School+Coaching

· **  OVERVIEW   ** *Coaching has grown from a last-chance technique to help poorly performing employees or managers into standard practice for enhancing skills in many leadership development programs. *…coaching has emerged as a new approach to professional learning · **  DEFINITIONS   ** *In education coaching is designed to take individual teachers, administrators, or a group of educators from where they are to where they want to be. *The change improves student achievement. *A coach helps others learn skills and gain knowledge to enable them to solve problems or achieve goals on their own. · ** TYPES OF COACHING CONVERSATIONS  ** __ 1. Directive Coaching __ -one person asks another for specific guidance on the way to do something. __ 2. Collaborative Problem Solving __ -the coach and the client solve a problem jointly. __ 3. Non-directive Coaching __ - includes agreeing on the desired outcome and may include collaboratively exploring specific solutions. The coach tries to help the client understand the thinking processes that led to the current outcome. · **  RATIONALE   ** *Coaching is just-in-time learning that can be used immediately *It is learner driven *Midcourse corrections can be made if a strategy is not working *About 5% of teachers apply what they learn in professional learning activities to their classroom practice compared to 90% when they are coached along with professional learning · ** STEPS  **  o The coach and the client: *agree on a desired result *understand the current reality *explore the assumptions leading to that reality *generate alternative actions *monitor progress *move toward self-sufficiency  o Coaching will not be successful until each step has been addressed.  · ** VARIATIONS  ** *Coaching is not a sequential, assembly line process and is a very individualized approach based on each person and each interaction.  · ** CRITICAL ELEMENTS  ** Effective coaches must: * have curiosity and the ability to listen, question, focus and achieve results * focus on outcomes rather than the process * try not to fix the client * have compassion and respect for their clients  · ** CONCLUSION  ** Coaching offers the opportunity to explore those issues that cause the greatest challenges and pain in day-to-day work life; can help people see the world with new eyes and continue down a path of professional growth.
 * Chapter 19 School Coaching  **