Teams can both speed the development of their relationships through peer coaching.
Challenge Coaching is helpful when teachers want to work together to create an new opportunity or solve a problem. I worked with an English department that designed a lesson structure for a critical thinking lesson. Then, one teacher taught the lesson and video taped it. The team coached the lesson, modified it and passed it on to another teacher who taught and video taped. The process continued until 9 members taught and together polished the lesson design. Grade level or department teachers can use challenge coaching to tackle a standard that is troubling a number of students or create a plan for a disruptive student that they share. Observing in each others’ classrooms and reflecting and problem solving together often builds creativity.
Within the two day training and a follow up day with teachers and administrators at the Enka School, the following discussions of peer coaching were heard…
In the training during practice, a teacher shared that he had just met a person on the staff that he didn’t know and it was June!
Enka is structured in Pre –K , 1-5 and 6-12 units… discussions emerged about the value of 5 and 6 teachers coaching each other.
Discussion emerged around departments and grade levels selecting a common area for professional development and agreeing to coach each other.
Several teachers wrote on exit notes that they were anxious to coach with teachers in other grade levels and departments.
English pre school lessons will be team taught next year to provide teachers greater flexibility in differentiating. These teachers were discussing how coaching could be a daily activity. Since teaming will be new for most, we discussed teams inviting a third teacher to coach them on their teaming.
E-portfolios are being explored by a group of Enka teachers. They met briefly to examine how coaching was a natural component to support the reflection element of portfolios.
How would you label the Enka staff’s ideas for peer coaching…… technical, collegial, challenge? Do you see many areas of overlap?
Peer Coaching……..umbrella or skeleton? Do you have a better symbol?
Sunday, June 1, 2008
INSTRUCTIONAL COACHES AND CLASSROOM TEACHERS: SHARING THE ROAD TO SUCCESS
Cheryl Jones and Mary Vreeman, who lead the Reading Coach Project in Hillsborough County, FL, have published Instructional Coaches and Classroom Teachers: Sharing the Road to Success. I have had the opportunity to work with Mary and Cheryl for the past seven years and have seen the results of their work with elementary reading coaches. In addition to training their new coaches each summer, I have worked with coaches and administrators to plan for building implementation with faculty. [click here to read about their program]
Instructional Coaches and Classroom Teachers: Sharing the Road to Success will be helpful to principals and coaches planning to maximize the value of coaching. But the strongest payoff is that the book is written for teachers. In my comments that I wrote for the book’s cover, I noted that most teacher training programs, new teacher orientations, and professional development activities, do not prepare teachers to “make the most” of an instructional coach resource.
Here are a few quotes that will give you a sense of Mary’s and Cheryl’s message.
“Coaching is a two way street for inspiration—you will find you receive inspiration from and provide inspiration for, those you partner with in coaching activities. Coaching does not entertain any notions of perfection, performance, or evaluation.”
“Coaching builds upon the power of collaboration and provides opportunities to explore and examine our beliefs in the company of others.”
“Relationships are at the heart of coaching”
“Coaching offers something to every teacher—from the beginner to the seasoned veteran.”
Throughout the book you will hear Cheryl’s and Mary’s personal experiences as teachers, coaches, and school leaders. You’ll hear the voices of teachers. You’ll find opportunities for your own reflection, plus research and appendices of resources that support coaching activities.
Those of you working with Quality Teaching in a Culture of Coaching will find Instructional Coaches and Classroom Teachers a valuable complementary text.
Instructional Coaches and Classroom Teachers: Sharing the Road to Success will be helpful to principals and coaches planning to maximize the value of coaching. But the strongest payoff is that the book is written for teachers. In my comments that I wrote for the book’s cover, I noted that most teacher training programs, new teacher orientations, and professional development activities, do not prepare teachers to “make the most” of an instructional coach resource.
Here are a few quotes that will give you a sense of Mary’s and Cheryl’s message.
