Professional Development for Teachers

The Different Hats We Wear: Coaching, Consulting, Collaborating, and Evaluating

When I first began to incorporate coaching into the classroom, I tried to use as many of the coaching strategies as possible. But because true coaching is about meeting the needs of our students, I realized that I would have to wear different hats at different times to help my students progress. Coaching wasn’t the only role. I had to admit that I was also a consultant, a collaborator, and an evaluator; and with each role, my behavior changed.Coaching...

The A-ha Moment: Principals Using Coaching Techniques for Teacher Evaluation

With more and more schools turning to Charlotte Danielson’s framework, districts are requesting that principals train their staff in understanding her rubrics. The difference between the “proficient” and the “distinguished” columns is the presence of teacher-centered versus student-centered instruction. While this concept is clearly not new, her analysis and blueprint are greatly needed.In years past, teachers anxiously awaited the semi-yearly to yearly observations by their assistant principals or principals. Teachers often expressed that it was similar to driving in a...

Certified Coaches Can Help At-Risk or New Teachers

New York State’s teacher evaluation system has finally arrived and we all recognize that this is a time of transition and a time of opportunity. New York, like other states, is beginning to roll out assessments of teachers. Therefore, it is imperative for schools to consider on-going professional development where certified coaches can work individually and in small groups with new and at-risk teachers. Coaches can help your teachers deliver high-quality educational strategies that will increase their ranking.For over...

COACHing Questions for Cooperative Group Work

For a complete guide to coaching, please see Teachers as Classroom Coaches by Andi Stix, Ed.D. and Frank Hrbek, published by ASCD..The objective of a teacher as coach is to elicit responses that reflect how well cooperative groups or a student is progressing. The questions should be open-ended, probing for as much detail and description as possible. This strategy...

3 Ps + C Model of Coaching

Our book, Teachers as Classroom Coaches, describes in detail ways a teacher can coach her students using the 3Ps + C Model. Here, on our blog, we decided to show an example of how an administrator can use the same strategy with a teacher: The 3Ps + C Model: purpose permission positive suggestion compliment Every principal, especially if we believe that the buck stops at the principal’s desk, as well as all of the teachers and staff, need to establish academic goals that...

The GOPER Model of Problem Solving in the Coaching Classroom or School

Raising a child is never as easy as it sounds. Hillary Rodham Clinton once wrote a small book on how It Takes a Village to set a youngster on the difficult path of growing up and acquiring an education and assuming the responsibilities of adulthood. Such a task is a demanding chore that needs the cooperation and efforts of many individuals, all working together in a cooperative atmosphere. No one works in isolation.The school too, like It Takes a Village, should always...