Ongoing Professional Development
Mentorship strategies for instructional coaches
Alissa Whitaker EDU 537
Role of an instructional coach
The adaptable and vacillating role of an instructional coach is filled by someone with experience and knowledge willing to guide others through connection, support and role modeling. Positve mentorship strategies assist coaches in supporting the ongoing development of adult learners.
Strategies for Mentorship
- Build connections and trust
- Go slow to go fast
- Intentional role modeling
- Bring out the best in each individual
"We rise by lifting others."-Robert Ingersoll
Build Connections and Trust
- Warm, personal and unbiased relationships creates a safe space for learners be vulnerable.
- Time for comfortable story telling is a way to share experiences, creating connections and showing relatablility.
- Avoid piggybacking on others successes, rather celebrate victories together!
- Believe in the learner and they will trust in you as a coach.
- Find those who you 'click' with and work together, motivating one another to sharpen skills and broaden ideas.
"...parallels between close friendships and effective mentoring...: no judgement, genuine interest and acceptance, trustworthiness, respect, forgiveness, support, dependablitiy, thoughtfulness and a sense of humor" (Bain et al., 2017, p 31).
Go Slow to Go Fast
- Sift through strategies and methods to find the most relevant and effective for the current situation or united purpose.
- Ensure strategies are aligned with district and site school culture. A clear, common vision creates motivation.
- Focus teachers' attention on target goals, unrolling district initiatives one step at a time. Plan engaging and professional developments which model usable classroom strategies.
- Have supportive converstations allowing teachers to express areas of concern and areas of strength. Use guiding questions to collaborate towards a solution. Help identify strengths and guide strategies to build off an area of confidence.
"Going slow to go fast means meeting teachers where they are and acknowledging how they feel" (Racines, 2019, para 3).
Intentional Role Modeling
- Maintain a keen skill for compiling and analyizing evidence in order to draw conclusions and formulate theory (Gilbert & Buckner, 2017).
- Extensive feedback should challenge teachers to think critically and promote healthy self-reflection.
- Have high expectations for oneself and others.
- Remain cognitively flexible and generally curious, as it can be infectious to others!
- Present purposeful professional development meetings with focused, clear and thoughtful information buffered with time for self-direction, hands on application and relfection.
"She led the department with competence, decisiveness, vision, and even-handedness..." (Gilbert & Buckner, 2017, p 747).
Bring out the best in each individual
- Feedback wrapped in a trusting relationship is key for growth.
- Remain open to new ideas, perspectives and even personalities.
- Help shape mentees ideas, don't feed them your own.
- Ask open ended questions, collaborating towards a solution as a partnership.
- Be an advocate for others.
- Assume positive intentions- believe every teacher is receptive to coaching.
"Effective coaching requires active listening, deciphering needs, and then building capacity based on the strenths of teachers" (Racines, 2019, para 13).
Presenter Notes
Slide 4: Build Connections and Trust: Trusting relationships allow for learners to be more receptive to feedback and self-reflection. Entering the relationship as thinking partners on a collaborative level allows adult learners to value the experience (Cheliotes & Reilly, 2018). Respecting and hearing the individual experiences and knowledge adults bring shows trust and value in their work (Conaway & Zorn-Arnold, 2015). Those who are 'hungry' are those teachers ready to learn and intrinsically motivated. Don't take it personal if teachers don't engage equally, remain equitable. Slide 5: Go Slow to Go Fast: Being an expert in past tried practices of the district and mindful of the school culture will help focus practices (Racines, 2019). When a teacher feels overwhelmed, an instructional coach can meet the teacher at their comfortability level, recognize how and why they feel that way (Racines, 2019). By sharing ideas, coaches help them to shape thier own (Gilbert & Buckner, 2017).
Presenter Notes P.2
Slide 6: Intentional Role modeling: Presenting high quality and relevant information for professional development helps teachers take it seriously (Gilbert & Buckner, 2017). Adult learners understand when their is a gap in their learning and intrinstically want to take learn the relevant and neccesary information needed to solve the problem or fill the gap (Conaway & Zorn-Arnold, 2015). Adults want to know they are spending their valuable time learning something worthwile and progressive to their goals (Conaway & Zorn-Arnold). Self-directed work time permits teachers to choose how they want to spend their time, enabling self-efficacy and automony (Conaway & Zorn-Arnold, 2015). Circling back after time spent emplimenting new strategies or gathering data is beneficial in feedback and self refelction. Slide 7: Mature adults carry the skill to be self directed and intrinsically motivated. Teachers who are hired have most of the experience in front of them, ready to be gained as an educator. Coaches contain a bank of experiences ready to share with novice teachers- ones who take pride in their accomplishments as and educator. We must believe they are ready to learn! Great mentors value their partnership with the mentee, motivating one another to be their best.
