Peer Coaching to the Rescue for K-12 Educators

Purpose & objective

This session will focus on coaching strategies that help support teachers through challenges and dynamic times in education. Objective 1. Understand how strong communication skills help teachers change their practice. Presenters will explore strategies coaches can use, like active listening, paraphrasing, and probing questions to help teachers adopt new instructional strategies and persevere in challenging times. Objective 2. Demonstrate the importance of modeling new instructional strategies to make coaching effective. Presenters will also explore how modeling or team teaching with their learning partner opens the door to detailed discussions on the kind of support learning partners need to transform and support their practice. Objective 3. Demonstrate the value of coaches and their learning partners working toward an agreed-upon model for teaching and learning as they co-plan learning activities. The presenters will also help participants understand the value of concrete, definable model for learning. They will define how this model is used when coaches and peers co-plan learning activities aimed at implementing this model. The presentation will provide evidence of the successful impact of these coaching practices. The success of the session rests on effective and consistent interaction with the participants in the session. To do this we will use Google Forms to seek input, questions and feedback before and during the session. Presenters will respond to participant input throughout the session. Participants will be provided with resources in a Google Site site to reference during and after the session.

Outline

Welcome & Introduction- 5 MINS
-Introduce backchannel use for conversation alongside the primary activity/presentation
-Poll to gain understanding of participants

Communication Skills- 15 MINS
-Identify communication skills
-Peer-to-peer practice of communication skills protocol
-Communication Skills Cue Card resource

Establishing Trust- 15 MINS
-Define and discuss ways to build trust
-Participants will create their own building blocks of trust through an interactive activity
-Make use of Norms of Collaboration tool to internalize intent and usage
-Overcoming Challenges through Resilience and Peer Support- 15 MINS
-Learn about resiliency
-Identifying strategies to aid in developing resilience
-Activities and resources to try during and after session

Question & Answer - 10 MINS

Supporting research

Darling-Hammond, L., Hyler, M.E., Gardener, M. (2017). Effective Teachers Professional Development. Palo Alto, CA; Learning Policy Institute.
Darling-Hammond, L., Wei, R., Andree, A., Richardson, N., Orphanos, S. (2009). Professional Learning in the Learning Profession: A Status Report on Teacher Development in the United States and Abroad. NSDC.
Foltos, L. (2013). Peer Coaching: Unlocking the power of collaboration. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.
Fullan, M. & Quinn, J. (2016). Coherence: The Right Drivers in Action for Schools, Districts, and Systems. Thousand Oaks: CA, Corwin Press
Joyce, B. & Calhoun, E. (2010). Models of Professional Development: A celebration of educators. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Kraft, M., Blazar, D., & Hogan, D. (2016). The Effect of Teacher Coaching on Instruction and Achievement: A Meta-Analysis of the Causal Evidence. Retreived from https://scholar.harvard.edu/files/mkraft/files/kraft_blazar_hogan_2016_teacher_coaching_meta-analysis_wp.pdf