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Curriculum-Focused Coaching |
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Setting |
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Professional
Development Strategy A high school mathematics teacher is observed and coached by an experienced lead teacher. Goals
of this Example of Professional Development
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What You Can Gain from Using this Video
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Coaching and mentoring are professional development strategies that provide
one-on-one learning opportunities for teachers. Coaching is often thought
of as a peer activity -- support between teachers who have equal competence
-- while a mentor is an experienced professional who guides a colleague with
less experience.
Traditionally, coaching focused on classroom observations and use of a preconference-observation-postconference
cycle. Recently, the concept of coaching has broadened to include other activities
such as co-planning instruction, developing materials, and discussing the
impact of teacher behavior on students (Showers & Joyce, 1996).
Mentors can play the roles of teacher, coach, role model, sponsor, protector,
and opener of doors. The literature on mentoring beginning teachers is substantial;
research indicates that effective mentoring programs can lower the attrition
rate for new teachers, significantly decreasing the length and trauma of their
induction period into the profession (Newton, Bergstrom, Brennan, Dunne, Gilbert,
Ibarguen, Perez-Selles, & Thomas, 1994).
Sometimes mathematicians can be mentors for teachers, helping them develop
deeper understanding of the content and enabling them to insert examples of
real-world applications in their lessons. On the other hand, it is important
to recognize that experienced teachers are competent professionals whose observations
are valuable sources of knowledge for other teachers.
The Strategy in Action
This strategy requires special skills in observation and communication. Sophisticated
training programs are available to help coaches and mentors understand the
principles of adult learning, conflict resolution, and the change process.
While good coaches and mentors from any discipline can help teachers become
better inquirers into the dilemmas of teaching, they can be of much greater
assistance if they know the specific content being taught.
Coaching and mentoring are most successful when teachers agree that they will
work on examining particular problems. Sometimes this is as focused as tallying
the number and kinds of questions teachers ask of different students to understand
gender or cultural biases. Other times the focus is more general, such as
techniques used to manage materials.
Obviously, for coaching and mentoring to work, teachers need opportunities
to interact with each other. Just having time for classroom observations without
the chance to talk before and after defeats the purpose. While a novice teacher
may pick up some tips by sitting in on a lesson, a follow-up discussion of
what was done, why, and with what impact is critical for true understanding.
Because of the personal nature of coaching and mentoring, a climate of trust,
collegiality, and continuous growth are absolutely necessary. The ability
to fail and learn from failure, to acknowledge both strengths and weaknesses,
and to build improvement strategies on both, is best acquired with the help
of a "critical friend" (Costa & Kallick, 1993).
Building this level of trust can only happen if interaction occurs with some
regularity, so that suggestions can be tried and reflections on their impact
shared. Coaching and mentoring pairs need to build an understanding about
each other's knowledge of teaching, learning, and content, and what each can
do with students in classrooms. Administrators need to recognize the importance
of mentoring and coaching relationships and to nurture the building of a learning
community in the school (Garmston, 1987; Showers & Joyce, 1996).
