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Gleaner / Education / Coaching for Improved School Performance
Sep 03

Coaching for Improved School Performance

  • September 2020
  • Sheila Holder
  • Education

The Atlantic Union Conference Office of Education, under the leadership of Jerrell Gilkerson, edu­cation director, embarked on an innova­tive instructional coaching program to further support teachers in classrooms. Even though one doesn’t usually think of Jesus as a coach, He, in fact, engaged in many coaching practices and facili­tated others in improving their perfor­mance. Many schools nationwide have introduced instructional coaching, in part, because school leaders recognize traditional in-service professional devel­opment is not affecting student achieve­ment in a meaningful or lasting way. Instructional coaching promises to be a more effective way to improve instruc­tion in schools.

Gilkerson introduced the concept with the view to build teacher exper­tise and raise student achievement. The Atlantic Union funded this initia­tive in two conferences—Greater New York and Northern New England. After hearing presentations on the benefits of coaching, 26 teachers from these conferences applied to partic­ipate in the program, however, only two teachers could be accommodated when the program was launched.

As an instructional coach, I employed a blended cycle consisting of both virtual and face-to-face prac­tices. Additional classroom structures were also used. At the conclusion of the instructional cycle, the feedback provided will be used to strengthen the ensuing programs.

Here are two encouraging quotes, one from each of the teachers: “I found this sharing of ideas and techniques intellectually stimulating because it has incentivized me to continue to seek and try new ideas,” said a multi-grade teacher. “Duties and responsi­bilities are continually pulling us away from our real job—teaching. Coaching helped me to be creative. It helped me believe in myself again and [remem­ber] why I became a teacher.”

Because of the initial success of the program, additional initiatives were undertaken during 2019. In August 2019, the Office of Education institut­ed a two-day instructional coaching conference to train experienced and newly-retired teachers as potential coaches and supporters. These inter­active sessions were led by me and Akasha, a leadership coach. Both days started with content teaching. Thereafter, hands-on strategies, large group practices, triad practices, demo coaching, and reflections occurred throughout the day.

In October 2019, eight potential coaches who had expressed a strong interest in strengthening their coach­ing skills met by Zoom to continue the learning process. They inde­pendently read and then conversed together discussing relevant topics from the book Better Conversations, authored by Jim Knight. These were rich sessions. One of the impactful takeaways was that emotional connec­tions strengthen relationships, estab­lish rapport, and require us to be fully present in conversations.

Training will not stop here, how­ever. Plans are underway for ongoing workshops, webinars, continued Zoom sessions, and formal coaching classes that will lead to instructional coaching certification for those who want to transition to instructional coaching.

Research concurs that instructional coaching is advantageous for teachers and, most importantly, for students. When professional improvement for teachers is carefully planned, coaching, as an individualized tool, can be a pow­erful and innovative means for achieving the visionary goal of the Atlantic Union Conference Office of Education.

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About The Author

Sheila Holder is an instructional coach and retired Bermuda Conference superintendent of schools.

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