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Developing Coaching Capacity

How do we do it?

Ƶ develops effective teacher coaches through careful selection, investment in their development, and support of their پover two years.

Selection: At each program school, we use classroom observation and interviews to select one teacher to serve as a full-time mentor to a cohort of Fellows working to improve their practice.

Development: Ƶ Mentors develop their coaching capacity through

  • Professional learning in coaching techniques
  • Professional development in the specific content areas their Fellows are working in
  • Observing and debriefing excellent teaching
  • Being part of a cohort of other Mentors across the region
  • Coaching and support from Ƶ staff

Practice: Mentors support their Fellows by

  • Participating with Fellows in content-specific professional development and coaching them on how to apply and refine it
  • Working through weekly coaching cycles of planning, observing, and debriefing instruction
  • Researching and recommending professional learning resources

What are the results?

The investment Ƶ makes in developing mentors builds their coaching capacity, with immediate benefits to the Fellows they work with, and shapes their career trajectory in education.

Coaching capacity: In a survey of alumni mentors, overwhelming majorities (85%+) said the training they received from Ƶ had a “Major” or “Transformational” impact on their performance in all nine coaching skills they were asked about:

  • Providing non-evaluative feedback on teaching
  • Facilitating teacher reflection without directing it
  • Recommending appropriate PD or resources for professional goals
  • Facilitating teacher inquiry groups
  • Gathering data through a classroom observation
  • Analyzing student work to determine instructional implications
  • Supporting effective instructional planning
  • Understanding adult learners
  • Setting measurable goals for instructional improvement

Career trajectory: Of 52 past Ƶ mentors surveyed, 24 continued to work as coaches, Teachers on Special Assignment, or professional development leaders, 9 had become administrators, and 19 returned to the classroom.

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