Coaching in the Classroom was first proposed as a programme by AIMHI principals in 2001 and it began in all of the nine schools in 2002.
Prior to the commencement of Coaching in the Classroom, successful ABeL and Learning Through Language programmes had operated successfully for many years in AIMHI schools. Facilitators such as Ruth Sutton, Ron Martin and Ruth Penton had run many successful courses that led on to an improvement in teaching techniques in each of the schools. Teachers' awareness of the learning needs of Maori and Pasifika students in particular was heightened and teaching techniques designed to meet these needs were better developed.
The next step in improving teaching practice was seen to be assisting teachers in improving their classroom practice through the provision of ongoing coaching. It was important that this assistance was seen by teachers to be about “making good teachers better”.
In the Coaching in the Classroom programme, quality teaching is identified as a key lever for ensuring high quality learning outcomes for students.
It is designed to:
- encourage best teaching practice in the classroom, promoting quality teaching focused on student achievement;
- enable classes to work as caring, inclusive and cohesive learning communities;
- create effective links between school and the “other worlds” of the student (as outlined in the AIMHI Teachers’ Resource Manual;
- make teachers more understanding of, and responsive to, student learning processes, especially cooperative learning;
- provide positive, regular and relevant feedback to the student on learning processes.
During the 2002 school year, and through 2003 and 2004, all nine AIMHI schools have implemented Coaching in the Classroom programmes. Common features of the programmes are:
- an emphasis on developing and growing the skills of the teachers rather than on competency and attestation issues;
- a promotion of enhanced teaching techniques;
- a development of honesty and trust in the relationship between the coach and the teacher being coached;
- the setting of teaching development goals that have importance and integrity;
- an encouragement of teacher reflection and self-assessment;
- the collection of data related to classroom practice as the basis for discussion between the teacher being coached and the coach;
- the coach and the teacher both being learners;
- the integration of theory, demonstration, practice and feedback as integral to the coaching process.
Kay Hawk and Jan Hill of Massey University have held training days for coaches during 2002 and 2003 where the above practices were emphasised and worked through.
AIMHI schools are now keen to further refine coaching practices and to include a greater number of teachers in their programmes. Likely aims for schools will be:
- relating coaching to the schools’ strategic directions for teachers’ professional development;
- training more teachers to act as coaches;
- improving the documentation provided to teachers about the coaching process;
- focusing some of the coaching programmes on improving literacy and numeracy teaching (with the possibility of linking this work to asTTle diagnostic tests);
- intensifying the process as greater coaching skills are developed;
- looking to external evaluation of the programmes operating in each of the schools;
- developing greater teacher self-efficacy as a result of coaching programmes.
The Coaching in the Classroom initiative now has the potential to be a most significant one in showing how teachers’ professional development can be on-going, reinforcing and effective. It takes the professional development process several steps beyond merely informing and demonstrating by way of the usual in-service courses that teachers experience and it puts the emphasis clearly on practice support and reflection.
CONTACT
To find out more about Coaching in the Classroom contact Bill Gavin (AIMHI Coordinator) on (09) 270-2144 or wgavin.aimhi@xtra.co.nz
RESOURCES
For further information about coaching, go to Resources and select Coaching by subject.
Articles included are:
Positives and issues revealed in the coaching programme;
coaching programmes being run in the AIMHI schools;
lesson observation notes for coaches;
results of a survey of coaches and teachers being coached.
