The Office of Head Start (and therefore each of its grantees) have a lot riding on coaching. It is the critical tool by which we are expected to support teachers in providing…
“…nurturing and responsive practices, interactions, and environments that foster trust and emotional security; are communication and language rich; promote critical thinking and problem-solving; social, emotional, behavioral, and language development,” 1302.31(b)(1)(i).
That’s a pretty tall order. But of all the strategies available to us, one-on-one coaching has been proven to be the most efficient and effective. Teaching practices are all about the quality of minute-by-minute teacher-child interactions throughout the day. They are practices that can’t be captured by checking lesson plans, assessment data, daily schedules, or progress toward school readiness goals.
Just as teachers need to have specific observable strategies for working with children, so do coaches need strategies for working with staff. During these two days, we will identify very specific approaches to observation, feedback, and goal setting by which coaches:
▪ Build relationships of trust and respect with even the most adversarial staff;
▪ Employ strategies that use the teacher’s observable practice as the foundation for identifying best practices; and
▪ Use language that avoids blame and criticism and that empowers teachers to set goals and make changes, not because regulation or standards demand it, but because they have reached a consensus with their coach that it is what children need most.
| ▪ | Build relationships of trust and respect with even the most adversarial staff; |
| ▪ | Employ strategies that use the teacher’s observable practice as the foundation for identifying best practices; and |
| ▪ | Use language that avoids blame and criticism and that empowers teachers to set goals and make changes, not because regulation or standards demand it, but because they have reached a consensus with their coach that it is what children need most. |
Come join us and see how this works!
