Feeling effective as an instructional coach depends on having systems that work. Any coach will tell you that one of the things Covid affected the most were those very systems. Many coaches felt like they were set adrift as classrooms became empty, teaching moved online, and many teachers were overwhelmed. We realized pretty quickly that … Read more
From time to time, we all suffer from a lack of confidence, and when we lack confidence it is a whole lot harder to reach our goals. Research from a study conducted by the University of Utah found that, “Performance affects confidence and confidence affects performance. A change in either will elicit a change in … 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
An excerpt from Student-Centered Coaching from a Distance (Sweeney and Harris, forthcoming) There are lots of ways to formatively assess. One of the most powerful is through one-on-one conferences. In their text, Rigorous Reading, Nancy Frey and Douglas Fisher (2013) write, “Conferring provides the teacher with an excellent opportunity. These conferences allow the teacher to … Read more
An excerpt from Student-Centered Coaching from a Distance (Sweeney and Harris, forthcoming) Now that we’ve had some time to settle into distance learning, we are hopefully beyond the place of addressing immediate needs of safety and access. This allows us to look more deeply into how we can actually teach our students in the best … Read more