Inclusive Coaching Cadre
Does your school have an Instructional Coach? Many schools have added such a position, either for general or discipline-specific support to the faculty. The person hired is usually an exceptionally strong teacher who has existing influence in the building. Under administrative supervision, instructional coaches provide support to teachers’ practice as they implement new research-based strategies in their own classrooms.
Walkowiak (2016) indicates that effective coaches are “likely to influence change and professional growth among teachers” if they use five essential communication practices:
The instructional coach and school leaders collaborate to define the role of the coach.
The instructional coach establishes trust with teachers at the school.
The instructional coach shows value for teachers’ ideas.
The instructional coach sets very narrow and focused goals for instructional growth.
The coach focuses instructional conversations on evidence from students and on learning together as professionals.
Having been a coach for more than 35 years, I couldn’t agree more, but where do coaches gain these communication skills? I studied with my mentor Art Nierenberg, Executive Director of Breakthrough Disability, for 25 years and then completed my special education doctorate at George Washington University within a federally funded systems change grant called Leadership for Full Participation. The communication practices Walkowiak describes can only be effective if the coaches have mastered critical interpersonal and leadership skills.
These skills are the focus of my Inclusive Coaching Cadre, which will be offered online over the next school year. Instructional coaches and teachers who want to develop coaching skills can participate online, working collaboratively with colleagues across the country to sharpen their interpersonal and personal leadership skills. Check out the flier and contact me for more information
The Inclusive Coaching Cadre has ended.
Contact Me or visit My Services page to learn about how your school can benefit from Joyful Inclusion.
