Coaches collaborate with Residents on a regular basis to plan, deliver, and assess instruction that is purposeful, relevant, and equitable. While hosting Residents in their classroom, Coaches empower their Residents to become positive members of Professional Learning Communities. Through regular collaboration and reflection, Coaches guide Residents in a learning trajectory that increases their proficiency and confidence in the Teacher Performance Expectations (TPEs). Coaches lead activities with their Residents from a Menu of Coaching Items that are designed to encourage the co-creation of artifacts, the collection and analysis of data, structured conversations around feedback and reflection, and the ongoing practice of making visible the instructional decisions teachers make in the classroom.
Coaches also attend quarterly and summer professional development events to collaborate with other Resident Coaches across the district, refine their coaching skills, and provide ongoing feedback to support the Residency program.
Monthly Contact Logs
Coaches document collaboration time with their Residents and categorize the coaching activities that they engage in throughout the month. These contact logs help The Residency Team capture the amount and types of support they provide to Residents. Contact Logs are submitted monthly to Google Classroom and Coaches are eligible to be paid 3 hours per week of their documented collaboration time.
Resident Coach Application Process
SUHSD teachers can apply to join the pool of Resident Coaches! Each year, Residents are placed with Coaches from the Resident Coach pool based on a variety of factors, including university requirements, school master schedules, and Resident/Coach feedback. The process to join the Resident Coach Pool includes completing an HR application to the Resident Coach Pool posting as well as submitting a variety of artifacts that illustrate Sweetwater's Essential Elements of Effective First Instruction. Artifacts include a written response to a prompt, a teacher lesson plan, an assessment of student understanding, and a classroom video with commentary. Postings for the Resident Coach Pool occur in the Spring of each year in preparation for the following year.