What are the goals of implementing the TLC grant?
- Improve learning experiences
- Reward professional growth
- Attract and retain effective teachers
- Align and differentiated professional development
- Increase student achievement
How will you help us to identify areas that are in need of support to help us get started with a more focused topic if they are not glaring at us currently?
- Schedule a classroom observation with an instructional coach. Together we will analyze collected data from the observation to identify areas of growth.
Are we going to be told how to teach?
- The goal of the instructional coaches is to support all teachers to grow professionally. Teachers will not be told how to teach. However, different strategies may be suggested to try and reflect on.
Should we feel threatened by the instructional coach?
- NO! The role of the coaches is to support teachers. The work with an instructional coach is not tied to any type of evaluation.
Will the instructional coach evaluate me?
- NO! The instructional coach will never evaluate you. They will gather data via observations, data analysis, etc. and reflect on that with the teacher.
What if the examples or strategies the instructional coach suggest do not fit in my content?
- The instructional coach will be able to differentiate strategies and examples to fit all content areas. Through discussions between the teachers and the instructional coach, strategies will fit specific contents and teacher needs. Best teaching strategies are effective for every content area and grade level. Coaches can also assist in finding content specific experts if the need arises.
Will the meetings between the teacher and the instructional coach be confidential?
- All meetings between the teacher and instructional coach will be confidential. Information from those meetings will only be shared if the teacher says it is okay. Occasionally, what is going on in one teacher's room may be useful to another. In those situation, the instructional coach will ask for permission to share information.
When will these meetings occur?
- Meetings between instructional coaches and teachers will occur during teachers' prep periods, before, or after school. Instructional coaches will also periodically attend Teacher Team meetings or small group meetings whenever they are scheduled.
What would positive results look like?
- Increased student achievement, increased use of data to drive instructional decisions, increased collaboration, and increased self reflection