Suggested Books:
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Barkley, S.G. (2010). Quality teaching in a culture of coaching. Langham, MD: Rowman & Litchfield Education.
Barkley draws on years of national and international experience with instructional coaching to outline the coaching process and identify specific skills needed to develop an effective coaching program. By using real-life schools and districts with various types of coaching programs as examples, and providing scripts of actual coaching conversations, Barkley supplies practical applications of coaching to various circumstances.
- Fullan, M. (2008). The six secrets of change: What the best leaders do to help their organizations survive and thrive. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Fullan explores lessons learned from business and public sector leaders who thrive in today's complex environment, and draws on his acclaimed work in bringing about large-scale and substantial change in education reform in both public school systems and universities. This book is filled with insightful, actionable, and concisely communicable lessons that could improve the effectiveness of any organization.
- Killion, J. Taking the lead: New roles for teachers and school-based principals. Oxford, OH: NSDC.
Killion explores the complex, multi-faceted roles played by instructional coaches, and examines district and school expectations, hiring practices, and best uses of these educators. Although most helpful for district and school leaders who are defining the roles of instructional coaches, this book is a good starting point for instructional coaches, as well.
- Knight, J. (2009). Coaching: Approaches and perspectives. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin.
Knight reviews coaches’ roles, examines research, and provides in-depth discussions of specific coaching models, including literacy, cognitive, instructional, content-focused, classroom management, and leadership coaching. This book is provides a necessary overview of how different models of coaching can be employed for one specific goal: improving student achievement.
- Knight, J. (2011). Unmistakable Impact: A partnership approach for dramatically improving instruction. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin.
Knight describes the practical details of instructional coaching and provides all the tools needed to easily implement job-embedded instructional intervention.
- Morel, N.J. & Cushman, C.S. (2012). How to build an instructional coaching program for maximum capacity. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin.
This comprehensive resource guides school and district leaders through the journey of developing and sustaining an effective coaching program. Morel and Cushman engage readers with a nautical metaphor that outlines the planning and implementation process, including how to: cast a vision for the coaching program; determine desired characteristics of instructional coaches; use data to evaluate and refine the program; communicate the benefits to leaders, principals, and teachers; design appropriate professional training and support.
Other books:
- Allison, S. & Harbour, M. (2009). The coaching toolkit. Thousand Oak, CA: Corwin.
Allison and Harbour have drawn from years of experience developing professional learning to create a book focused on the practical implications of introducing and embedding instructional coaching. As its title suggests, this is a compilation of strategies and resources that have been developed and used by practitioners in the authors’ schools.
- Davis, B.M. (2008). How to coach teachers who don’t think like you: Using literacy strategies to coach across content areas. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin.
Davis has devised a resource for both the experienced coach and the coach-in-training with practical, concrete guidelines to facilitate the coaching process. This book covers the process and content of coaching and describes a unique approach that encourages teachers to write about and reflect on their practices.
- National school reform faculty resource book: Adult learning in the service of student achievement. (2007-2008).
National School Reform Faculty (NSRF) is focused on developing collegial relationships, encouraging reflective practice, and rethinking leadership in restructuring schools—all in support Reform Faculty for their Critical Friends Group™ and new coach trainings, and contains a selection of protocols and activities from the library of the National School Reform Faculty
Articles:
- Educational Leadership (October 2011). Coaching: The new leadership skill.
http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/oct11/vol69/num02/toc.aspx
- This month’s online edition of Educational Leadership is focused on instructional coaching, including the following articles:
· Perspectives/the art of changing minds, by Marge Scherer
· The coach and the evaluator, by Bob and Megan Tschannen-Moran
· What good coaches do, by Jim Knight
· Modeling lessons by Katherine Casey
· The principal as formative coach, by Gabrielle Nidus and Maya Sadder
· Learning from instructional instructional rounds, by Elizabeth A. City
· The power of virtual coaching, by Marcia L. Rock, Naomi P. Zigmond, Madeleine Gregg and Robert A. Gable
· Coaches as system leaders, by Michael Fullan and Jim Knight
· The year we learned to collaborate, by Janice Silva and Kathia Contreras
· Helping adults learn, by Kimberly Hartnett-Edwards
· Lesson study: Beyond coaching, by Catherine Lewis, Rebecca Perry, David Foster, Jacqueline Hurd and Linda Fisher
· Support principals, transform schools, by Elena Aguilar, Davina Goldwasser and Kristina Tank-Crestetto
· It’s about the questions, by Ronald R. Bearwald
· The life of a literacy coach, by Liz Hanson.
- Gawande, A. (Oct. 3, 2011). Personal best. New Yorker.
http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2011/10/03/111003fa_fact_gawande?currentPage=all
The author discusses the various professions who employ coaches and considers if all professions would benefit from this practice.
Online resources:
- The art of coaching teachers: Elena Aguilar writes this blog from the perspective of an experienced K-12 educator and transformational leader in the Oakland, CA school district.
http://blogs.edweek.org/teachers/coaching_teachers/2012/09/instructional_coaches_an_invit.html
- Steve Barkley ponders out loud: This weekly blog written by Steve Barkley discusses timley trends in instructional coaching, Barkley’s observations while working with schools, and suggested coaching practices.
- Notes on Instructional Coaching: Jim Knight’s blog provides weekly reviews of books, news, and replies to questions that will be of interest to educators, professional developers, leaders and other change agents.
http://jimknightoncoaching.squarespace.com/