The Spotlight on Support column highlights the ways our department can serve our system. Additionally, you can click on the picture at the bottom to read about how members of the Learning Development team honor the department’s mission: Increase Capacity | Serve Intentionally.

Chances are, you know who fills this role at your school, but you may still be wondering exactly what their role encompasses. In this column, we’ll be unpacking the role so that you can lean into your Learning Specialist and benefit from his or her support. This month, we’ll start with an overview.

Learning specialists play many roles, all of which center on the mission of the Learning Development department: Increase Capacity | Serve Intentionally. Essentially, our department exists to elevate the strengths of educators across our system, and we do that by wearing a variety of hats, which we’ll explore in depth in the months to come. Here’s a sneak peek:

• Coach: serving as a listener and thought partner to help you explore, enhance, and illuminate your own knowledge, skills, and decision-making

• Collaborator: working together to learn, design, and generate possibilities. Click on the link to read a more in-depth description of this support function.

• Consultant: sharing knowledge around instructional tools, pedagogy, and collaborative practices

• Data collector: acting as a research assistant to gather real-time information that will help you to make informed instructional decisions

• Facilitator: organizing and structuring large and small group learning to maximize the collective intelligence of all participants

• Presenter: teaching in order to build the shared knowledge and skills

The learning specialist who serves your building is there to help you build upon your strengths, find joy in your practice, overcome barriers to your goals, and to help you connect to your purpose in this rewarding but challenging profession. Click here for our contact information!

Role definitions adapted from the following resources:

Costa, A. & Garmston, R. (2012). Cognitive coaching seminars foundation training learning guide (9th ed). Cognitive Coaching Seminars.

Garmston, R. & Wellman, B. (2016). The adaptive school: A sourcebook for developing collaborative groups. Rowman & Littlefield.