How Principals Can Support Coaches
and Vice Versa
with Jim KnightDeveloped by ERLC/ARPDC as a
result of a grant from Alberta Education to support
implementation
Unmistakable Impact:Unmistakable Impact:How principals can support coaches and
vice versa
The Instructional Coaching Groupwww.instructionalcoaching.com
three big ideasthree big ideas
1.1.
Why?Why?
QuestionQuestion
Do you agree that instruction is a critical factor in student learning?
2.2.
School School improvementimprovement plans are too plans are too complicatedcomplicated
One-shot One-shot workshopsworkshops do do
notnot improveimprove instructioninstruction
instructionalcoach.org/researchinstructionalcoach.org/research
HelpingHelping is is complicatedcomplicated
Prochaska, Norcross, DiClemente, & Crawley. (1994). Changing for
good.
IdentityIdentity
“knowledge workers …
don’t like to be told what to do. Thinking for a living
engenders thinking for oneself. Knowledge workers are paid for their education, experience, and
expertise, so it is not surprising that they take offense when someone else rides roughshod over
their intellectual territory.”
Thomas Davenport, Thinking for a Living
Text
StatusStatus
MotivationMotivation
Goals that people set for themselves and that are devoted to attaining mastery are usually healthy. But goals imposed by others--sales targets, quarterly returns, standardized test
scores, and so on--can sometimes have dangerous side-effects.
Drive: The surprising truth about what motivates us
Comments?Comments?
3.3.
Impact Schools
Partnership Principles
Impact schoolsImpact schools• Creating the Target
• Administrative support
• Workshops
• Intensive Learning Teams
• Coaches
The Target
Creating the TargetCreating the Target• One-page target
• Target design team
• Teacher meetings
• Teacher commitment
• Central office support
What percentage of your teachers fully What percentage of your teachers fully understand your school’s school understand your school’s school
improvement plan?improvement plan?
A: 0 - 10%
B: 10 - 25%
C: 25- 50%
D: more than 50%
Principal
PrincipalsPrincipals• The first learner
• Observations
• Teacher progress map
• Walking the talk
• Referral to coaching
Comments?Comments?
Workshops
WorkshopsWorkshops• Focus on the target
• Well lead
• Principal attends sometimes leads
• Supported with coaching
• A focus on impact
Intensive Learning TeamsIntensive Learning Teams
Coaching
CoachesCoaches
• Essential for impact
• Know the target inside out
• Lead workshops and ILTs
• Supported by the principal
Coaching coachesCoaching coaches• One page summaries
• Checklists
• Modeling
• Enrolling activities
• Use of time
Effective coachesEffective coaches• Have credibility
• Are emotionally intelligent
• Teach effectively
• Work hard
• Are learners
To sum upTo sum up
7 ideas7 ideas• School-wide clarity
• Precision
• Principal leadership
• Focus
• Clarity
• Partnership
• System-wide support
Comments?Comments?