A recent study from the University of Missouri highlights the critical role of school-based coaches in providing ongoing professional development to teachers. These coaches specialize in areas such as classroom management, behavior, literacy, math, technology integration, or special education. By collaborating with teachers, they can foster a positive and productive learning environment that leads to improved student outcomes.
Shannon Holmes, an assistant professor in Mizzou’s College of Education and Human Development, elaborated on the study’s findings. Holmes emphasized the importance of developing strong working relationships between coaches and teachers to implement effective evidence-based classroom strategies and techniques for healthy student learning.
The study aims to bridge the gap between educational research findings and their real-world application in schools.
School-based coaches support teachers through various roles including modeling best practices, observing and giving feedback, collaborating on lesson planning, analyzing student data, and mentoring teachers.
Effective classroom strategies mentioned include creating structured routines, consistently reinforcing appropriate behavior, and immediately correcting inappropriate behavior. According to Holmes, these strategies are crucial because they create a learning environment conducive to students’ achievement, cooperation, and social-emotional skills.
Holmes also highlighted the importance of building strong working relationships between coaches and teachers. “Building this relationship doesn’t have to be incredibly time-consuming — it can be as simple as taking a few minutes before a meeting to discuss what’s going on in everyone’s day,” she noted.
For school administrators looking to improve student outcomes based on this study’s insights, ensuring that coaches are trained not only in content areas but also in communication strategies is essential. Training in active listening and rapport building can help build trusting relationships with the individuals they coach.
