COACHING
Why Is Coaching Necessary?
Workshops can be extremely valuable because they quickly introduce information to a large audience. But by themselves, workshops typically do not lead to a highly successful program. Just as teachers need coaches to help them learn and use new teaching strategies, coaches, administrators, and other educators need coaches to help them develop and support flourishing coaching programs. After studying coaching for more than 20 years, we are convinced that professional learning does not truly happen until it is being applied in the classroom—and often it is during application that educators especially need a coach.
The coaching provided by the ICG is primarily tailored for educational leaders who are designing, implementing, or overseeing a coaching program. As such, our goal is to help leaders create highly successful coaching programs. Generally, our sessions address the following issues:
- revisiting specific practical aspects of content that participants have been exposed to in workshops
- inventing solutions to move through road blocks that inevitably arise when coaching is being implemented
- providing built-in accountability to help instructional coaches and other leaders stay on track
- supporting district leaders who often have no one to talk with about their challenges in guiding a coaching program
How Coaching Works
ICG Coaching is offered for Coaching Champions (the leaders who are responsible for coaching), coaches, administrators, and other educators. Coaching sessions last 30 or 60 minutes and usually take place as follows:
- ICG coaches meet weekly, bi-weekly, monthly, bi-monthly, or quarterly
- ICG coaches meet virtually using FaceTime, Skype, Google Hangout, or over the phone
What Takes Place During Coaching?
During sessions, coaches partner with educators to help create highly effective coaching programs. To accomplish that goal, they discuss many topics, including:
- how Coaching Champions can use ICG tools to provide follow-up and support for coaches
- planning future professional development for coaches, teachers, and administrators
- co-developing coaching professional development plans with leaders
- co-planning weekly or bi-weekly professional learning meetings for coaches
- problem solving issues related to teachers, coaches, and administrators
- other issues that inevitably arise as coaching programs are rolled out
Who Does the Coaching?
Coaching is provided by Jim Knight, Michelle Harris, and Ann Hoffman, each of whom has more than 10 years’ experience working with coaches.
ICG Partners with School Districts
ICG is deeply committed to positioning everyone we work with as partners, which means we are transparent about what we share, what it costs, and how we can help organizations provide their own training for their staff. Our goal is to help our partners create the best possible coaching program, and we intend for that goal to be obvious in every interaction we have with partnering organizations. If you are interested learning more about the Instructional Coaching Group, or if you would like a free coaching call to discuss how you can set and meet goals for your organization, please contact us.