Happy New Year, 2023! I quite enjoy having a routine but I am also a huge fan of the energy of new beginnings. And speaking about new beginnings and embracing what works, in today’s episode, I want to share with you something that I have not talked about yet! And that is ESL instructional coaching, educational coaching especially for teachers who work with English learners.
I have come to realize that frequently as teachers we need someone to talk to, someone to bounce ideas off and realize that we, in fact, are doing great – but that requires another person to hear you out! In this episode, I will share with you what instructional coaching is, types of instructional coaching, the benefits of it as well as how you can get started right here with Simply Ieva.
About a month ago, one of the members of The ESL Teaching Roadmap curriculum membership booked a consultation session with me – all members of the Roadmap have access to 1:1 coaching at any time they need it, and I am so thrilled when they use this feature of the membership!
She filled out a short form with a few questions she wanted to discuss, I prepared for them by looking through my notes, research that I have and practice that has worked and we had a beautiful chat. By the end of our session she felt relieved that she had a direction she could follow, and I felt elated because I was able to have a meaningful way of helping a fellow teacher.
As a teacher, who travels between several schools, I have always felt like there are only a few people who can understand what it’s like to teach ESL students in varied grade levels at varied proficiency levels, frequently in one class. And I wondered how many teachers out there feel this way too? How many of us are alone for the district, or with little guidance, or with few resources?
Judging from the emails and messages I get, there are quite a few.
When I created Simply Ieva it was out of my own need to find clarity in everything I was doing. I have fantastic colleagues, and fellow EL teachers, but we are all drowning and I am the only one working with older students.
I started creating a newcomer curriculum because I needed one. I began finding ways to bring essential reading, writing and speaking skills to the forefront of my lessons for mixed-proficiency classes because I needed it myself. And I ended up putting it all into a system that any EL teacher can use – The ESL Teaching Roadmap – because having materials organized and in one place was again, something I myself needed and appreciated.
But there has always been an aspect of my service that has been underutilized. Over the years, I have realized that for any teacher, and especially ESL teacher, having an instructional coach that can help see the big picture, tweak the teaching strategies, help you reflect on your own teaching and make deeper connections with your students and colleagues is a priceless tool.
And that is what I wanted to talk about in this podcast episode.
Before I dive deeper into what my philosophy on teacher coaching is, I wanted to give a little bit of background and research into it.
First of all, what is ESL instructional coaching?
Instructional coaching is a type of professional development, if you will, where an expert works with a teacher in regular one-on-one sessions to improve both the teacher’s performance as well as student learning. It is filled with personal change and reflection, and helps teachers take a deeper look at their own ideas and teaching methods.
The expert could be an outside coach, or an experienced teacher and the coachee – a new teacher, or someone who needs help honing and tweaking their teaching strategies and overall practice.
The most important aspect of coaching is learning – not only for the teacher but also for the coach because it is a constant two way street.
ESL instructional coaching is a form of professional development that is highly meaningful, which many other types of PD lack. It is so because it is very contextualized – a coach gets to know the teacher’s environment, practices, materials available, mindset and the overall morale of the school. This is impossible when delivering a one-off workshop for the entire staff. In addition, as with everything that yields results and tangible change, coaching takes time, repetition and support to form new habits and actually reap sustainable change.
Types of instructional coaching methods
The goal of all is student learning. How we achieve this involves different methods.
The three overarching themes in instructional coaching are these:
Student-centered
Teacher-centered
And
Relationship-driven
Student-centered coaching (which is at the core of Diane Sweeney’s coaching philosophy) focuses on student data and how refinement of planning, instruction, and assessments can help student achievement.
In teacher-centered coaching, the main focus is, as the title suggests, on the teacher. What the teacher is or isn’t doing, accountability, the coach role is a mentor/evaluator.
And the relationship-driven coaching focuses on building relationships with teachers, and providing support to them.
Research-based coaching (which is at the core of Jim Thorpe’s coaching) utilizes research-based strategies in coaching. That way the teachers get the most up-to-date techniques to use in practice.
