My​ ​Coaching​ ​Philosophy ~~~~~~~

In​ ​the​ ​past​ ​few​ ​years,​ ​I​ ​have​ ​been​ ​focusing​ ​on​ ​growing​ ​in​ ​my​ ​educational​ ​leadership​ ​skills​ ​through supporting​ ​classroom-teachers,​ ​counselors,​ ​and​ ​administrators,​ ​in​ ​my​ ​role​ ​as​ ​an​ ​instructional​ ​technology​ ​coach. Throughout​ ​these​ ​experiences​ ​I​ ​have​ ​been​ ​able​ ​to​ ​gain​ ​a​ ​variety​ ​of​ ​skills​ ​and​ ​develop​ ​my​ ​philosophy​ ​on instructional​ ​education​ ​leadership. There​ ​are​ ​may​ ​schools​ ​of​ ​thought​ ​when​ ​it​ ​comes​ ​to​ ​instructional​ ​coaching.​ ​ ​I​ ​find​ ​myself​ ​resonating​ ​most strongly​ ​with​ ​practices​ ​and​ ​methodologies​ ​of​ ​Steve​ ​Barkley,​ ​educational​ ​consultant.​ ​ ​In​ ​his​ ​books​ ​and presentations​ ​Barkley​ ​advocates​ ​that​ ​instructional​ ​coaches​ ​are​ ​the​ ​facilitators​ ​of​ ​a​ ​culture​ ​of​ ​coaching​ ​within​ ​a learning​ ​community.​ ​ ​That​ ​is​ ​a​ ​powerful​ ​idea,​ ​that​ ​a​ ​school​ ​should​ ​have​ ​a​ ​culture​ ​of​ ​coaching,​ ​in​ ​which​ ​teachers are​ ​continually​ ​being​ ​coached​ ​and​ ​coaching​ ​each​ ​other​ ​in​ ​order​ ​to​ ​constantly​ ​grow​ ​their​ ​own​ ​teaching​ ​practices and​ ​improve​ ​student​ ​learning. Facilitating​ ​a​ ​culture​ ​of​ ​coaching​ ​within​ ​a​ ​school​ ​is​ ​no​ ​easy​ ​task.​ ​ ​Building​ ​coaching​ ​relationships requires​ ​a​ ​level​ ​of​ ​vulnerability​ ​and​ ​trust,​ ​as​ ​well​ ​as​ ​knowledge​ ​of​ ​how​ ​to​ ​conduct​ ​meaningful​ ​discussions​ ​that focus​ ​on​ ​specific​ ​outcomes.​ ​ ​When​ ​creating​ ​a​ ​culture​ ​of​ ​coaching​ ​the​ ​job​ ​of​ ​an​ ​instructional​ ​coach​ ​is​ ​to​ ​open these​ ​channels​ ​up​ ​for​ ​teachers​ ​so​ ​that​ ​they​ ​can​ ​work​ ​in​ ​teams​ ​working​ ​towards​ ​specific​ ​goals. I​ ​have​ ​been​ ​fortunate​ ​in​ ​working​ ​with​ ​a​ ​team​ ​of​ ​instructional​ ​coaches,​ ​one​ ​literacy,​ ​one​ ​math,​ ​and​ ​me​ ​as the​ ​technology​ ​instructional​ ​coach,​ ​to​ ​build​ ​this​ ​culture​ ​of​ ​coaching​ ​at​ ​our​ ​school.​ ​ ​ ​Even​ ​though​ ​our​ ​expertise​ ​in our​ ​various​ ​fields​ ​differ,​ ​our​ ​primary​ ​focus​ ​has​ ​been​ ​working​ ​to​ ​model​ ​coaching​ ​conversations,​ ​demonstrate quality​ ​questioning​ ​and​ ​feedback​ ​techniques,​ ​and​ ​promote​ ​peer​ ​observation​ ​within​ ​and​ ​across​ ​grade​ ​levels. An​ ​instructional​ ​coach​ ​who​ ​solely​ ​practices​ ​one-on-one​ ​coaching​ ​can​ ​reach​ ​only​ ​a​ ​few​ ​teachers​ ​at​ ​a​ ​time. An​ ​instructional​ ​coach​ ​that​ ​builds​ ​a​ ​culture​ ​of​ ​coaching​ ​at​ ​their​ ​school​ ​not​ ​only​ ​has​ ​a​ ​wider​ ​circle​ ​of​ ​influence, but​ ​also​ ​has​ ​a​ ​deeper​ ​impact​ ​on​ ​student​ ​learning​ ​and​ ​growth. The​ ​world​ ​of​ ​education​ ​is​ ​constantly​ ​evolving​ ​to​ ​best​ ​suit​ ​the​ ​needs​ ​of​ ​our​ ​students.​ ​ ​Instructional​ ​coaches are​ ​tools​ ​to​ ​start​ ​ripples​ ​of​ ​change​ ​that​ ​can​ ​have​ ​a​ ​profound​ ​impacts​ ​on​ ​learning​ ​communities.

~~~~~ “A​ ​masterful​ ​coach​ ​is​ ​a​ ​leader​ ​who​ ​by​ ​nature​ ​is​ ​a​ ​vision​ ​builder​ ​and​ ​value​ ​shaper,​ ​not​ ​just​ ​a​ ​technician​ ​who manages​ ​people​ ​to​ ​reach​ ​their​ ​goals​ ​and​ ​plans​ ​through​ ​tips​ ​and​ ​techniques.​ ​To​ ​be​ ​able​ ​to​ ​do​ ​this​ ​requires​ ​that​ ​the coach​ ​discover​ ​his​ ​or​ ​her​ ​own​ ​humanness​ ​and​ ​humanity,​ ​while​ ​being​ ​a​ ​clearing​ ​for​ ​others​ ​to​ ​do​ ​the​ ​same.” ~Robert​ ​Hargrove