I recently had the opportunity to work with teacher leaders, instructional coaches, and school administrators in Iowa whose districts are part of the state’s Teacher Leadership and Compensation Program. The Teacher Leadership and Compensation (TLC) System rewards effective teachers with leadership opportunities and higher pay, attracts promising new teachers with competitive starting salaries and more […]

I was recently asked to facilitate a 70 minute session at a leadership conference that addressed the following: The outcome of an effective instructional coaching program needs to be an increase in student achievement. The partnership of the coach and principal is crucial to a program’s effectiveness. Identify elements that should be part of your […]

I was asked to facilitate 15 elementary coaches’ reflections on their past year’s experiences and gather direction for the next school year. I think that the questions I used can be helpful to others who are leading instructional coaching teams. If you are an instructional coach you can use the questions individually for personal reflection. […]

New instructional coaches or coaches newly assigned to a school seek to find a starting point for building coaching relationships. My guidance is to begin with finding the teacher’s agenda ….changes the teacher wants to make with learners…. and establishing that as a coaching goal. A backwards planning approach can generally be applied here: What […]

Through the Trainugly website I listened to an interview with John Kessel—Director of Sport Development for USA Volleyball.  Kessel focused on what we know about motor skill learning and how athletic coaches should use that knowledge in practice. As I listened I was struck with connections to student learning in classrooms and to professional development […]

I often explore the role of vulnerability in coaching relationships. I need to make myself vulnerable with my coach for me to gain maximum growth from coaching input. As a coach I need to share my own vulnerability in supporting the person I’m coaching. Brené  Brown, the author of The Power of Vulnerability: Teachings on […]