More and more districts throughout the area are hiring instructional coaches
An instructional coach is a trained educator that works with teachers to better develop their skills that would then help teach students.
Superintendent Dr. John Asplund tells WGIL that instructional coaches operate like a personal trainer. They’re there to help, not evaluate.
“You have somebody that’s helping you do a better job. So, a teacher gets evaluated, but sometimes that evaluative relationship makes it hard for the teacher to want to open up to their evaluator and say, ‘hey I’m struggling with this concept.’ This is a non-evaluative person who’s simply there to help.”
Asplund adds that educators aren’t the only one getting instructional coaches, “Everybody can improve from that. I’m getting a coach next year as well. Our administrators are getting coaches, this isn’t just for the teachers.”
Some school districts, such as #205 and United CUSD #304, have chosen to hire instructional coaches. Other districts, like Knoxville CUSD #202, have gone the route of partnering with the Regional Office of Education to provide the coaches.
Asplund says that there are different models of instructional coaching, and the ROE’s model differs from 205’s. He added that one is not better than the other.
ROWVA Superintendent Joe Sornberger told WGIL that he believed District #208 would have instructional coaches in the future. “Instructional coaches are very popular right now cause they really benefit our teachers to help educate our students. So, that is something we’ve been in discussions with. I can’t say that we’ll have one tomorrow, but I think in the future, we will.”
