Ten Leadership Actions for Creating a Coaching Culture
At a recent instructional coaching network meeting, our group discussed an article by Elena Aguilar for Education Week, titled "Why Your Coaching Program is Failing".
The conversation quickly turned to the importance of school leadership in supporting a coaching culture. What did this type of leadership sound like and look like? We came up with the following leadership actions that are more likely to lead to success:
Supportive; allocated resources and training for coaches
Enthusiastic; willing to be coached; tend to avoid judgment
Grows with the coach; develops their beliefs with others
Understands others' perspectives; listens attentively; seeks feedback
Provides time, builds capacity for others to lead
Is hands-on; doesn't engage only through email or handouts
Ensures the coaching program is presented effectively; strives for clarity
Facilitates coaching initiative organically at first and honors self-directedness
Transitions schools from coaching being offered to making it an offering
Grounded in trust; teachers empowered to grow
What would you add to this list for creating and sustaining a coaching culture in schools? Please share in the comments.
For an example of how a coaching culture might look like and sound like, check out my premium article on a writers workshop lesson I led this week. We taught 5th graders two strategies for how to deal with deadlines. Subscribe today for weekly content.