We want to give you a peek inside our Coach Certificate & Mentorship Program. Coaches taking part in this academic-year-long journey have graciously given us permission to post some of their learning and reflections from the private coursework they are undertaking during this program. Where possible, we have shared the course and the action task to give context for the guest post.
Follow MairinThe Topic: Coaches as Leaders
The Task: Share the challenges you face when designing teacher professional learning and some strategies or ideas that can support you in overcoming those obstacles
I think in many school environments in which staff are pulled in many different directions and often feel they need things taken off their plates instead of added on, professional learning can be tricky. Challenges PL leaders face are ensuring that the PL is relevant to all of the staff present (if it is an all-staff session), and making the content seem easy-to-implement and achievable. An added challenge is to try and have the target audience leave at the end with the belief that what they’ve just learned will actually benefit them as professionals.
First, as someone who often has many ideas but then struggles with the most effective way to structure them, the COETAIL PLANNING TEMPLATE was very eye-opening, and I will be holding onto that for reference in the future when giving staff PL.
A few strategies that resonated with me were using a teaser or conversation starter, highlighting practical connections to everyday work (both shared in “DESIGNING LEARNING EXPERIENCES” by Kim Cofino), including personal experiences from students, and having a practical goal to focus on during the session (both shared in the COETAIL “4 KEY ELEMENTS TO A SUCCESSFUL PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT SESSION”).
Ideally, I would start with a teaser video highlighting the main points that will be covered in the session, just to get people thinking about what is coming up. Having students sharing their experience- either in person or through a video- is very powerful for teachers because it is difficult to discount student perspectives. A few years ago, when EAL teachers in the HS were presenting to staff about the realities of EAL students, we put together a video of real students sharing what they find difficult about various class activities and practices, which activities and practices they find helpful, and what they wish their teachers knew and understood about studying in a language that is not your first language. The teachers shared that they found the video very powerful, because some of the students often gave the appearance that they were coping well in classes, when in reality they were really struggling. Teachers also said that they knew that we- the EAL teachers-often recommended certain strategies or practices, but they didn’t really understand how those things actually had a big impact on the students’ success and well-being. That is something I would definitely continue to bring into PL sessions as often as possible.
Having a focus or goal that is not too lofty or overwhelming can give teachers confidence that whatever they are taking away from the session could be immediately applied to lessons. I once attended a PL workshop, and the presenter informed us that if attendees don’t bring at least some of the practices they learn into their classes within a week, the likelihood that they ever will is quite small. I remember being struck by that, and ever since I’ve made a point to bring in at least one or two things I’ve gained from PL into my next one or two lessons just to maintain momentum. I would do the same when leading PL: give the teachers something that they could easily take into their next lessons without a lot of planning or preparation.
Read more from The Coach participants as they share their learning from the certificate & mentorship program…
Abby: The Power of Learning Walks
Sandra: Coaching for School-Wide Change
Ashley: Seeing Yourself as a Leader
Ready to Lead Professional Learning?
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New Coaches:
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Experienced Coaches:
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