“Coaching is a two way street for inspiration—you will find you receive inspiration from and provide inspiration for, those you partner with in coaching activities. Coaching does not entertain any notions of perfection, performance, or evaluation.”
“Coaching builds upon the power of collaboration and provides opportunities to explore and examine our beliefs in the company of others.”
“Relationships are at the heart of coaching”
“Coaching offers something to every teacher—from the beginner to the seasoned veteran.”
Throughout the book you will hear Cheryl’s and Mary’s personal experiences as teachers, coaches, and school leaders. You’ll hear the voices of teachers. You’ll find opportunities for your own reflection, plus research and appendices of resources that support coaching activities.
Those of you working with Quality Teaching in a Culture of Coaching will find Instructional Coaches and Classroom Teachers a valuable complementary text.
Sunday, March 9, 2008
RESISTANCE IN COACHING CONFERENCES
In coach’s training, I often present a structure for planning and reflecting on conferences that are focused on bringing about change:
Agenda
Resistance
Problem Solving
First, identifying the teacher’s agenda (What are the emotions and thinking behind the teacher’s actions?). Often as the agenda is revealed, resistance is uncovered. It is then critical to work through the resistance before looking for solutions. A common mistake of coaches is to offer solutions or options when the teacher isn’t really ready to explore them.
Here is a scenario I recently received from a Student Engagement Coach:
Day One: The teacher asks if I know of a story that would fit in with her Black History Unit. I look at one and ask her if it is too long. We think about it, and then she suggests another story that I know well. I say,"Yes, that would be a great story. That would be a great vehicle for a lesson on inference". She looks at me in a questioning way. I say, "You could do this activity that is described in The Readers Handbook." I show her the "during reading" activity that uses two column notes. She would have to find quotes from the story that infer something about the characters, plot, setting, etc. Students would have them on the left side of the paper, and on the right side students explain what they inferred. She said it looked like too much and the students will not like stopping as they read to do the activity. I said that perhaps four quotes would be enough. Then, I showed her another activity from the book that would be a great "after reading "activity. Both activities are simple and would enhance any class discussion following the reading. Students were to read in pairs.
Day Two; I visit the class to watch the students during this reading activity. They are reading in pairs. They do not have the quotes, nor do they have the after reading activity. I talked to the teacher about this. Her response was that she did not have time to put the quotes on an overhead or on a worksheet. She did have the quotes selected. She said they would go over the quotes the next day.
She seemed to lack understanding of the need to teach the standards and not just entertain the students with a good story. The lesson was designed so the students would do the work and learning.
I had explained to her the day before the importance of having them understand the inference as they read so they could better understand the story. Doing the activity later reduces the impact. Doing the work the next day takes away the student's chance to interact with the story on the higher level.
Was this passive aggressive behavior? Did she not have time? Why didn't she make time?
I had the opportunity to meet with the coach who sent me this scenario. As we began to talk and she began to reflect, the realization of her doing an “end run” of the resistance of the teacher emerged. The teacher gave several signs of resistance that the coach could have explored.
The first was nonverbal, “She looked at me in a questioning way". This was a good spot for a paraphrase,”That doesn’t make sense for you”. However the teacher responds, the coach knows more of her thinking.”
Another spot, the teacher says, "That looks like too much". The coach goes to problem solving saying,”just four could work”. Here is a spot where some questions might work to uncover thinking/resistance.
"Tell me more" or "What makes it too much?".
Next time you feel resistance in a coaching conference look to explore it. It may take longer but it will increase the odds that change really will occur.
Agenda
Resistance
Problem Solving
First, identifying the teacher’s agenda (What are the emotions and thinking behind the teacher’s actions?). Often as the agenda is revealed, resistance is uncovered. It is then critical to work through the resistance before looking for solutions. A common mistake of coaches is to offer solutions or options when the teacher isn’t really ready to explore them.
