AJUSD Leadership

Condition #2: Structures for collaboration

Teachers need to be interested in and willing to work together; their doors need to be wide open,

Condition #3: The principal’s view of coaching.

a coach needs a close partnership with the principal. He must see you as someone to collaborate with; he must also have a fairly clear vision of what a coach does.

You want to get an overall sense of what the principal knows and understands about coaching and how he intends to utilize you. It’s critical to remember that coaching can’t be mandated -- so listen for any indicators that this might be the plan. You also want to get a sense of how the principal plans on bringing you into the role -- are teachers aware that a coach might come on board? How do they feel about that? Are they participating in the selection process? Does the principal anticipate pushback to coaching? How will he negotiate that? If you’re considering taking a coaching job at a site, be sure to have a number of in-depth conversations with the principal. You need to feel that you can work closely and well with that leader.

Perhaps the most critical condition for coaching to work is that an organization sees itself as a place where everyone is a learner.

Condition #4: Professional development for coaches.

Are there other coaches in the school or in the district? Are there networks or professional learning communities of coaches that you can hook into