A researched based coaching model is beneficial in developing a strong and effective teaching staff.

As a new administrator, I know I have a lot to learn and I have to adapt to this new role. I am examining the many different teaching roles a school can have in their building. One of the important positions on my school faculty is the instructional coach. I find it interesting how important an instructional coach is in a school environment and how it is a position that also exists outside of education. There are life coaches, spiritual coaches and coaching positions being developed for to be utilized in corporate america. So the idea of coaching besides in sports, has been around for many years and in many different professions. The role of coaches has taken on a new valuable role in today's society. It is not unusual to turn on the television and see celebrities bragging on how their life coach has helped guide them through a crisis and helped them re-examine their life choices and priorities. There are even reality tv shows that are based on the fundamentals of coaching.


However, I began investigating the connection between coaching research and coaching practices being used currently in many educational setting. My research uncovered that there are many different types of coaching models and most of them have similar outcomes and components. Roy et al. (2013) emphasized that researchers and theorists believe that “effective coaching is not entirely dependent on the coach. Rather, many assert that the person being coached is the most important determiner if the success or failure of a coaching relationship”(p. 8). I feel strongly that classroom teachers must put forth the effort in order to grow and learn. However, before any of that can happen, the school system must provide action steps that provide the teachers with an effective, structured coaching model. Whichever coaching model a school uses, it should have components geared towards improving teacher practices and student achievement. Denver public schools provide teachers with a coaching  model that encompasses a sequence of action steps. They incorporate weekly observations that are focused primarily on identifying areas for improvement or deficiencies.


Crawford et al. (2017) suggests that a proven successful coaching model that entails intensity of coaching, content focus, actionable feedback, supportive presences, and reflective guidance will lead to successful student achievement. Roy et al. (2013) noted that “ Effective feedback should specify which strategies a teacher is performing correctly and effectively, which strategies a teacher is using but with errors or omissions, and which strategies a teacher could or should use but isn't”(p.11). Feedback should be immediate so that the teacher can begin to focus on the necessary skills and areas of improvement. As coaches begin the feedback process they should reexamine what they believe to be essential frameworks build around their own individual core values and their mission statements.

 According to Marzano and Simms (2013) coaching is an important element to a schools PD program success. A coach must be able to build a rapport with the staff in order to effectively change behaviors, pedagogy and school culture (pp. 8-9). Desimone and Pak(2017) suggests that “PD is more successful when teachers have more frequent opportunities to practice what they have learned and receive feedback on it”. However, no matter what type of coaching model your school system provides, there needs to be an effective professional development program embedded, a supportive administrative team on staff and an immediate feedback component.

                                                             





                                                           References 
 Aguilar, E. (2013). The art of coaching: effective strategies for school transformation. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, A Wiley Brand. 

 Crawford, A., Zucker, T., Van Horne, B., & Landry, S. (2017). Integrating professional development content and formative assessment with the coaching process: The Texas School Ready Model. Theory Into Practice, 56(1), 56–65. https://doi-org.ezproxy.montevallo.edu/10.1080/00405841.2016.1241945 

Desimone, L. M., & Pak, K. (2017). Instructional coaching as high-quality professional development. Theory Into Practice, 56(1), 3–12.https://doi.org/10.1080/00405841.2016.1241947 

Marzano, R.J., & Simms, J.A. (2013). Coaching Classroom Instruction.The classroom strategies series. Bloomington, IN Marzano Research.

Comments

  1. Brooke VeazeyOctober 2, 2020 at 6:51 AM

    Great post, Johanna. I agree with you in that before a coaching cycle can begin there has to be teacher motivation to continue learning. I also agree that school districts must put into place action steps for progress to be made using a coaching model. Marzano, R.J. & Simms, J.A. (2012) reaffirm the importance of "understanding how the teacher must be supported to move from one level of the scale to the next" (p. 30). Additional support can be offered to LEAs through partnerships. Ottenbreit-Leftwich et al. (2020) suggest "one solution for sustaining coaching may be for schools and universities to form research-practice partnerships (R-PPs) where long-term, mutualistic relationships are established to address problems of practice in local contexts while informing and advancing research" (p. 3).

    Marzano, R.J. & Simms, J.A. (2012). Coaching classroom instruction. Marzano Research
    Laboratory: Bloomington, IN.
    Ottenbreit-Leftwich, A., Liao, Y. C., Karlin, M., Lu, Y. H., Ding, A. C. E., & Guo, M. (2020). Year-long
    implementation of a research-based technology integration professional development
    ​ coaching model in an elementary school. Journal of Digital Learning in Teacher Education, 1-
    15.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Skyi BookerOctober 3, 2020 at 12:42 AM

      Johanna,

      Wow, your research is very intriguing to me. You noted that the success of a coach depends heavily on the teacher being willing to grow and succeed as well. I’m glad you brought this up, but my question to you is, how does a coach change a teachers mindset? How would you approach a stubborn teacher who is unwilling to grow in an area because they feel they are already doing fine? Arguilar (2013) argues that "coaching is a form of professional development that brings out the best in people" (p. 6). I truly believe this suggestion is true, but how do you coach the uncoachable? Hopefully, we will gain further insight in our future readings!

      Reference:
      Aguilar, E. (2013). The Art of Coaching: Effective Strategies for School Transformation. Jossey- Bass: San Francisco, CA.

      Skyi Booker

      Delete

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