By PIIC Regional Mentor Coordinator Gen Battisto and IU 15 PIIC Mentor Nancy Neusbaum

“Follow effective action with quiet reflection. From the quiet reflection will come even more effective action.” (Peter Drucker)

The nature of a BDA coaching cycle where a teacher and coach plan together, the coach visits the classroom, and then they debrief the lesson together suggests an inherently reflective process. The purpose of one-on-one coaching is to encourage teacher reflection with the goal of improving practice. What, then, makes the coach/teacher conversations really reflective?

By IU PIIC Mentors Loriann Ruddy and Terri Lewis

The transition to the Common Core will be a challenging one for students and teachers alike.  As the new standards will demand that students become self-directed and critical readers, writers, and thinkers, teachers will also need to make shifts in their instructional practice.  Any change requires reflection and support, and, therefore, coaches will have an important role in this transition process.  It is critical for teachers to have high-quality professional learning experiences that help them understand the shifts in the Common Core State Standards from existing state standards and identify the necessary changes they will need to make in their own curriculum and instruction.  Participation in professional learning coupled with instructional coaching will help support teachers in transferring new knowledge and skills to the classroom.  Focusing on specific goals for student learning utilizing the CCSS will make a positive impact on student achievement and help to build capacity through the work and support of a coach and the PIIC model.

By IU PIIC Mentors Bethann McCain and Diane Hubona

An instructional coach becomes integral in working with teachers and administrators to understand the meaningful impact data can have, when used with intention, for all content-area teachers. So, as an instructional coach, how do you guide your teachers in the pursuit of becoming data experts? Currently, many teachers view data as a four-letter word that feels threatening in the wake of No Child Left Behind. If a school is examining only standardized test scores, then teachers will continue to feel disconnected, not realizing the vast array of data at a teacher’s fingertips that truly should inform and drive instructional decisions.

By IU 29 PIIC Mentor Evelyn Wassel

Building relationships can be very taxing if you are a new coach.  These tips will help you to develop (or strengthen) your relationships with teachers and administrators within the PIIC model.

By Regional Mentor Coordinator Tom Sebastian

In Taking Action on Adolescent Literacy by Irvin, Meltzer, and Dukes, the authors point out that, “Too many decisions about classroom practices are based on preference, tradition, intuition, or unsubstantiated beliefs” (2007).  I agree with this statement and feel that it describes a condition associated with a failure to use data to drive classroom instruction.