References
Bain, C., Young, J. & Kuster, D. (2017). Finding the right fit: Three art teachers discover their mentorship style. Art Education, 70(3), 29-33. https://doi-org.lopes.idm.oclc.org/10.1080/00043125.2017.1286854 Cheliotes, L., & Reilly, M.F. (2018). Coaching conversations: Transforming your school one conversation at a time (2nd ed.), Corwin. Conaway, W., & Zorn-Arnold, B. (2015). The keys to online lerning for adults. Distance Learning, 12(4), 37-42. Gilbert, L., & Buckner, C. (2017). Paving the way: The distintive mentoring style of Janet Taylor Spence. Sex Roles, 77 (11-12), 743-750. https://doi-org.lopes.idm.oclc.org/10.1007/s11199-017-0839-7 Racines, D. (2019) 4 tips for instructional coaches. Edutopia. http://www.edutopia.org/article/4-tips-instructional-coaches Wolpert-Gawron, H. (2016). The many roles of an instructional coach. ASCD. https://www.ascd.org/el/articles/the-many-roles-of-an-instructional-coach
Ongoing Professional Development EDU 537
Alissa Whitaker
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Transcript
Ongoing Professional Development
Mentorship strategies for instructional coaches
Alissa Whitaker EDU 537
Role of an instructional coach
The adaptable and vacillating role of an instructional coach is filled by someone with experience and knowledge willing to guide others through connection, support and role modeling. Positve mentorship strategies assist coaches in supporting the ongoing development of adult learners.
Strategies for Mentorship
"We rise by lifting others."-Robert Ingersoll
Build Connections and Trust
"...parallels between close friendships and effective mentoring...: no judgement, genuine interest and acceptance, trustworthiness, respect, forgiveness, support, dependablitiy, thoughtfulness and a sense of humor" (Bain et al., 2017, p 31).
Go Slow to Go Fast
"Going slow to go fast means meeting teachers where they are and acknowledging how they feel" (Racines, 2019, para 3).
Intentional Role Modeling
"She led the department with competence, decisiveness, vision, and even-handedness..." (Gilbert & Buckner, 2017, p 747).
Bring out the best in each individual
"Effective coaching requires active listening, deciphering needs, and then building capacity based on the strenths of teachers" (Racines, 2019, para 13).
Presenter Notes
Slide 4: Build Connections and Trust: Trusting relationships allow for learners to be more receptive to feedback and self-reflection. Entering the relationship as thinking partners on a collaborative level allows adult learners to value the experience (Cheliotes & Reilly, 2018). Respecting and hearing the individual experiences and knowledge adults bring shows trust and value in their work (Conaway & Zorn-Arnold, 2015). Those who are 'hungry' are those teachers ready to learn and intrinsically motivated. Don't take it personal if teachers don't engage equally, remain equitable. Slide 5: Go Slow to Go Fast: Being an expert in past tried practices of the district and mindful of the school culture will help focus practices (Racines, 2019). When a teacher feels overwhelmed, an instructional coach can meet the teacher at their comfortability level, recognize how and why they feel that way (Racines, 2019). By sharing ideas, coaches help them to shape thier own (Gilbert & Buckner, 2017).
Presenter Notes P.2
Slide 6: Intentional Role modeling: Presenting high quality and relevant information for professional development helps teachers take it seriously (Gilbert & Buckner, 2017). Adult learners understand when their is a gap in their learning and intrinstically want to take learn the relevant and neccesary information needed to solve the problem or fill the gap (Conaway & Zorn-Arnold, 2015). Adults want to know they are spending their valuable time learning something worthwile and progressive to their goals (Conaway & Zorn-Arnold). Self-directed work time permits teachers to choose how they want to spend their time, enabling self-efficacy and automony (Conaway & Zorn-Arnold, 2015). Circling back after time spent emplimenting new strategies or gathering data is beneficial in feedback and self refelction. Slide 7: Mature adults carry the skill to be self directed and intrinsically motivated. Teachers who are hired have most of the experience in front of them, ready to be gained as an educator. Coaches contain a bank of experiences ready to share with novice teachers- ones who take pride in their accomplishments as and educator. We must believe they are ready to learn! Great mentors value their partnership with the mentee, motivating one another to be their best.
References
Bain, C., Young, J. & Kuster, D. (2017). Finding the right fit: Three art teachers discover their mentorship style. Art Education, 70(3), 29-33. https://doi-org.lopes.idm.oclc.org/10.1080/00043125.2017.1286854 Cheliotes, L., & Reilly, M.F. (2018). Coaching conversations: Transforming your school one conversation at a time (2nd ed.), Corwin. Conaway, W., & Zorn-Arnold, B. (2015). The keys to online lerning for adults. Distance Learning, 12(4), 37-42. Gilbert, L., & Buckner, C. (2017). Paving the way: The distintive mentoring style of Janet Taylor Spence. Sex Roles, 77 (11-12), 743-750. https://doi-org.lopes.idm.oclc.org/10.1007/s11199-017-0839-7 Racines, D. (2019) 4 tips for instructional coaches. Edutopia. http://www.edutopia.org/article/4-tips-instructional-coaches Wolpert-Gawron, H. (2016). The many roles of an instructional coach. ASCD. https://www.ascd.org/el/articles/the-many-roles-of-an-instructional-coach