Here is a scenario I recently received from a Student Engagement Coach:
Day One: The teacher asks if I know of a story that would fit in with her Black History Unit. I look at one and ask her if it is too long. We think about it, and then she suggests another story that I know well. I say,"Yes, that would be a great story. That would be a great vehicle for a lesson on inference". She looks at me in a questioning way. I say, "You could do this activity that is described in The Readers Handbook." I show her the "during reading" activity that uses two column notes. She would have to find quotes from the story that infer something about the characters, plot, setting, etc. Students would have them on the left side of the paper, and on the right side students explain what they inferred. She said it looked like too much and the students will not like stopping as they read to do the activity. I said that perhaps four quotes would be enough. Then, I showed her another activity from the book that would be a great "after reading "activity. Both activities are simple and would enhance any class discussion following the reading. Students were to read in pairs.
Day Two; I visit the class to watch the students during this reading activity. They are reading in pairs. They do not have the quotes, nor do they have the after reading activity. I talked to the teacher about this. Her response was that she did not have time to put the quotes on an overhead or on a worksheet. She did have the quotes selected. She said they would go over the quotes the next day.
She seemed to lack understanding of the need to teach the standards and not just entertain the students with a good story. The lesson was designed so the students would do the work and learning.
I had explained to her the day before the importance of having them understand the inference as they read so they could better understand the story. Doing the activity later reduces the impact. Doing the work the next day takes away the student's chance to interact with the story on the higher level.
Was this passive aggressive behavior? Did she not have time? Why didn't she make time?
I had the opportunity to meet with the coach who sent me this scenario. As we began to talk and she began to reflect, the realization of her doing an “end run” of the resistance of the teacher emerged. The teacher gave several signs of resistance that the coach could have explored.
The first was nonverbal, “She looked at me in a questioning way". This was a good spot for a paraphrase,”That doesn’t make sense for you”. However the teacher responds, the coach knows more of her thinking.”
Another spot, the teacher says, "That looks like too much". The coach goes to problem solving saying,”just four could work”. Here is a spot where some questions might work to uncover thinking/resistance.
"Tell me more" or "What makes it too much?".
Next time you feel resistance in a coaching conference look to explore it. It may take longer but it will increase the odds that change really will occur.
Sunday, October 28, 2007
PEER COACHING AT WALTON HIGH SCHOOL
I have had the wonderful opportunity over the past two years to work with the teachers and administrators at Walton High School in Cobb County, GA.
After my most recent training session I posed the following questions to Principal Tom Higgins and Lead Teacher Suzanne Schott. Feel free to contact them or me your questions or thoughts.
Tom Higgins, Principal, Walton High School tom.higgins@cobbk12.org
Suzanne Schott, Area Lead Teacher suzanne.schott@cobbk12.org
Description of Walton:
Walton is a suburban high school (grades 9-12) in the metro Atlanta area with a student population of just over 2600. It is part of a large district of 113 schools. Walton is a two time National School of Excellence and a conversion Charter. Walton’s combined SAT scores, with 100% of the seniors taking the exam, exceeded the national combined average by 186 points. Last year 960 students took 2058 AP exams.
Having attended the first Cobb County presentation on coaching, what caused you to want to explore peer coaching as a professional development strategy for your school?
We have a very talented staff and we were looking for ways to share the talent. We know that coaching is a critical component for the implementation of any new teaching strategies. We also saw coaching as a way to encourage and support the collaboration within the vertical and horizontal teaming structure that we already had in place at Walton.
What are your observations as you’ve had increasing numbers of teachers complete coaching training and begin peer coaching activities?
Teachers find a lot of value in learning from their peers. It’s probably the most common source of new knowledge for teachers, and peer coaching provides a structure for facilitating this exchange of ideas.
What resistance have you encountered and how are you responding?
Teachers do not like to take time away from their students even to learn new skills; however, our teachers are spreading the news about how valuable the experience has been by sharing their success stories and by explaining how they are now better able to meet their students’ instructional needs. We have also, very carefully, scheduled training for days when classes are not in session so that instructional time will not be interrupted.
