Supporting Teacher Development
What we learned about supporting teacher development
Teachers who actively participated in collaborative cycles of professional learning with their school leader and regularly met with their Rural LIFE instructional coach more successfully implemented personalized learning and literacy strategies in their classrooms.
Collaborative cycles of professional learning are critical for successful implementation and sustainability of any initiative.
Personalized learning strategies were most effectively implemented and sustained in Rural LIFE schools when teachers and leaders engaged in a systemic professional learning process, including deep dives into what personalized learning looks like and sounds like in various contexts, what change management practices support and/or hinder the development of these practices, and what collaborative structures most effectively serve as levers for ongoing learning and sustaining change.
Instructional coaches provide critical support to teachers and leaders.
Instructional coaches support teachers by increasing their confidence in the classroom, facilitating collaboration, and guiding learning about problems of practice. Supporting teachers through modeling, lesson planning, and collaborative conversations improves teacher pedagogical practices. Under the guidance of instructional coaches, teachers collaborate more, use more structured PLC protocols, and are more comfortable using data to inform instruction.