ERIC Number: EJ1320149
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2021-Oct
Pages: 4
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0276-928X
EISSN: N/A
Group Coaching Builds Connections
Cameli, Sandy
Learning Professional, v42 n5 p66-68, 72 Oct 2021
When the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted in-person education in spring 2020, learning leaders urgently needed collaborative professional learning -- to take deep breaths, reflect on how to shift their practices, and support one another emotionally and logistically to survive and eventually thrive in this unfamiliar learning environment. However, many traditional growth opportunities became impossible amid requirements for social distancing, remote teaching, and other health precautions. Hawaii's Na Kumu Alaka'i Teacher Leader Academy, a year-long professional learning experience for school- and district-level teachers, addressed this challenge with online cluster coaching. Cluster coaching is a collective partnership in which a mentor works with a cohort of teacher leaders. The use of cluster coaching in the academy was twofold: Provide just-in-time support and resources for teacher leaders who were guiding others at their respective schools and decrease the distance between opportunities and collegial inquiry by using online platforms to connect learning leaders during unpredictable times. In the updated cluster coaching model, teacher leaders participated in online group sessions with peers from similar school communities or geographical areas with an assigned mentor. The online platform approach decreased the physical space between participants--who previously would have to travel longer distances for in-person professional learning--and increased the opportunity to share resources and experiences from pre-K-12 peers who might not routinely work together. This article highlights the structure of the new cluster coaching model and how it was used by the Hawaii Department of Education, lessons learned from the experience, and future plans for Na Kumu Alaka'i Teacher Leader Academy participants in Hawaii schools.
Descriptors: Cooperative Learning, Coaching (Performance), Mentors, Teacher Leadership, Faculty Development, COVID-19, Pandemics, Distance Education, Web Based Instruction, Electronic Learning
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Hawaii
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A