What are your future plans? Why?
We are moving away from a traditional evaluation model for most teachers to a model where coaching is the norm. We feel that a checklist that a supervisor or administrator completes during an observation, in an attempt to assess a teacher’s competency, is not the most effective way to promote growth. We are asking teachers to pick a learning goal and then to specify the coaching they need to meet this goal. Why? Collaboration is the best way to leverage the talent in your building. We have found that more times than not the best way to provide professional learning on a continual basis is to structure effective ways for teachers to learn from each other. We currently have teachers in training who eventually will be in-house trainers for the collaborative peer coaching process.
Thanks Tom and Suzanne....... you reminded me of the following, written by Adam Urbanski, president of the Rochester Teachers Association and vice president of the American Federation of Teachers:
"Many daunting problems in education are borne of the isolation of teachers. Teaching requires the highest concentration of adults in the workplace of nearly any profession, and, ironically, it is the most isolating as well. There is no such thing as excellence in teaching when in solitude. By definition, excellence in teaching is a form of communication and group activity."
(from Forward…Quality Teaching in a Culture of Coaching)
After my most recent training session I posed the following questions to Principal Tom Higgins and Lead Teacher Suzanne Schott. Feel free to contact them or me your questions or thoughts.
Tom Higgins, Principal, Walton High School tom.higgins@cobbk12.org
Suzanne Schott, Area Lead Teacher suzanne.schott@cobbk12.org
Description of Walton:
Walton is a suburban high school (grades 9-12) in the metro Atlanta area with a student population of just over 2600. It is part of a large district of 113 schools. Walton is a two time National School of Excellence and a conversion Charter. Walton’s combined SAT scores, with 100% of the seniors taking the exam, exceeded the national combined average by 186 points. Last year 960 students took 2058 AP exams.
Having attended the first Cobb County presentation on coaching, what caused you to want to explore peer coaching as a professional development strategy for your school?
We have a very talented staff and we were looking for ways to share the talent. We know that coaching is a critical component for the implementation of any new teaching strategies. We also saw coaching as a way to encourage and support the collaboration within the vertical and horizontal teaming structure that we already had in place at Walton.
What are your observations as you’ve had increasing numbers of teachers complete coaching training and begin peer coaching activities?
Teachers find a lot of value in learning from their peers. It’s probably the most common source of new knowledge for teachers, and peer coaching provides a structure for facilitating this exchange of ideas.
What resistance have you encountered and how are you responding?
Teachers do not like to take time away from their students even to learn new skills; however, our teachers are spreading the news about how valuable the experience has been by sharing their success stories and by explaining how they are now better able to meet their students’ instructional needs. We have also, very carefully, scheduled training for days when classes are not in session so that instructional time will not be interrupted.
What are your future plans? Why?
We are moving away from a traditional evaluation model for most teachers to a model where coaching is the norm. We feel that a checklist that a supervisor or administrator completes during an observation, in an attempt to assess a teacher’s competency, is not the most effective way to promote growth. We are asking teachers to pick a learning goal and then to specify the coaching they need to meet this goal. Why? Collaboration is the best way to leverage the talent in your building. We have found that more times than not the best way to provide professional learning on a continual basis is to structure effective ways for teachers to learn from each other. We currently have teachers in training who eventually will be in-house trainers for the collaborative peer coaching process.
Thanks Tom and Suzanne....... you reminded me of the following, written by Adam Urbanski, president of the Rochester Teachers Association and vice president of the American Federation of Teachers:
"Many daunting problems in education are borne of the isolation of teachers. Teaching requires the highest concentration of adults in the workplace of nearly any profession, and, ironically, it is the most isolating as well. There is no such thing as excellence in teaching when in solitude. By definition, excellence in teaching is a form of communication and group activity."