Transformational (or cognitive) coaching (which is at the core of Elena Aguilar’s philosophy) utilizes conversations and well-placed questions to allow for reflection and ability to find one’s own path.
It is necessary to mention that no matter which type of ESL instructional coaching seems like it would be a great fit for you, a must-have component in all of them is trust, respect and collegial relationships.
How does instructional coaching work?
An educational coach is someone who has been in the trenches as a teacher for at least five years. Same goes for ESL instructional coaching – a teacher with experience in working with English learners and the challenges that teachers in our field face. That way they have the knowledge of what it’s like to be a teacher – a foundational knowledge – as well as an understanding of what is needed in schools.
At the same time, the coachee has to be ready to receive the type of collaboration and dynamic that is required from a coaching relationship. The educational coach can be highly experienced and skilled but still fail to produce the required change if the school or the teacher is not ready for coaching.
Benefits of instructional coaching
- Teacher coaching is individualized and can help improve performance
- It is typically context-specific, and therefore allows for a deeper and more sustainable practice – whether in opening up to implementing new strategies, or finally bringing more equity to our classrooms
- Instructional coaching allows the teachers to see the bigger picture. As a result, teacher reflection is encouraged and nurtured and helps the teacher become even better at their craft
- Instructional coaching is great for new teachers. New ESL teachers frequently have no one to turn to, and having a coach to guide them can help alleviate the unnecessary stress and focus on what matters most – our students
- Increased professional growth. You cannot collaborate with another person and not learn something from them – the growth goes for both the teacher and the coach.
- Greater clarity in best practices in teaching and learning
- Improved relationships with colleagues and overcoming the feeling of isolation. As a result, you collaborate more and learn from each other even more.
- And of course, a happier and more balanced teacher equals better outcomes for our students.
ESL Instructional Coaching by Simply Ieva
This brings me to my philosophy of support for teachers. Two words encapsulate part of my core values as a person and an educator – connection and expansion.
I believe teachers need to feel connected to themselves, their students and their school community. When you feel grounded in your personal and professional life, this energy transfers to your classroom and you yourself become a better colleague. And I believe that learning from and looking out for each other expands our minds in such a way that we can see the big picture yet take clear small steps towards our goals.
It is not a coincidence then that even step 1 in my membership is aptly named CONNECT.
Over the years, I have noticed that there are so many teaching situations, especially in our field of teaching English learners. While some schools have a well-oiled Multilingual learner department with multiple teachers and support, in my experience, EL teachers frequently work in districts that are understaffed and not yet fully knowing how to serve this population of students from around the world.
And that is why I would like to invite you to work with me and allow me to be your coach and guide.
Simply Ieva now also offers instructional coaching for ESL teachers and content area teachers who have English learners in their classrooms.
And as a special New Years’ celebration, I have opened 5 spots of one-on-one coaching along with one month free inside my ESL Teaching Roadmap membership.
If you need Individualized support and a time dedicated to focus on the topics that are important to YOU and YOUR ESL teaching situation, now is your chance – I will link the information on how you can sign up in the show notes right below this episode.
Again, I am currently offering only 5 spots, so if this is something you’ve been wanting, make sure to sign up right away. Click HERE to save your spot.
As always, you can find the links to the resources mentioned here as well as the coaching package right in the show notes.
Have you ever had a coach? If so, what was your experience? Comment below, or share with us inside our FB group or tag me or message me on Instagram!
Resources
As mentioned in the episode, I am linking some useful resources!
- The ESL Teaching Roadmap – membership community for middle and high school ESL/ELL teachers. As a thank you for listening, use code ESLPODCAST for 10% off when you join.
- 25 Authentic Speaking Activities for Your ESL Classroom
- Simply Ieva ESL Teachers Pay Teachers Store
- Teachable Platform – Courses and Workshops
- Follow me on Instagram
- Join the Simply Ieva Facebook Group
- Simply Ieva Youtube Channel
You may also be interested in:
ESL Teacher Support – 1:1 coaching session with Ieva Grauslys (©Simply Ieva) – only 5 spots available
Other resources mentioned in the episode: