Coaching and mentoring conversations with peers, more experienced colleagues and external coaches encourage reflection, contribute to personal learning and help develop professional practice. The involvement of experienced, supportive and skilful colleagues in the professional development of newly qualified teachers (NQTs) is acknowledged as vital in establishing effective professional practice. Education professionals at all levels value the opportunity to learn, grow professionally and work collaboratively in coaching and mentoring relationships.
This section highlights some of the many ways that coaching and mentoring can contribute to professional development, aid school improvement and enhance the quality of professional dialogue in a school.
Reflections on powerful professional coaching - a perspective from Gary Bloom of the New Teacher Center at Santa Cruz.
Danny Macdonald and his colleagues at Baldragon are working to improve the quality of dialogue in their PRD process. The process now features regular review meetings and uses coaching approaches.
A programme of peer coaching has been introduced into the school as part of a wider programme of support intended to promote the emotional wellbeing of staff.
This case study reflects the experiences of a newly appointed primary headteacher in a small rural school working with an experienced headteacher.
Coaching, Action Learning Sets and action research approaches are being combined in a project to help improve the reading abilities of boys in this primary school.
Three South Lanarkshire schools illustrate the different ways that coaching is being put into practice following the authority’s investment in a coach development programme.
Liz Heron is one of a number of educators who have visited the University of Santa Cruz to learn about its approach to mentoring teachers and see how its learning can be brought into the Scottish context.
There are many, competing definitions for coaching and mentoring. This piece looks beyond definitions at how the practices of coaching and mentoring enable learning.
In association with Education Scotland