CUR/540 Team F

This site provides a variety of useful tools for a literacy coach to use for planning, meeting and organizing. Included on this site is a document that guides the literacy coach in planning a lesson with the cooperating teacher, note-taking document for observation of the lesson and a debriefing sheet for reflection after the lesson is taught.

This article is by a well known researcher named Jim Knight. The purpose of this article is to describe what good instructional coaches should be doing when they are working with a teacher. Jim includes seven characteristics for "partnership" in his article because he believes that there should be a partnership between the coach and the teacher because it creates a positive environment that makes learning and working together pleasant and beneficial. The seven elements of this partnership are choice, equality, voice, reflection, reciprocity, dialogue and praxis. The article explains what each element means and then deaxribes some more common characteristics of what a good coach should be doing such as providing feedback and asking questions.

This video is focusing on the value that instructional coaching can have in the classroom. It focuses on how instructional coaches can help teachers by pointing out what worked well and giving positive criticism and helpful tips on what could help he next class be better. The video make sure it obvious that the coach is not in the classroom to put the teacher down or be completely negative, but to help the teacher see things that he/she may not have noticed before. Instructional coaches should be seen as someone who is helping teachers continue learning and growing in their field and not as someone scary.

This article was written by a teacher named Elena Aguilar. This article discusses several important tooics that every coach needs to know about coaching teachers. Some of the topics include making sure the purpose of h coaching is clear to the principal, what coaching involves and that coaches still need professional development and training. This article states that coaching is difficult and that there are many things you will encounter that you were not prepared for. The tips and advice the author gives makes it easier to understand what instructional coaching is about.

The above report was written to reflect on the experience of conducting peer coaching for improvement of teaching practices and student learning. Upon reading the report, to effectively implement peer coaching it is best practice to engage in communication that is open and honest ,unbiased, with a willingness to help each other to grow professionally.

In the above video, Les Foltos gives a speech on peer coaching. Les is the creator of a program focused on training teachers and leaders to help their colleagues integrate technology into the 21st Century classroom. Upon viewing the video Les discusses how using peer coaching to improve teaching practices. This is done by using collaborative and modeling strategies as best practices for peer coaching.

The above article discusses both the history and the principles of peer coaching. The article also discuses recommendations for training sessions and how peer coaching is used for school improvement. Upon reading through the principles of peer coaching the best peer coaching practices are implemented when the teacher agrees to be a member of the coaching team, each participant works collaboratively together, and when effective and immediate feedback is provided.

The article above defines peer coaching, the various types of peer coaching, and the three main approaches used in peer coaching. Upon reading the article the best practices for the peer coaching methods are for the participants to engage in co teaching, study groups, and videotape analysis. Also the article discuses the importance for the participants to get together to develop materials and problem solve.

This blog provides some valuable tips and tools for literacy coaches, written by a practicing literacy coach. The 4 tips featured in the link above are practical and basic, ideal for the beginning literacy coach.

This video documents the conversation between a first grade teacher and a literacy coach. The video serves as an excellent model for initial one on one meetings with teachers to begin the literacy coaching cycle.

This PDF published online defines the role of the literacy coach and cycle in which the coach will operate. This would be an excellent resource for introducing school-wide staff to the function and expectations of a new literacy coach.

This article was taken from Dr. Robert Marzano's book "Coaching in the Classroom. He provides instructional coaches with tips that will help them reach and relate to their teachers that they are coaching. Among the tips included in this article are providing feedback, creating trust, emphasizing growth and ways helping teachers move through the development stages of coaching from beginning all the way to advanced.