Resources for Teachers & Instructional Coaches – October 2019

It’s October, and that means it is time for us to suggest some recommended reads for teachers and instructional coaches that lead to less haunted and spooky times in the classroom. Here are a few articles for educators about professional development.

It’s no trick! Research says a hybrid model of using district and school-based instructional coaches is the real treat.

Some schools use building-level instructional coaches who are also teachers at their schools, while others use full-time instructional coaches through the district. Experts recommend a hybrid model of district and school-based coaches to combine the strengths of both approaches.

Researchers are finding, however, that whether coaches are accountable to district leaders or local school administrators — data that is also being collected in the survey — can make a difference in how their time is used. And like Lane, experts suggest there are benefits to both approaches.

Read more on Education Dive: District- or school-based coaches? Research shows it makes a difference

Coaching is effective for principals and instructional leaders, too

The results from a recent study conducted by the National Association of Elementary School Principals suggest that, although principals agree that instructional coaching is beneficial for their teachers, they are not receiving this form of professional development themselves.

In looking at teachers’ PD, instructional coaching expert Jim Knight showed that coaching is effective because teachers who choose to be participants who are eager to learn, and that coaching supports retention of information better than traditional “sit and get” PD does. And in Student Achievement Through Staff Development, Bruce Joyce and Beverly Showers demonstrated that coaching not only provides growth in knowledge and skills but is more likely to result in the transfer of knowledge and skills to practical use.

Check out all the ideas on Edutopia: The Value of Coaching for Instructional Leaders

Teacher-led professional development allows teachers to give insight into their professional learning

Madeline Will shares five key benefits for empowering teachers to lead professional development. In her view, teacher-led PD allows teachers to learn from colleagues, to increase sense of professional efficacy, to enhance structure for districts to create change, to create lasting changes in pedagogy, and to build a wider range of relationships.

The traditional narrative of professional development is “an expert from out of state who comes in and tells us how to do our job,” said Cecilia Pattee, a teacher-consultant with the Boise State University Writing Project, on the panel. “We have to change that narrative. … PD is not a bad word, it can be good.”

Read more on Education Week: Putting the “Professional” Back in Professional Development