This blog post was written by Pamela Fong, a Research Associate with Innovation Studies at WestEd.

The Center for the Future of Teaching & Learning at WestEd recently hosted a live, web-based conference for leaders in the Teacher Practice Networks (TPN). The topic: Video-based peer coaching.

EL Education, a TPN member, shared their professional learning model, which involves two teachers as peer coaches, video segments of their instruction, and a cycle of inquiry for examining practice.

A key theme was “How can video and peers play a role in promoting professional growth in such a way that teachers can be ‘vulnerable’ to feedback?”

We ask this question about video-based peer coaching to our education colleagues and invite you to contribute to the dialogue. We want to hear how you create a safe space for teachers to learn by examining their own practice alongside a peer, and how teachers have used this approach to improve their practice. Feel free to leave a comment to this blog post.

Our recent issue of CenterView focuses on video-based peer coaching. Visit the resource page, CenterView: Putting a Lens on Teacher Practice — Video-Based Peer Coaching, where you can download the issue and read about the benefits and challenges of this collaborative and evidence-based tool for professional learning.