Coaching

= Description of Coaching Cycle Stages = Assess The first stage in helping a teacher develop and implement a project is to determine the teacher's technology skills and instructional strategies. This information helps the coach and teacher define a lesson or project the teacher can successfully implement, or to identify the kind of coaching, resources, or skills the teacher might need to carry out the project. Set goals Setting reasonable and realistic goals that are linked to the school’s educational goals and curricular standards is a critical first step toward establishing a solid coaching relationship and helping teachers integrate information and communication technology into their classroom activities. Prepare Participants learn to use the Learning Activity Checklist to evaluate the strength of a proposed lesson, project, or unit. Working in teams, coaches use the checklist to assess the lesson design of a series of activities that are often implemented by classroom teachers. Coaches then learn to make suggestions for improvements. This part of the cycle depends on “best teaching practices” and coaches might provide learning activity models, resources, teaching technical skills, and other activities that help teachers prepare to implement technology-rich, engaging learning activities. Implement activities Coaches often find that the teachers they work with benefit from seeing their coach model a technology-rich lesson or team teach a lesson or project with their coach. Coaches report that the coaching and collaboration skills they have developed in the Peer Coaching Program are essential to successful coaching. Reflect, debrief One of the strengths of peer coaching is that it provides for structured opportunities for reflection that help teachers improve their instruction. The Peer Coaching Program uses a variety of tools coaches can use in this process, including a Collaboration Log. One of the resources that coaches most value is the opportunity to come together during the later stages of their enrollment in the Peer Coaching Program to continue to collaborate on common problems and common solutions.