What Does it Mean to be a Coach?
Everyone is a coach, whether we offer advice about cooking, about writing, or about any other topic. We are taking a coaching stance whenever we share ideas and examples with someone else. The coach is usually more experienced and brings another set of eyes to problem solve a situation. Classroom coaches can be a grade level or content area peer teacher and are often close to the context the teacher is examining (Campbell & Malkus, 2011).
In Project CLEAR, we want to build on the power of the teacher as a coach for colleagues and for students to scaffold learning. This training model emphasizes the shared observation of lessons, joint problem-solving and planning, and reflective partners. The coach can be within the school, district, or county setting. Coaches’ influence within schools can be observed in instructional decisions, using observational data to inform instruction, prompting for strategic activity, teaching for independence, and building on the strengths of the learner (Forbes & Dorn, 2015). It has shown to be one of the most effective designs of professional development.
Dr. Jill Baker, superintendent, and Kathy Brown, Reading Recovery Teacher Leader, Long Beach Unified School District, stated that, “Through the study of coaching methodology, actively practicing the skills of coaching and reflecting upon this work, an Intensive Intervention Model was developed” (2019, p. 30). Ongoing professional development deepens the teacher’s understanding and has consistently impacted student gains (Podolsky, et al., 2019).
We invite you to visit a class and watch the teaching and the coaching in action. Classes are offered in-person and virtually across the state. Further information about Project CLEAR can be found at www.sdcoe.net/project-clear. Training is available for coaches who work in English or Spanish languages.
References:
Baker, J. & Brown, K. (2019), The sweet spot of coaching: Where teachers and administrators find common ground while developing a comprehensive literacy system. Journal of Reading Recovery, 18(2). 27-36.
Forbes, S. & Dorn, J. (2015). Marie Clay’s search for effective literacy instruction: A contribution to Reading Recovery and small-group teaching. Journal of Reading Recovery, 14(2), 28-32.
Campbell, P. F., & Malkus, N. N. (2011). The impact of elementary mathematics coaches on student achievement. The Elementary School Journal 111(3), 430–454; Landry, S.H., Anthony, J. L., Swank, P. R., & Monseque-Bailey, P. (2009). Effectiveness of comprehensive professional development for teachers of at-risk preschoolers. Journal of Educational Psychology, 101(2), 448–465.
Podolsky, A., Darling-Hammond, L., Doss, C., & Reardon, S. (2019). California’s positive outliers: Districts beating the odds. Palo Alto, CA: Learning Policy Institute.