November 2018

November 2, 2018 - 5 minutes read

Instructional coaches stimulate thinking; they help their teaching colleagues reflect on practice, recognize areas of strength, identify areas of need, and review goals to ensure they are moving in the agreed upon direction that addresses student needs. They offer resources, ask relevant questions, encourage collective problem-solving, and provide multiple opportunities for thought-provoking conversations that are collaborative and creative. They help break down the walks of isolation and create an atmosphere of collegial sharing.

Coaches bring practitioners together to share creative thoughts, promising practices, and unlimited possibilities for learning. They help in an assortment of ways, but they are much more…

Coaches are change agents. And, they are also helpers. Where is the line, however, between the two and how do they move from helper to catalyst for change?

 Effective change agents really don’t create change… they have a multi-perspective eye. That is, they look at things through a variety of lenses and ask the questions that inspire thinking which promotes change. They answer Jim Collins’ question…” As a change agent, do you add value or just create noise?”

Instructional coaches are change agents who add value. Not by what they know. Coaches are not experts; they add value by asking the right kinds of questions that help their teaching colleagues reach their potential. They offer multiple, ongoing opportunities for colleagues to prepare, rehearse, deliver, rethink, and revise their instructional plans.  In the words of psychologist Jerome Bruner, “…creativity is figuring out how to use what you already know in order to go beyond what you already think.” Coaches help their teaching colleagues step “out of the box” and transform teaching and learning. They offer opportunities for colleagues to think together, be creative, and collectively move practice forward. Remember, learning is social so providing those opportunities for learning together is critical for growth.

I think instructional coaching is like crowd sourcing. It is a way for teachers and coaches to gather the collective wisdom of the group and reinforce collaborative thinking. That’s what change agents do… they create opportunities for expertise to be shared rather than “give” the answers to their teaching colleagues. They reinforce the idea that everyone has a voice in the process and should be heard. This is quite different from helping a teacher by handing out resources and saying, “These are great resources. Let me know what you think.”

A helper is a resource provider and becomes a change agent when the resources have a “string” attached. That string is the coaching interaction that is generated from the giving. It’s okay to begin the coaching journey as a resource provider. And, it’s okay to follow the giving with a helping hand to find those resources. The coach must, however, move towards becoming a change agent by bringing colleagues together to collaborate regularly around teaching and learning. The conversations must occur so that a culture for learning becomes the norm. This is the beauty of the BDA cycle of coaching and consultation. Coaches and teachers plan in the before, visit and collect data in the during, and debrief in the after. These are the conversations that make a difference.

Becoming a change agent means to re-think the role of the coach. While providing resources may be a way to gain access into classrooms, it doesn’t change classroom practice unless the conversation about that practice takes place. Encouraging teachers to talk about their practice with each other and providing those opportunities to do that in a non-evaluative environment will promote a growth mindset that moves everyone from helper to change agent. It gives everyone the responsibility of being a change agent with a mutual understanding of how to influence student and teacher learning. Helping is only one part of the story; changing practice completes the picture!

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