Instructional Coaching - Resources

My good friend, Sue Kinney, Assistant Superintendent for Professional Development at Boyertown School District, shared a few wonderful instructional coaching resources with our Reading Advisory Council today. Prior to Boyertown, Sue was the Director of the PA Coaching Initiative. In other words, she knows her stuff.

Sue shared some of her favorite coaching resources and I would like to pass them along:

Instructional Coaching: A Partnership Approach to Improving Instruction by Jim Knight

Coaching: Evoking Excellence in Others by James Flahery

Community: A Structure of Belonging by Peter Block

Content Focused Coaching: Transforming Math Lessons by Lucy West & Fritz Straub

Taking the Lead : New Roles for School Based Coaches by Joellen Killion & Cindy Harrison

Quality Teaching in an Era of Coaching by Stephen Barkley (Great intro to coaching)

Differentiated Literacy Coaching: Scaffolding for Student and Teachers Success by Mary Katherine Moran

Resources on the Web:

PA High School Coaching Initiative 

Kansas Coaching Project - Instructional Coaching

Comments

kemeigh said…
I was at this meeting and we had a great time. A few of us stayed way past the original end time of 3PM. We were asking questions, talking about concerns, pondering our own experiences of professional development and brainstorming ways to provide professional development that is effective and system changing. One of our discussions lead us to Professional Learning Communities (PLCs). Sue's district has been very purposeful in creating PLCs at the building level. They are modeling them after the work of Rick DuFour and a few other authors. I found a short "blurb" that resounded with me.
"You know you belong in a PLC if:

1. You believe the fundamental purpose of your school or district is to ensure all students learn at high levels, and you are committed to become a lifelong learner to make this a reality.

2. You think collaborative teamwork and interdependence among teachers and administrators is a great way to continuously improve your school or district.

3. You are hungry for evidence that students are learning and are ready to respond immediately when timely feedback tells you otherwise.

If these 3 BIG IDEAS ring true for you, you’re in the right place."
The above is a quote from Rick DuFour himself! I found the May 2004 issue of Ed Leadership article entitled
What Is a "Professional Learning Community"? to be most helpful.

I am in the right place! We can and we will make a difference in kids lives as we collaborate and work together.... it's synergistic!
October 16, 2008 at 12:22 AM
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