Coaching

Board and school innovations depend on the actions of staff and their willing participation in professional development in order to successfully understand and implement the initiatives. Professional development must be connected to improved student learning and can delivered in several forms, one of which is coaching (Reimen & Thies-Sprinthall, 1998). DuFour and Eaker (1998) state that “nearly all teachers are able to develop mastery of new curricular and instructional practices” (p. 265). They cite the work of Showers, Joyce, and Bennet when they claim that any training should include “the presentation and explanation of the theory behind the practice, demonstration, opportunities for guided practice, prompt feedback, and sustained coaching. This coaching (the provision of ongoing feedback and support) promotes the sustained practice, reflection, and dialogue that then foster the acquisition of new knowledge and skills” (p.265).

Showers (1985) identified three goals of coaching:
1. To build communities of teachers engaged in the continuous study of teaching.
2. To facilitate the collegial study of new knowledge and skills through the development of shared language and common understanding.
3. To provide a support structure within which teachers can develop new teaching skills and strategies.
Coaching, in general, “refers to colleagues working together in a non-evaluative way to improve their practice” (Watson & Kilcher, 1990, p. 1).

At the center of all coaching is a three phase cyclical process that involves planning, observation, and discussion. The process is ongoing in the sense that information from the discussion phase feeds back into planning. The coaching relationship can be either collegial or advisory. In a collegial situation, the people working together are peers, whereas in an advisory relationship, one of the partners serves as a “consultant” to the other. Regardless, peer coaching is not an end in itself, but rather a means to an end.
As previously mentioned, “coaching is only one of a number of forms of collaborative and staff development” (Watson & Kilcher, 1990, p. 7). Teachers can continue to learn by being involved in activities which focus on teachers working together to improve instruction. Some examples might be informal visiting, sharing resources, team teaching, joint planning, and mentoring beginning teachers.

There are several issues associated with coaching:

• time
• resources (money to accommodate visits, etc)
• support (from administration)
• resistance (change in status quo)
• talk vs. doing (action-oriented)
• contrived congeniality (superficial relationship)
• reciprocity (training for both people)

The goals of coaching are congruent to the goals of professional learning communities. As a specific form of professional development, coaching respects the principles of adult learning and offers teachers a safe, non-evaluative forum in which to receive constructive feedback on their instruction and practices. Coaching helps by nurturing a collegial and collaborative culture within the school, which is a necessary component of professional learning communities.