Exploring Coaching Roles
Dr. Kristen Moreland, Dr. Samantha Olson-Wyman, and Jordan Benedict
During the 25/26 school year, members of the AAICIS research team interviewed 10 instructional coaches and 5 administrators representing 11 countries across 4 continents. You can read the results of these focus groups in a 4-part series published in the TIEOnline Newsletter. If you missed Part 1, you can read it here
When asked to describe the work of instructional coaches at their schools, one administrator responded that, “our work this year has just been establishing a vision for instructional coaching and more clearly defining it.”
This is a CRUCIAL step for the success of any instructional coaching program. If you and your school are struggling with implementing your instructional coaching program, or you feel like you are not getting to the deep level of work that truly has an impact for kids AND teachers, an intentional conversation about the purpose of your instructional coaching program might be just what is needed.
Establishing a Shared Vision and Clarity of Purpose is one of the AAICIS Conditions for Success. If you were to read this statement with your team, how would you each respond?
All stakeholders, including teachers, coaches, and administrators, have a shared definition and understanding of the purpose of instructional coaching and how it aligns with the school’s goals.
Ask the people in the room to respond to the statement with a “fist to five.” (The number of fingers you hold up aligns with your agreement to the statement. All 5 fingers up would indicate strong agreement, whereas a closed fist would indicate you do not agree with the statement.) How aligned are your responses? Your answer will indicate where to go next:
- Do you need to create a definition of the purpose of your coaching program?
- Do you need to communicate with a specific group about the purpose of your instructional coaching program?
- Who else might need to be at the table?
- Considering your team in your school, what actions do you need to take to support your success right now and for the longer term?
AAICIS suggests 6 additional conditions that need to be established to help the success of your instructional coaching program. These are around:
- A readiness among the teachers to accept the support of instructional coaches
- The advocacy of the school leadership
- The time and resources dedicated to the process of instructional coaching
- A clear understanding of your coaching focus
- Coaches who are well-trained in the craft of instructional coaching
- A plan for how to assess the quality and effectiveness of the instructional coaching program.
AAICIS is available to support you in these conversations! Connect with a member of our School Support Team to learn more! And be sure to look for Part 2 of our 4-part series to be published in the TIEOnline Newsletter in November!