Coaches Across The District

Over the past decade, we have been so fortunate to be able to grow our coaching program in Winchester! From ITS, to SEL, to instructional coaches, to coordinators, we are thrilled to see collaboration in action across the elementary level, and emerging at the middle school and high school.

Purpose & Vision

 

As we’ve grown these positions, we have received questions about the roles, goals, and vision for the district and coaches. Embedding the role of coaches in a district is a commitment to everyone’s life-long learning. It is an opportunity to have embedded, ongoing, and differentiated professional development during and outside of the school day and year.

We believe that coaching is a collaborative endeavor and that the coach is a thought partner, a peer, and an ambassador. Coaches are an opportunity to “tap into” an objective view of one who has the opportunity to be in many classrooms regularly.

Coaches help us to: plan, observe, problem-solve, innovate, see what is working, share ideas for next steps, and connect us with others focusing on the same areas and/or having different strengths than we do. They can be your: sounding boards, researchers, connectors, mirrors, or models. They are here to support and encourage you; they are a trusted and safe peer.

Meet the Coaches

Coaches Will:

 

  • Be supportive and share what is working/what could be next steps

  • Differentiate their approach/materials/supports based on what YOU identify you need

  • Listen carefully to you

  • Be positive and realistic

  • Follow through

  • Set-up a safe space

  • Be trust-worthy and transparent

  • Be prepared

  • Offer recommendations for resources/connections

  • Respect your expertise

  • Respect your autonomy

  • Work with you wherever you are

  • Encourage risk taking

Coaches Won’t:

 

  • Share about your experience without your permission

  • Presume to have all of the answers

  • Invalidate your experience

  • Judge where you are on the continuum of a particular practice

  • Be dismissive

  • Do the teaching without your involvement