What Instructional Coaches Do
“An increasing number of school systems have carved a new professional role…Whatever the name of this role, it is a complex role. People in it are part teacher, part leader, part change agent, and part facilitator. Regardless of their title or job description, instructional coaches have at least two things in common. First, their mission is to assist teachers in learning and applying the new knowledge and skills necessary to improve the academic performance of all students. Second, instructional coaches spend a significant portion of their working day in direct contact with teachers, in their schools and classrooms.”
Joellen Killion and Cindy Harrison
Taking the Lead: New roles for Teachers and School-based Coaches, 2006
Collaborating With Teacher Teams
The instructional coach program is designed to assist teachers so high levels of effective teaching will impact on and continuously improve student learning and achievement.
The instructional coaches follow a specific plan of action in working with teachers in their schools. This action model cycle specifies how the coaches do their work and mirrors how teachers work with students. For example, coaches first must build relationships with others, just as teachers work to build relationships with students. And at any given point, coaches are able to identify how they are working on the continuous cycle.
The instructional coaches work mainly with teams of teachers performing the coaching work. The coaching work, whether with a new teacher, a veteran teacher or a group of teachers will always center on the bottom line: reading, math, and closing the gap in a culture of collaboration. If possible and given specific school conditions, instructional coaches in FCPS are asked to allocate their time so they spend 10 percent in their own professional development, 30 percent working with individual teachers, and 60 percent working with teams of teachers.
Expectations for Coaching
A critical component of the instructional coaching program involves the coach’s confidential relationship with school staffs. Coaches are not evaluators nor do they act as administrators. Coaches are professional teacher colleagues who work on instructional issues in a collegial and confidential atmosphere with their peers. As teacher leaders, coaches are required to meet specified expectations in their work at their schools and within the system-wide program. |
