Coaching Trumps PD: Become a Walking Coach

Purpose & objective

Today’s students have more technology at their disposal than ever before. Teachers speak of this divide between these “digital natives” and the traditional methods of instruction they have always used. While Google Apps and Chromebooks are now being used in more than half of the schools in the nation, teachers themselves often feel at a loss as to how to use these tools effectively. More PD is not the answer.

When professional development merely describes a skill to teachers, only 10 percent can transfer it to their practice; however, when teachers are coached through the awkward phase of implementation, 95 percent can transfer the skill (Bush, 1984; Truesdale, 2003). As such, we must meet teachers where they are at, coaching them in classrooms over time, providing support during the implementation process.

After conducting a sit and get style PD, too many coaches sit in their office waiting for the phone to ring. They wonder why teachers don’t reach out. In this session, we talk about the importance of being a proactive lead learner who walks alongside teachers during the implementation process. Learn tips and strategies for maximizing time, building trust with teachers, and making yourself available.

Learn from our successes and failures as we share our war stories from the trenches of tech coaching. You too, will learn to be a walking coach. Leave this session ready to hit the hallways running and get out there to make professional learning great again.

Outline

Agenda for this session includes -
The importance of ditching the office and being mobile (10 minutes)
Answering emails, doing work in classrooms
Tricks to get into the classroom (5 minutes)
Be forgetful & unforgettable
Praise your people (5 minutes)
Be on the same team
Communication (5 minutes)
Tools for efficiency (10 minutes)
Calendar, forms, notifications, hangouts, screencasting, google classroom
Scheduling (5 minutes)
War stories (10 minutes)
Q & A (10 minutes)

Supporting research

When professional development merely describes a skill to teachers, only 10 percent can transfer it to their practice; however, when teachers are coached through the awkward phase of implementation, 95 percent can transfer the skill (Bush, 1984; Truesdale, 2003). As such, we must meet teachers where they are at, coaching them in classrooms over time, providing support during the implementation process.