Coaching and Mentoring Project

During my coaching and mentoring project, I supported one colleague engage more students during her lessons as well as moving students from showing-and-telling about their work to sharing-and-comparing or making connections between student work. My colleague identified these areas of practice to focus on through the Shifts in Classroom Practice Self Assessment as seen below on the left, (III.iii.c., III.v.f.).  We identified that the curriculum often gives too many scaffolds and decreases the rigor for her students, therefore students were losing interest and becoming disengaged. We explored open questions and she included them into her entry task which led to 100% of students being engaged.  We also made an anticipated solution path, (see image below right), for how students may answer a question and developed an order that she could have students share their work and then possible questions that she could ask to help facilitate connections between different models and representations, (III.v.a.). 

After the lesson, my colleague and I met again to discuss observations that I had and I asked her some questions to encourage reflection and also future plans, (III.v.b.).  I am still currently coaching this colleague where we planning together, I have modeled lessons, we have co-taught, and I have observed her teach some more where we look over student work, analyze assessment data, and reflect. We worked together to establish a relationship to learn from one another and have continued to maintain this, (III.v.d.). We both believe that this coach/teacher partnership has allowed for some positive changes for her classroom learning environment as well as for student learning, (III.v.c.). 

As the instructional coach, I have had various opportunities to coach and mentor colleagues.  I have used the coaching cycle I completed for this class, but my reflections of these cycles have been more independent and in my head.  Taking the time to write up this coaching/mentoring project allowed me to reflect at a deeper level and helped me think of my own practice and profession. I think every time I coach someone I become a better teacher leader and coach.  I believe I learn just as much from the coachee as I hope they are learning from me.