Instructional coaches can provide skill development to all teachers and facilitate collaborative solution-sourcing. Maximizing the effectiveness of instructional coaches can also include discussing academic support methods with teachers during their common planning times. However, factors such as imbalanced coach-to-teacher ratios, financial constraints to employing coaches, and underdeveloped recruitment processes can constrain the impact of instructional coaches.
This report explores how to use instructional coach support to improve teacher and student outcomes. It profiles school-wide as well as individualized support practices that coaches can implement to enhance teacher instruction.This report also discusses tactics to hire, evaluate, fund, and train coaches and maximize their impact.
Instructional support practicesRegularly communicate with teachers about the rationale behind assigning additional coaching support to minimize teacher resistance. Overcome teacher pushback to instructional support through carefully framed and data-oriented communication. Administrators can take classroom observation notes starting on the first day of the school year and document specific evidence to reference in future communications with teachers. Additionally, administrators at all five profiled schools recommend communicating with teachers proactively and clarifying that coaches’ assistance is a support resource, instead of a punitive measure. These measures cultivate teacher comfort with coaches and openness to altering their existing practices.
Example instructional coach’s observation and co-teaching processCollaboration
Work with a teacher to deliver lessons
Documentation
Provide notes to teachers after class
Observation
Note effect of new instruction on student understanding
Evaluation
Grade elements of teacher’s instruction on a 1-3 scale of effectiveness
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