| One challenge of instructional coaching is to help teachers move from an academic understanding toward a practical and real-world implementation of best instructional practices. This challenge is complicated by at least two factors.
The first of these is context. In order to make feedback most meaningful to the teacher, it should be given within the context of his or her own classroom. Doing so increases the immediacy and relevance of the feedback as well as the likelihood that the feedback will lead to improvement of practice. Perhaps the best way to give contextualized feedback about classroom instruction is through virtual coaching. This is done by video recording a classroom activity and having a coach provide feedback through written comments. If the comments are time-stamped, the level of specificity of the feedback increases. The second factor is time. The goal should be to decrease the time intervening between when the practice occurs and the feedback is given. It would be best if coaching could occur in real-time. This is similar to what a coach of a basketball team might do. It is not uncommon for a coach to give instructions from the sideline. In a similar way, an instructional coach can give instructions to the teacher in real-time from the sideline. Of course, the obstacle to doing this is to not create a distraction to learning. In the video produced by The Teaching Channel, they discuss ways to make these ideas take shape in the classroom. With the potential benefits of improved classroom instruction, it might be worthwhile for instructional coaches to give these strategies a try. |
Jordan Teaching & Learning