The rationale for peer coaching consists of seven reasons, or needs. They are:
Ø Reduce isolation among teachers
Ø Build collaborative norms to enable teachers to give and receive ideas and assistance
Ø Create a forum for addressing instructional problems
Ø Share successful practices
Ø Transfer training from the workshop to the workplace
Ø Promote the teacher as researcher
Ø Encourage reflective practice
Which of these particularly catches your attention as important? What questions do you or do you think others have about peer coaching before embracing the concept? Include possible answers or not.
There are two of these which stand out to me as important:
ReplyDelete1. Build collaborative norms to enable teachers to give and receive ideas and assistance
2. Create a forum for addressing instructional problems
The reason they stand out to me is also the reason I think others are hesitant to embrace the concept. Because teachers traditionally have gone in their rooms, taught their classes and are observed only by administrators, their first reaction is to bristle at the idea of a colleague coming in their room to "observe." They cringe at the idea of someone seeing a student off task or otherwise misbehaving. Perhaps they feel that the observer is there to formally evaluate them, or they will gossip with others about what they've seen (this is a very real concern). Peer coaching is an uncomfortable concept because teachers (especially those of us who have been teaching a few years;) are not used to the concept of collaborating when it comes to their teaching methods. The field of education has been evolving into a collaborative community, but many teachers have not been making that transition. It will take time, trust and positive encouragement to get everyone involved. Teachers who are hesitant need to see and hear their colleagues involved in this speaking positively about their experience with peer coaching; they need to see that it's not a passing program, but a new way of looking at our profession. They need to see it as a safe way to share ideas and receive ideas.
The one that stands out to me as important:
ReplyDelete• Build collaborative norms to enable teachers to give and receive ideas and assistance.
The reason this is one stands out as important is because it provides the opportunity for all teachers to improve and refine skills and strategies. As new and improved strategies are found and new demands are placed on teachers, we must find ways to use the strategies and meet the demands. Even though change is hard, teachers might be more open to change if they do not have to do it alone. Additionally, if peer coaching becomes the norm, many of the other needs mentioned in the rationale will be met.
Trust is one area of concern that I think others have. We are not used to having people in our room except for evaluations/observations so this part of the peer coaching concept is new. Many of us are afraid of what a peer might see while they are in the classroom. This is why it is vital that we get to choose with whom we will work. We must trust that our peers are not there to evaluate or judge us. For some, it might be easier to begin peer coaching by planning together before moving on to having peers in the classrooms.