As instructional coaches get their year started, many wonder which teachers should be first in line for coaching cycles. On the surface, this seems like a relatively easy question to answer. We’ve heard everything from, “We start with our new teachers.” To, “Teachers participate on an invitational basis.” And even, “Our coaches focus on teachers … Read more
Effective professional development requires continuous support that can best be delivered by a school-based coach. By now many of us are familiar with Malcolm Gladwell’s supposition from the book Outliers about how much time it takes to become good at something. He writes, “The idea that excellence at performing a complex task requires a critical … Read more
Written by Diane Sweeney and Leanna Harris Co-authors of Student-Centered Coaching from a Distance Coaches wear many hats. They lead coaching cycles, informally work with teachers to co-plan lessons, unpack curricular units with teams, and support professional learning throughout a school. While each role constitutes an important part of a coach’s work, making connections between … Read more
Written by: Tom Ferrebee and Nicole Zito Nido de Aguilas is an International Partner School and has been implementing Student-Centered Coaching for the past five years. If you’d like to learn more about our International Partner Schools, visit: https://www.dianesweeney.com/student-centered-coaching-international-school-partners/ Like most international schools, our coaching team at Nido de Aguilas in Santiago, Chile has been … Read more
Written by: Leanna Harris and Diane Sweeney “Coaching is exceptionally needed but nobody has the time for it.” – Chris Finch, Assistant Superintendent, La Grange School District Now that the school year is in full swing, instructional coaches are looking for ways to go deeper in their partnerships with teachers. In years past, we … Read more
Written by Diane Sweeney and Leanna Harris Originally posted in the fall of 2015, this three-part blog series has been revised and updated. Getting to 60% (PART I of III) During a session with a partner district, Diane asked a team of K-12 coaches and principals to jot down the percentage of time that they … Read more
Written by: Diane Sweeney, co-author of Student-Centered Coaching: The Moves (Corwin, 2016) After a recent presentation at a coaching conference, a young man pulled me aside and said, “This coaching stuff is harder than I expected. I’m thinking about going back to the classroom.” It felt like a confession, and I wasn’t sure what to … Read more
Written by: Diane Sweeney, co-author of Student-Centered Coaching: The Moves (Corwin, 2016) One of our favorite coaching moves is to sort student work with teachers because it is a productive way to help us see – and act upon – the different needs of students. It’s a process that is used throughout the coaching cycle. … Read more