Whether it’s the beginning of the school year, or somewhere in the middle, engaging teachers in coaching is an ongoing process that requires intentionality and perseverance. In his book, Good to Great, Jim Collins uses the term the ‘Flywheel Effect’ to describe how organizations get and maintain momentum. He writes, “No matter how dramatic the … Read more
Written by Diane Sweeney and Leanna Harris We are all grappling with what to expect when school returns. One thing we know is that this school year won’t be normal. This means that coaching won’t be normal either. If we fail to acknowledge this simple fact, then we fail to be responsive to what’s right … Read more
Written by Diane Sweeney and Leanna Harris Excerpted from Student-Centered Coaching: The Moves (Corwin, 2017) Thinking aloud is a coaching move that increases the metacognition and reflection that occurs throughout a lesson. It most commonly occurs when a coach is co-teaching in a classroom. It sounds something like, ‘We just gave the kids a really tough question … Read more
In the post, Good Coaching Got Me Up a Mountain, I shared the story of how good coaching helped me conquer obstacles on my mountain bike. It was a great reminder of the power coaching. When I wrote that post, the trails were soft and I was in peak riding shape. Since then, the leaves … Read more
Instructional coaching has grown exponentially over the past two decades. Today there are coaches in large districts, small districts, urban districts, and rural districts. Coaches focus on subjects like mathematics, literacy, and technology. And others work across content areas. With millions of dollars and countless hours being dedicated to coaching, we must be sure that … Read more
Good coaching is powerful. In fact it’s so powerful, that it got me up a mountain the other day. In the summer, I love to spend my time mountain biking in Grand County, Colorado. There are hundreds of miles of trails, most of them pretty challenging. When I get the chance, I like to ride … Read more
At a recent PD session, an instructional coach raised her hand and asked an innocent enough question. We had been talking about the importance of principals and coaches discussing how their coaching cycles were impacting student and teacher learning. She asked, “I’m confused. Aren’t our coaching cycles supposed to be kept confidential?” She went on … Read more
Coaching is the ultimate form of personalized professional learning. There is no better way to help teachers refine their craft then to work with a coach. And better yet, what if coaching helps the students grow too? That’s what student-centered coaching is about, increasing student achievement and developing teacher capacity…all at the same time. I … Read more