What Is It?
Student centered coaching is designed to directly impact student learning. Knowing that a single teacher cannot possibly, realistically, meet the individual needs of all learners, all the time - collaboration with a coach allows teachers to design instruction that targets student achievement. (Diane Sweeney, Student-Centered Coaching)
How Does It Work?
The most meaningful work and productive results will come from engaging in a coaching cycle. Elementary literacy coaches will want to facilitate a 4-6 week cycle with a teacher or team of teachers, focused around key learning targets for students to reach. At the secondary level, coaching cycles may last 3-4 weeks. Each of these cycles will include a weekly planning session and 2-3 days/week with the coach in the classroom. When in the classroom, the coach may be co-teaching, gathering student data, or providing agreed-upon feedback to students or teacher.
Goals of the coaching cycle will be student-centered. During the initial planning session,teacher(s) and coach will identify a goal for student learning and create a plan for assessment to determine where students are. This formative assessment will help the team design and deliver instruction designed to meet student needs to help them progress toward mastery of the target. The goal is to move from deliver and assess to assess and deliver!