peer coaching (2)

Peer Coaching - the HOW

Peer coaching has nothing to do with EVALUATION. It is not intended as a remedial activity or strategy to 'fix' teachers. It's a way to INCREASE FEEDBACK about instruction and curriculum.

It provides platform to teachers to take risks and try out NEW IDEAS, INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES or different approaches to the curriculum and discuss the results with a TRUSTED COLLEAGUE.

Consider the following approaches:

• Two or more colleagues working together around the shared observation of teaching - pre-Observation, an Observation and post-Observation; OR

• A pair or a team of teachers co-planning a lesson or curriculum unit. They might involve problem solving, videotape analysis or study groups. In some cases may occur between an expert and a novice or between experienced and less experienced teachers; OR

• Teachers share stories about teaching experiences. Conceptualizes teaching as a narrative act can provide a non-threatening way to teachers to share pedagogical knowledge; OR

• Action research platform. A teacher formulates a set of hypotheses about classroom practices to develop a plan to test them by asking colleagues to observe and take notes. Later, the colleagues discuss and analyze the data. Some teachers have kept reflective journals of their findings; OR

• Out-of-Classroom coaching, called 'talk walking' (Caro 1991) - strategy is design to help teachers engage in collegial dialogue (focused on instructional and curricular issues) and physical exercise - to help teachers integrate new learning with existing classroom practices.
  

[Collegial dialogue of this nature has both COGNITIVE and PHYSICAL implications for teacher growth].

The above approaches or practices by the way, demonstrate some forms of peer coaching!...