Thoughts on the session by Diane Sweeney at the International Visible Learning Conference in Carlsbad, CA.
Contributed by Jeffrey Spanier, English and AVID teacher, Carlsbad High School, CA
Mrs. Sweeney gave an excellent presentation on maximizing the use of teacher coaching in a school or school district. I have not worked in a coaching situation during my career, but I found much of Mrs. Sweeney’s advice to working professionally and collaboratively to fit the professional development time I enjoy with colleagues.
While her primary premise may seem all too obvious, anyone who has spent any time educating will—perhaps reluctantly—admit that it is too often forgotten. All coaching (or professional development) must be student-centered. It must be focused around the learner and the learning (student and curriculum). Too often our attempts to assist schools and teachers stray from this simple focus. Mrs. Sweeney reminds us that it is not about “fixing” a teacher or teaching to a test, but about how to maximize a student’s learning.
Continuing the more direct focus on teaching and learning, Mrs. Sweeney provided handouts and student samples. As a classroom teacher I was very thankful for these models.
I would recommend Mrs. Sweeney’s presentation to anyone who is trying to maximize the effectiveness of collaborative teaching even if not strictly the coaching model.
