Professional learning takes place best within a culture of collaboration and collegiality, offering ongoing mutual supports between staff members1. In order for professional relationships focused on learning to take place, trust must be present, allowing people to take risks needed to change their ideas and behaviors in ways that will enhance student learning2. Trusting relationships between school professionals contributes to a sense of safety in experimenting with new professional practices and exchanging ideas with peers3. This relational focus is critical because, as Sparks4 says, "Most of the important forms of professional learning occur in daily interactions among teachers in which they work together to improve lessons, deepen one another’s understanding of content, analyze student work, examine various data sources on student performance, and solve the myriad of problems they face each day."
One powerful type of relationship in professional learning contexts is that which teachers may develop with coaches in their building5. Coaching requires mutual trust to be effective6. “A coaching relationship provides the opportunity for reciprocity of gifts of knowledge and skill, caring and support, feedback and celebration.”7 School-based coaches may fill one or more roles, such as being a catalyst for change, classroom supporter, curriculum specialist, data coach, instructional specialist, learning facilitator, mentor, resource provider, and/or school leader8. Effective coaching models focus on professional practice, are job-embedded, ongoing and intensive, nonevaluative, confidential, grounded in partnership, dialogical, and utilize respectful communication9. In coaching relationships, teachers are able to get valuable and specific feedback on their practices, discovering how to reflect and design lessons to reach all of their students10. In order for coaches to perform at their best, specialized training should be provided to help them fulfill their new role11 and they should be supported by administration12.
Sources:
1: Lindstrom, P. H., & Speck, M. (2004). The principal as professional development leader. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.
2: York-Barr, J., Sommers, W. A., Ghere, G. S., & Montie, J. (2006). Reflective practice to improve schools: An action guide for educators (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, California: Corwin Press.
3: Bryk, A. S., & Schneider, B. (2003). Trust in schools: A core resource for school reform. Educational Leadership, 60(6), 40-45.
4: Sparks, D. (2005). Leading for results: Transforming teaching, learning, and results in schools. Thousand Oaks, California: Corwin Press. (Quote: p. xiii)
5, 8, 11: Killion, J., & Harrison, C. (2005). 9 roles of the school-based coach: Complex job is a mix of teacher, leader, change agent, facilitator. Teachers Teaching Teachers, 1(1), 1-16.
6: Lecture, Leadership for Professional Learning, 1/8/14
7, 10: Barkley, S. G. (2005). Why coaching. In On quality teaching in a culture of coaching (pp. 3-22). Lanham, Maryland: Scarecrow Publishing. (Quote: p. 5)
9, 12: Knight, J. (2009). Coaching: The key to translating research into practice lies in continuous, job-embedded learning with ongoing support. Journal of Staff Development, 30(1), 18-22.
Think about a time when you felt the most collegiality in your professional relationships... what factors do you think helped set the stage for this sense of social cooperation and mutual support? If you were trying to create similarly-feeling working relationships in a different setting, how would you go about it? Why?
***feel free to do your own post and/or build off of others' posts to create a discussion forum***
One powerful type of relationship in professional learning contexts is that which teachers may develop with coaches in their building5. Coaching requires mutual trust to be effective6. “A coaching relationship provides the opportunity for reciprocity of gifts of knowledge and skill, caring and support, feedback and celebration.”7 School-based coaches may fill one or more roles, such as being a catalyst for change, classroom supporter, curriculum specialist, data coach, instructional specialist, learning facilitator, mentor, resource provider, and/or school leader8. Effective coaching models focus on professional practice, are job-embedded, ongoing and intensive, nonevaluative, confidential, grounded in partnership, dialogical, and utilize respectful communication9. In coaching relationships, teachers are able to get valuable and specific feedback on their practices, discovering how to reflect and design lessons to reach all of their students10. In order for coaches to perform at their best, specialized training should be provided to help them fulfill their new role11 and they should be supported by administration12.
Sources:
1: Lindstrom, P. H., & Speck, M. (2004). The principal as professional development leader. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.
2: York-Barr, J., Sommers, W. A., Ghere, G. S., & Montie, J. (2006). Reflective practice to improve schools: An action guide for educators (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, California: Corwin Press.
3: Bryk, A. S., & Schneider, B. (2003). Trust in schools: A core resource for school reform. Educational Leadership, 60(6), 40-45.
4: Sparks, D. (2005). Leading for results: Transforming teaching, learning, and results in schools. Thousand Oaks, California: Corwin Press. (Quote: p. xiii)
5, 8, 11: Killion, J., & Harrison, C. (2005). 9 roles of the school-based coach: Complex job is a mix of teacher, leader, change agent, facilitator. Teachers Teaching Teachers, 1(1), 1-16.
6: Lecture, Leadership for Professional Learning, 1/8/14
7, 10: Barkley, S. G. (2005). Why coaching. In On quality teaching in a culture of coaching (pp. 3-22). Lanham, Maryland: Scarecrow Publishing. (Quote: p. 5)
9, 12: Knight, J. (2009). Coaching: The key to translating research into practice lies in continuous, job-embedded learning with ongoing support. Journal of Staff Development, 30(1), 18-22.
Think about a time when you felt the most collegiality in your professional relationships... what factors do you think helped set the stage for this sense of social cooperation and mutual support? If you were trying to create similarly-feeling working relationships in a different setting, how would you go about it? Why?
***feel free to do your own post and/or build off of others' posts to create a discussion forum***