Thunder Bay, Summary of 2 Day Coaching Inservice

Thunder Bay, Summary of 2 day coaching inservice

Frayer Model of Coaching: Group 1 Definition 1:  A coach is to provide support, direction and guidance to individual teachers or groups of teachers. The goal is to improve and develop teacher’s ability to provide improvement in student learning, improve teacher practice and skills, and improve teacher behavior and attitudes.

Characteristics:  Ongoing interaction of discussion, Action and geedback  Non-judgmental  Collaborative team approach  Trustworthy  Supportive  Balanced relationship  Provides direction to improve practice  Offer guidance  Mutual challenges  Willingness to work with reluctant teacher

Examples:  Coaching an athletic team  Asking thought provoking questions to have teachers think about their practice  Moderated marking (team)

Non-examples:  Marking  Photocopying  Supervision  Teacher evaluation (T>PT>A>)  Coach makes decisions and is in control  Coach demos lessons only  Not only 1 model  Invitation only  Working with non willing coachee

What do coaches in Thunder Bay think they’ll be involved with? Grouped and categorized:

Why coaching:  Purpose is to affect student learning  To find out where the teacher is at and where they want to go  Focusing and narrowing down  To gain strategies that will help me in implementing information session on EQAO  Improve teaching strategies  Provide thoughts about teaching practices  Creating a framework for implementing this initiative  Process of coaching heavy  Listening to teacher concerns and acting as a liaison between teacher and admin

Co planning  lessons  resources  assessments  collaborating  helping teachers get the “big ideas”  helping to understand the curriculum, teaching through problem solving, collaborative marking, formative assessment

Co-Teaching  Demonstrating lessons  Support colleagues in their teaching practices  Model lessons  Incorporate group work while keeping students on task  Debriefing lessons  Trying now things together  Providing P.D.  Work with students  An extra pair of hands in the classroom

Resources: using, sharing, developing  Find resources  Develop resources  Build capacity with available resources (OERB, Gixmos, CLIPS)  Help finding, implementing resources  Helping utilize resources more effectively  Support though providing resources  Technology (graphing calculators, interactive white board, G.S.P.)  Investigating use of technology in our classrooms  Help with planning and use of manipulatives

Affective Domain / other  There to help and not judge  Trying to motivate  Support teacher to take risks  Gradual release of responsibility  Share within the classroom  Collaborative rold within a family of schools  Facilitating PLC groupings  Providing P.D.  Consulting  Decrease anxiety, increase clarification  Discussions and investigation of assessment and evaluation

Graffiti Activity Participants identified concerns they anticipate, and each of the 3 groups are given some time to respond on the chart paper the strategies/suggestions for handling the concerns.

Item #1: How can we best organize the time for the coachee…so he/she is not overwhelmed:  Work around the coachee’s schedule (spend time in their class)  Ask administration for release time for the coachee  Quality, focused time – ensure it’s worthwhile for coachee  Use email and/or Adobe Connect  Administrator to cover coachee’s class  Post your own schedule  Combine classes for “release” time  Create schedule with coachee

Item #2: How can we identify potential coaches:  Share the Board’s Math GAINS plan (check with Bil Otto)  Data: student data, low performing classes  Teacher: new to the profession, grade or department  Ask for Volunteers that meet the focus of the proposal  Ask department heads SST or Principal  PLC members  Teachers involved in Math PD  Pick a teacher that you already have a good rapport with  Focus on teachers of a specific grade

Item #3 Where can a coach go for support?  Provincial coach  Coaches wiki  Curriculum.org (publications, webcasts)  TIPS  OAE  Colleagues (in and out of board)  OERB  Commercial resources (PRIME, SMART tech, ONAP)  Text supports  SST, SSL, Curriculum co-ordinators  Steering committee lead  Bill Otto