Monday, March 11, 2024
Article submitted by Maggie Trenda, Curriculum Specialist CESA 5
In the bustling landscape of education, the role of instructional coaches is evolving to meet the dynamic needs of both teachers and students. The Portage Community School District elementary instructional coaches and new teacher mentor are working each day to bring to life a vision that embraces a collaborative and student-centered approach to coaching. According to the team, the vision stands on the shoulders of the district’s three commitments: 1) Everyone is valued; 2) Relationships matter; and 3) All students can learn, grow, and achieve, and we never give up.
The uniqueness of the district’s coaching and support plan revolves around ongoing collaboration between the instructional math and literacy coaches as they reflect and problem-solve with the new teacher mentor to consider the best pathways for supporting teaching and learning. While some school mentoring roles focus more on technical aspects of onboarding a new teacher, the role in Portage has the mentor regularly observing, planning, and goal-setting with teachers in their first years of teaching. The vision for this role was inspired by the Dane County New Teacher Project.
What separates mentoring support from coaching is primarily that mentoring support isn’t voluntary. The tiered system ensures that first-year teachers receive weekly support from the new teacher mentor, gradually transitioning to less frequent coaching as teachers gain experience in subsequent years. When teachers first meet with their mentor, she asks, “What are you feeling good about? What are your challenges right now?” The work is driven by the teachers and revolves around their perceived challenges.
A Collaborative Approach
At the core of Portage’s coaching philosophy is a commitment to working closely together to support teachers to meet the needs of each student, fostering a team approach. The instructional coaches and the new teacher mentor are both focused on coaching to grow teacher capacity in the district; the district’s plan offers layers of support to not only new teachers but all teachers.
In addition to establishing coaching cycles with teachers, the instructional coaches attend grade-level Professional Learning Communities (PLCs), providing invitational coaching. The team collaboratively plans with staff, addressing individual needs, and referring to one another for additional support when necessary.
The team also works collaboratively to help make it possible for new teachers to see other teachers teaching. “This work takes a village,” says the new teacher mentor. “There are usually four of us involved in ensuring these [learning walks] happen.” The team understands the value of teachers learning from each other, so they work to ensure this happens.
With the exception of occasional interruptions, the team attempts to meet weekly to check in and suggest ways to support staff in the building. The new teacher mentor makes recommendations to the coaches of who they could pop in to see and also encourages current more veteran staff on her caseload to transition to cycles with instructional coaches. If the mentor sees there’s a need for collaboration, she will also ask the teacher if it’s okay to bring in an instructional coach to support their next steps if that seems like the best approach. The team acknowledges the essentialism of these weekly meetings to ensure their coaching supports are focused. Says one coach, “It’s vital that we’re communicating and working together to support the staff.”
Student-Centered Coaching Vision
The district’s coaching system is designed to be student-centered, aiming to create a learning environment where students' needs are at the forefront. The district coaching team was inspired by Diane Sweeney’s student-centered approach to coaching and recently attended a two-day workshop in Wisconsin Dells.
The district’s coaching system has evolved through reflection and adaptation. Adding layers while remaining flexible to pivot when necessary is a key component. During COVID-19, when teaching shifted to virtual, the coaching team’s efforts shifted as well. Last year, the instructional coach team focused on supporting and settling teachers into new core instructional resources for both math and literacy; and this year, the team has been able to focus more on evidence collection and data analysis as they dig deeper into the student-centered coaching model. Ongoing reflection, problem-solving, and continued learning are all essential components of the team’s work.
According to the team, relationship building and trust are crucial for success. The Portage elementary coaching team acknowledges the challenges inherent in the teaching profession and aims to provide comprehensive support. “Teaching is tough, but the teachers know we’re here for them.”
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To learn more about the Portage Community School District’s coaching and mentoring work, please contact Nikki Schoenborn, Elementary Director of Teaching and Learning, at schoenbornn@portage.k12.wi.us