A 3-Day Professional Learning Event
Research has shown that instructional coaching done well can have the largest impact on teaching in schools. Because of this, it is essential that coaches, and those who partner with them, have an accurate understanding of what it is that instructional coaches do and how they can best support teachers. Instructional coaching is a relatively new role, and because it’s not always widely understood, some school systems may not fully understand all the benefits coaching offers.
The Instructional Coaching Group (ICG) is offering a complimentary, three-day event designed for whole-school success. Each day will focus on a different school role and ICG’s professional learning services that are designed for that specific role. All workshops are based on The Partnership Principles, intended to renew understanding and purpose, and designed to build positive school culture—not just “fix the problem.”
EVENT DATE:
May 10 – 12, 2021
EVENT TIME:
4 – 6pm EST
EVENT COST:
Free
Agenda
Instructional Coaches
Monday, May 10th: 4-6pm EST
- The Impact Cycle
- Introduction to Leadership Coaching
- The Instructional Playbook
Administrators
Tuesday, May 11th: 4-6pm EST
- What Administrators Need to Know About Coaching
- Introduction to Leadership Coaching
- Better Leaders
Whole-School Culture
Wednesday, May 12th: 4-6pm EST
- Better Conversations
- Better Leaders
- High-Impact Instruction
Meet the Presenter
Sharon Thomas, senior consultant at The Instructional Coaching Group, is a National Board-Certified English teacher, instructional coach, student advocate, and writer. She was a public school teacher and instructional coach for nearly two decades. She is also a consultant for the Touchstones Discussion Project and a Certified SIM Professional Developer in the area of writing.
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Along with her work in ICG workshops, Sharon developed the ICG Coaching Certification process. She is the founder of the Cecil County [Maryland] Teacher Leadership Network and has presented at conferences across North America on the issues of instructional coaching, professional learning, secondary school literacy, and teacher leadership. Her experience with teacher leadership in school reform was published in Principal Leadership, and she is a co-author of The Instructional Playbook.
Sharon has been both a teacher who was coached and has coached teachers herself, and she understands the complexity of the coach-teacher relationship. Her work with her coach on a classroom behavior challenge transformed the way she thought about instruction and helped her to feel powerful in making big changes for students in the classroom. As someone who was involved in Jim Knight’s research in schools, her work now is focused on helping coaches and leaders to translate that research in a way that makes sense for them and their schools.
What topics will be covered?
Introduction to Leadership Coaching
The quality of the conversations in an organization can critically influence the organization’s effectiveness. This session explores how a coaching orientation, together with a strong coaching process and key coaching skills, can make a significant and immediate difference in the conversations in which school leaders engage every day.
The Instructional Playbook
When coaches’ explanations lack clarity and precision, implementation lacks effectiveness, but a well-designed instructional playbook addresses this issue directly. This workshop describes what coaches can do to develop the depth of knowledge and clear explanations that will lead to high-quality implementation.
What Administrators Need to Know About Coaching
The impact coaches have is directly related to how effectively they are supported (or not supported) by their administrators. This workshop clarifies what coaches do and how they can be supported and provides a deep understanding of how administrators and instructional coaches can collaborate for an unmistakably positive impact.
Better Leaders
This session asks participants to think of themselves as change leaders—people who lead themselves, other adults, and students through inevitable change by getting clear on what they are trying to accomplish, how to make that happen, and how to navigate through the complexities of change.
Better Conversations
Effective coaches, leaders, and educators communicate their message clearly, build healthy emotional connections with others, and maneuver through emotionally complex situations in ways that allow them to speak the truth so that will be heard. This workshop introduces 6 beliefs and 10 habits that promote healthy and productive relationships.
High-Impact Instruction
When it comes to improving instruction, educators have literally hundreds of options, and it can be difficult to know which practices create the most improvement. Based on the book High-Impact Instruction (2012) by Jim Knight and research from the Impact Research Lab, this workshop provides an overview of high-yield strategies for planning instruction, assess learning, increase student mastery and engagement, and creating positive learning communities.
Why Should I Attend?
- Gain a better understanding of how research-based best practices help teachers
- Learn how differentiated professional learning by role creates personalized and impactful training
- Discover evidence-based training and resources designed specifically for instructional coaching
Team members are encouraged to join any or all of this three-day event.
No supplementary materials are needed. Just log in and follow along as ICG senior consultant Sharon Thomas guides you through each offering. There will also be time each day for group discussion and Q&A.
We hope you are able to join us and learn how professional learning can truly be a sought-after resource for positive growth.