Ongoing Sustainable Support for
Effective Professional Development

Effective support that focuses on curriculum and technology integration at the school site by a trainer and mentors with support of a coach. Support can be one-on-one, in small groups, by grade-level, by department, or by skill level 

Scenario
Advantages
Tips
Differences of Mentor and Coach

What is a coach?

A coach...

• has curriculum background and understands content and technology standards.
• has mastered personal and instructional use of technology.
• has developed a rich library of curriculum-driven support materials and technology enhanced resources for grade levels and subject areas for teachers involved with coaching.
• is a good listener, asks open-ended questions and uses pauses effectively.
• observes classroom situations objectively.
• is a good note-taker, researcher and team player.
• models lessons and strategies.
• prepares new support materials customized to the teacher's curriculum.
• provides feedback and new ideas for different situations.
• can be available for support either on-site or on-line.

Scenario

Ruth is a technology integration coach. She has been teaching and integrating technology use within her classroom for many years. She is a full time technology coach at her school site so she can support her teachers each step of the way on integrating technology use in their classrooms. She is familiar with the curriculum as well as the technology tools that can be used to enhance and support each curriculum. She meets with the teachers one-on-one or with grade level teachers in small group sessions. Sometimes a substitute is provided or sometimes she meets with teachers during their prep time so that coaching is conducted during the school hours. (Job Embedded Staff Development) She listens to each teacher's requests and needs. Sometimes she models lessons for her teachers, sometimes she observes lessons they are doing and gives them feedback on how to improve their lessons using technology. She meets with each teacher individually so she can tailor the coaching sessions to very specific needs and levels. She can also closely track each teacher's progress because as a full time coach, she has more time to devote to supporting her teachers. This school is lucky to have found money to pay for full-time support for Ruth as coach for the teachers at her site. If Ruth's job as coach is discontinued, the school has worked with My eCoach and will bring them in to support grade-level mentors. Ruth has asked My eCoach for support. It is difficult for one person to know how to do everything. She uses My eCoach's support and guides.

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Advantages of Coaching

Coaching is the most effective strategy for customized, relevant, and focused support for classroom teachers. When teachers are asked to use technology as part of their instructional practices, many teachers panic. Coaching provides one-on-one support where teachers feel valued and really listened to. An effective coaching model is one where teachers are given release time and a personal coach is assigned to them. The coach uses several methods to assess the teacher's situation and curriculum needs. The coach can then provide relevant support materials, model lessons using technology, and give feedback the teacher will be able to use to go the next step.

Some of the advantages are that a coach is...

1) Able to tailor support to each teacher's technology proficiency and interest level.

2) Able to assess each teacher's coaching sessions by combining methods of assessment including observation, interviews and survey.

3) Able to track more closely each teacher's progress of implementing classroom technology projects, skill levels, etc. through follow-up visits.

4) Coaching is a more personal approach than whole group training sessions where usually a wide range of abilities leaves beginners lost and advanced users frustrated.

5) Teachers feel more motivated and responsible to act on new skills learned because coaching is on going and personal. Their personal coach can respond on specific concerns in a timely manner.

6) Teachers are usually coached during school hours, so teachers are paid for their time to learn how to use technology. Businesses provide technology training during work hours. This is called job-embedded staff development.

7) Teachers are able to work on their own computers and peripherals during coaching sessions so they actually learn to use their own systems and software.

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Tips to Start Coaching

1) Do not select a teacher who is a full-time teacher to be a coach. Full-time teachers have enough on their plates. Coaches can be teachers on special assignment or technology consultants who know both the curriculum and technology.

2) Provide resources that teachers can refer back to such as handouts, reference books, ideas sheet, etc.

3) If coaching is done in the classroom, have substitute take students out to do an activity while coaching is going on in the classroom. Coaching can also take place during prep times or after-school.

4) Select a lead teacher in each grade level to serve as mentors to help out with the little technology and curriculum questions that come up.

5) Start coaching teachers that want it first. It is frustrating to spend valuable dollars on teachers that really do not want the sessions.

6) Look at providing stipends for teachers who spend after-school time for mentoring or extra time to do planning on new activities.

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Differences between Mentor and Coach

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