Professional Development Archives

Instructional Coaching Strategies: 7 Smart Tips for Success

Research consistently shows that teachers, particularly new teachers, who work with instructional coaches are more likely to remain with their schools.1,2 Many schools and districts continue to be challenged with hiring and retaining qualified teachers, making it important to employ strategies to both retain and develop teachers. Coaches are increasingly being embraced by administrators and teachers who welcome the opportunity to learn from an experienced mentor. For maximum impact, coaches can employ a number of strategies in combination to keep instructors engaged throughout the coaching process. Here are our Coaching Strategies for Teacher Success: 1. Build Relationships: To break down any [...]

In-Service Days Complement Professional Development Activities

A rich knowledge base exists on the benefits of thoughtful, multi-year professional development activities for schools, districts, and dioceses, inspired in large part by federally funded research on school improvement, organizational change, and adult learning styles. Effective educational leaders are familiar with insights gleaned from this knowledge base, and typically plan professional development activities that are tied to a school’s strategic plan, embraced by a majority of the faculty, and conducted and evaluated over the course of several years. The activities can include everything from webinars and simulations to mentoring and coaching. Well-designed and executed professional development for faculty is a [...]