Truth be told, you are a coach because someone saw a formidable light within you. There is something within you that is meaningful. Your teaching experiences, your instructional expertise, your drive – those things that make you are important in your coaching voice. You are called to model instructional practices.
The emphasis, however, is on modeling. The emphasis is not to turn the teachers into versions of you.
I enjoy going to painting classes. You can often find me at the painting studio with friends. One of the things I love about a painting class is that absolutely everyone ends up with a different painting. Everyone receives the same tools and materials. Everyone has the same choice of paints. Everyone hears the same instructions from the same painting instructor. Nevertheless, the masterpieces are all different.
This experience is true in teaching also. As you coach, you will present the teachers with strategies, skills, and ideas to take back to their classrooms. The implementation of these will vary due to the teachers’ own expertise, experiences, and interests. In practice, your coaching approaches will give way to a variety of outcomes. There will be teachers who will decide to take little pieces of the ideas you are providing. Others will not only take the ideas, but move beyond to create something new and exciting in your classroom. The core of the teachers will be in the middle of the pack. All of these outcomes are perfectly acceptable.
The variety in teacher practices allows you to differentiate your practice. The follow-up to the initial professional development should be appropriate to support the success of each teacher. Take smaller steps where these are needed. Take bigger, bolder steps with the teachers that are ready. Scaffold the learning process. For an extra boost, encourage the teachers to collaborate with teachers who are a step ahead of them.
As the coach, you are supporting and developing the teachers’ instructional practices. Model the instructional practices that you believe in. Be consistent in your practices. Try to stay away from expecting all the teachers to do exactly the same thing. This practice takes away from the kaleidoscope of teaching practice that keeps vitality in the school. Encourage teachers to try your ideas and to make them their own.
You may be pleasantly surprised by the outcomes.
I look forward to your comments.
