Coaching Side By Side

One-on-one collaboration creates caring, connected teachers

Ask a teacher if he or she has ever been coached, and you are likely to first hear silence, then an answer that offers little information. “Why do you ask?” “There are coaches in my district.” “I met with a coach once.” Teachers are programmed to make it look like they do it all on their own when it comes to professional learning. The problem is that this solo learner stance doesn’t provide a helpful picture of teacher learning. Sometimes the answer is mixed up in what teachers think administrators want to hear about coaching. Different coaching models have different attributes. Most coaching models fall into two types: districts and schools that implement coaching tied to one or more initiatives, and those that implement to

Read the remaining content with membership access. Join or log in below to continue.

Sed ut perspiciatis unde omnis iste natus error sit voluptatem accusantium doloremque laudantium, totam rem aperiam, eaque ipsa quae ab illo inventore veritatis et quasi architecto beatae vitae dicta sunt explicabo. Nemo enim ipsam voluptatem quia voluptas sit aspernatur aut odit aut fugit, sed quia consequuntur magni dolores eos qui ratione voluptatem sequi nesciunt. Neque porro quisquam est, qui dolorem ipsum quia dolor sit amet, consectetur, adipisci velit, sed quia non numquam eius modi tempora incidunt ut labore et dolore magnam aliquam quaerat voluptatem.

Authors

Nancy Akhavan

Nancy Akhavan ([email protected]) is assistant professor at California State University Fresno.

References

Akhavan, N. (2004). How to align literacy instruction, assessment, and standards and achieve results you never dreamed possible. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.

Akhavan, N. (2014). The nonfiction now lesson bank: Strategies & routines to meet today’s demands for higher-level content-area reading, grades 4-8. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

Bandura, A. (1997). Self-efficacy: The exercise of control. New York, NY: W.H. Freeman Publishers.

Costa, A.L. & Garmston, R.J. (2002). Cognitive Coaching: A foundation for renaissance schools (2nd ed.). Boston, MA: Christopher-Gordon.

Guskey, T.R. (1998). Attitude and perceptual change in teachers. International Journal of Educational Research, 13(4), 439-453.

Kouzes, J.M. & Posner, B.Z. (2008). The leadership challenge (4th ed.). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Sarason, S.B. (1990). The predictable failure of educational reform: Can we change course before it’s too late? San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Tschannen-Moran, M. & McMaster, P. (2009). Sources of self-efficacy: Four professional development formats and their relationship to self-efficacy and the implementation of a new teaching strategy. The Elementary School Journal, 110(2), 228-245.

Learning Forward

+ posts

Learning Forward is the only professional association devoted exclusively to those who work in educator professional development. We help our members plan, implement, and measure high-quality professional learning so they can achieve success with their systems, schools, and students.

Categories: Coaching, Implementation

Search
The Learning Professional

Published Date

Reset

CURRENT ISSUE

Recent Issues

APPLYING THE SCIENCE OF LEARNING

April 2026

Cognitive science illuminates how people learn. This issue shows how...

LEARNING WITH AI

February 2026

Generative AI can be a powerful tool for professional learning design and...

WHAT STUDENTS NEED NOW

December 2025

For all students to thrive, we need to understand who they are and what...

LEARNING COMMUNITIES FOR LEADERS

October 2025

Leaders need opportunities to connect, learn, and grow with peers just as...

Coaching for All

June 2026