Coaches are on the side of helping teachers implement effective instructional practices in non-evaluative ways. They help teachers become more reflective practitioners through a job-embedded, elbow-to-elbow support system. They offer a high impact outcome in a risk-free environment that promotes a consistency in language and practice. The goal is for all students to be in classrooms with highly effective teachers who are supported by highly effective instructional coaches.

Happy New Year!

Last year’s data research conducted on October 27, 2016 indicated that 45% of Americans made New Year’s Resolutions with the top resolution “self-improvement or education related resolutions.” 39 percent of people in their twenties achieved their resolutions; 14 percent of people over 50 achieved their resolutions. Interesting how that works!

One of PIIC’s 4 quadrants is to support reflective and non-evaluative practice as we work with our colleagues. We help our teaching colleagues recognize which instructional practices are effective and which need to be strengthened. We facilitate conversations that help them distinguish which practices are vulnerable and which ones promote increased student engagement. We strive to help teachers meet the needs of their diverse populations and try to ensure that all students are in classrooms with highly effective teachers. And coaches do all of the above in non-evaluative ways as they help teachers reflect in, on, and about practice through the feedback process.

In the recent report, “Coaching for Impact: Six pillars to create coaching roles that achieve their potential to improve teaching and learning”, instructional coaching is described as a vehicle to help all teachers plan more effectively, collaborate with colleagues about their practices, identify the strengths and areas of practice that need more support, and analyze student performance. This is and has always been PIIC’s message about the power of instructional coaching.