To start this course, I was excited about the different projects we would be completing this semester. Prior to this course, I did not have a lot of experience with coaching and working with my peers from a leadership position. The textbook also seemed to be a great resource with lots of advice on coaching. I was definitely not disappointed as the course progressed. The Knight textbook readings were invaluable and really gave a great foundation for coaching practices as well as advice and tips and tricks for being successful at coaching. The stories within in the textbook also made the information relatable and easily applicable to my current teaching/sometimes-coaching situation. Throughout this course I learned not only how to be a good coach, but what good professional learning looks like and what the actual standards for professional learning are and how to incorporate them into something I would develop. I also learned more about the ADDIE process through the one hour workshop available online to help guide our development of the technology workshop.
Personally, the most valuable assignment for me in this course was the technology coaching journal. For this assignment, I chose to work with a teacher that I already had a great working relationship with and wanted to further that relationship by coaching her on some problems she was having with technology. I learned so much about coaching through this assignment, but I learned even more about myself as a coach. I had to problem-solve along the way and build my communication skills to make sure I was being the best coach I could be. The Knight textbook was also a valuable resource during my coaching sessions as I constantly referred to it for advice and to make sure I was properly coaching. The coaching of this teacher was actually such a successful process that I have been asked by several other teachers in the department to help coach them on some of their technology woes. Because of this, I feel like my coaching truly made a difference, not just for the individual teacher I worked with, but for myself and the other teachers in the department who saw what a difference it made in her classroom.
Personally, the most valuable assignment for me in this course was the technology coaching journal. For this assignment, I chose to work with a teacher that I already had a great working relationship with and wanted to further that relationship by coaching her on some problems she was having with technology. I learned so much about coaching through this assignment, but I learned even more about myself as a coach. I had to problem-solve along the way and build my communication skills to make sure I was being the best coach I could be. The Knight textbook was also a valuable resource during my coaching sessions as I constantly referred to it for advice and to make sure I was properly coaching. The coaching of this teacher was actually such a successful process that I have been asked by several other teachers in the department to help coach them on some of their technology woes. Because of this, I feel like my coaching truly made a difference, not just for the individual teacher I worked with, but for myself and the other teachers in the department who saw what a difference it made in her classroom.