Monitoring the Coaching Process

The great advantage of coaching as a developmental process is that it provides the opportunity for one-on-one training, guiding, instructing, observing, modeling, evaluating performance, and providing corrective feedback to the New Educator. All of this can be done on the job. It occurs through regular sessions as the Instructional Coach is mentoring and providing immediate feedback to the New Educator.

The great disadvantage of coaching as a developmental process is that the knowledge and skills of coaches can vary greatly. Coaching and mentoring require the use of tools and techniques that help the Instructional Coach support the professional and technical growth of the New Educator.

One of the responsibilities of the NESS School Liaison is to monitor the type and quality of support provided by each Instructional Coach. Once the Liaison has identified the needs of the Instructional Coaches, s/he can provide direct support through an Instructional Coach learning community and/or indirect support by recommending Clinical Educator Training and HRD summer training events to help coaches gain the tools they need to be effective mentors.

Source: Dr. Doug Miller, NESS Program Facilitator