Many schools throughout the province of Alberta have invested in the idea of Learning Coaches as a model for professional development. Now that the investment is made, is there a bang for the buck? What is it that these “Coaches” have up their sleeves that can help teachers grow? I mean after all, some of the teachers out there have a great deal more experience than the new coaches charged with supporting teacher growth. Right?
That is right. Some teachers have years more experience than the coaches and are experts in their disciplines far more than any of the coaches. So where does the value lie?
First, I think we need to look at the definition of a coach in general. Dictionary.com, the modern equivalent of Mr. Webster, defines a coach as one who trains an athlete or team of athletes. I never liked Dictionary.com. The coaches that are present in your teaching workplace define their role as “supporting teachers in their practice in order to enhance student engagement and student achievement.” Pretty lofty intentions but certainly noble and enticing. The coaches do not need to be experts in mathematics in order to help a Mathematics teacher. What they can do is act as a second set of eyes and hands. They are simply there so that teachers can look at their own practice through the observations of another professional.
Some of the services a learning coach can offer to impact your teaching practice are:
- Model innovative teaching strategies
- Engage in professional dialogue
- Co-plan lessons
- Act as a fresh set of eyes on teaching practices
- Team teach
- Assist with assessment and reporting
- Gather resources
- Help with collecting, analyzing and using data for planning purposes
- Find professional development opportunities tailored to your needs.
- Assist with tweaking existing lessons
That’s a pretty extensive list. Why wouldn’t you take advantage of your local coach?
Keep learning and growing,
Dave
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