The Sukow family was burning for learning this spring break. We completed the McHenry County Library Lovers Expeditions by visiting 13 libraries across McHenry County and exploring the land of Lincoln. We road-tripped with the kids to Springfield, stopping at Illinois State along the way, and added three more libraries to our list. Watching the kids light up as they learned more about Lincoln and have the opportunity to sit on an old courthouse bench reminded me how joyful learning can be - especially when we learn together. Their curiosity and questioning sparked great conversations, and we are already planning our next adventure.
Watching them explore the world reminded me how powerful our shared learning experiences are. Learning can be fun, memorable, and impactful when collaborating and sharing ideas.
As an instructional coach, I am blessed with the opportunity to explore and witness all different curricular activities in classrooms around the building. As Jordan enthusiastically asked questions about Lincoln’s dog Fido, I have seen teachers spark student curiosity for math and science. I have witnessed real-world connections in business classes and art classes.
As teachers, we are all coaches, in a way, guiding our students toward academic success. To help foster this success, we must continually grow through inquiry and professional development. Just like a road trip, professional development involves a unique approach to learning and growth tailored to each individual (or Sukow family’s in our case) needs.
So what does effective instructional coaching look like? How do we all adopt the role of coachee and coach to improve our craft? And what are the benefits?
At its core, instructional coaching is all about developing strong connections between coaches and their coachees. Through ongoing feedback and collaboration, instructional coaches work with colleagues to help them grow and develop their craft. This process of guided growth is based on the principles of trust, mutual respect, and a shared commitment to learning and improvement.
Instructional coaching helps teachers and their students achieve success.
An instructional coach is personalized and can lead to unexpected and exciting detours. By providing individualized support, coaches can help teachers by sharing new instructional strategies, promoting the latest tech tool, or discussing the teacher's ideas. Recently, I have had many conversations about differentiating instruction. Many students still suffer from pandemic learning and gaps in executive functioning skills. Problem-solving together, we can generate ideas to generate lessons more effective and engaging.
Coaching involves fostering a culture of collaboration and continuous learning.
A collaborative approach to learning helps teachers build strong relationships with their colleagues and create a supportive learning community. Instructional coaching experiences can be informal or formal, depending on the needs of the teachers. Professional development driven by teachers' needs and building/district goals should be provided and amplify the voices of quality teachers. Frequent communication and the exchange of ideas help to make coaching more effective as well.
Like taking children on a road trip, instructional coaching may come with numerous surprises and discoveries. Learning is a continuous process that involves commitment and curiosity. Strong relationships and mutual respect foster those relationships and the connections that lead to student success.
I can’t wait for the next opportunity to grow with colleagues post-spring break.
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