(from Forward…Quality Teaching in a Culture of Coaching)
Sunday, September 16, 2007
TIME AND INCENTIVES FOR PEER COACHING
As a staff developer, consultant, school reformer, and change agent, I have frequently seen educators "give up" trying to be leaders and innovators because they needed time and, after looking for it, could not find any. One teacher lamented that she began a peer coaching strategy with three colleagues. The program died within two months because they were unable to find common time to observe and confer. Another teacher reported how a building-level staff development committee informed the principal of the need for early dismissal in order to conduct a two-hour information/planning session. The principal denied the request because he felt that the community would not accept an early dismissal. The program deteriorated.
How, teachers ask, can they engage in collaboration when no sustained blocks of time are available and work must be accomplished in short bursts of intense effort, and often alone? The question then becomes: Where can school leaders find the time in the school day and year for these activities?
I personally don’t believe they can. I think they need instead to make time. You can find strategies for making time in the following article: Time: It’s made, not found (by Stephen Barkley,Journal of Staff Development, Fall 1999 Vol. 20, No. 4). Additional authors writing on this topic can be found at www.nsdc.org.
Often, if teachers have the opportunity to experience the benefits of coaching and collaboration, they will be more inclined to carve out time on their own to continue. I recently worked with two school districts to develop the following outline for a 15 hour CEU or one graduate hour course.
Title: Peer Coaching and Collaboration: An Action Study
Text: Quality Teaching in a Culture of Coaching by Stephen Barkley
Structure: Four to eight teachers will form a study group. Each participant will complete at least one rotation of each of the following activities. A log and journal will be kept to document date, times, and reflections upon the learning from each of the activities. (Repeat any of the activities 2-6 to meet the 15 study hours)
1. Read the text
2. Attend a study group discussion to highlight and question critical issues from the text.
3. Observe a colleague’s lesson live or on tape and provide coaching feedback.
4 .Be observed (live or tape) by a colleague and receive coaching feedback.
5. Lead a conversation with colleagues to collect input on a lesson or unit plan prior to teaching it.
6. Lead a conversation with colleagues around your students’ work or assessment and gather suggestions for next steps.
Assignments: Submit your log and journal on completed activities. Include in your journal a final reflection on the value of your collaboration experiences. Examine the relationship between teacher collaboration and student achievement.
How do you create time and incentives?
How, teachers ask, can they engage in collaboration when no sustained blocks of time are available and work must be accomplished in short bursts of intense effort, and often alone? The question then becomes: Where can school leaders find the time in the school day and year for these activities?
I personally don’t believe they can. I think they need instead to make time. You can find strategies for making time in the following article: Time: It’s made, not found (by Stephen Barkley,Journal of Staff Development, Fall 1999 Vol. 20, No. 4). Additional authors writing on this topic can be found at www.nsdc.org.
Often, if teachers have the opportunity to experience the benefits of coaching and collaboration, they will be more inclined to carve out time on their own to continue. I recently worked with two school districts to develop the following outline for a 15 hour CEU or one graduate hour course.
Title: Peer Coaching and Collaboration: An Action Study
Text: Quality Teaching in a Culture of Coaching by Stephen Barkley
Structure: Four to eight teachers will form a study group. Each participant will complete at least one rotation of each of the following activities. A log and journal will be kept to document date, times, and reflections upon the learning from each of the activities. (Repeat any of the activities 2-6 to meet the 15 study hours)
1. Read the text
2. Attend a study group discussion to highlight and question critical issues from the text.
3. Observe a colleague’s lesson live or on tape and provide coaching feedback.
4 .Be observed (live or tape) by a colleague and receive coaching feedback.
5. Lead a conversation with colleagues to collect input on a lesson or unit plan prior to teaching it.
6. Lead a conversation with colleagues around your students’ work or assessment and gather suggestions for next steps.
Assignments: Submit your log and journal on completed activities. Include in your journal a final reflection on the value of your collaboration experiences. Examine the relationship between teacher collaboration and student achievement.
How do you create time and incentives?
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