Atul Gawande, a surgeon-writer who has gained recognition in the education world through his appearance in Robert Ruth’s recent piece about using checklists for reading instruction, recently wrote a an article for the New Yorker that offers insights into the teaching (and medical) profession.
Gawande describes an experience with a young tennis coach, who, after a few minutes, was able to correct Gawande’s serve and add some extra oomph to his speed. This made him think: Why is it that elite athletes and singers use coaches throughout their careers, but teachers, doctors, and other professionals do not? And more importantly, why is admitting imperfection okay for some experts but not others?
Gawande looks to teacher-coaching programs, which are increasing in popularity, to see if there are any lessons or practices that can be transferred to other professionals. He knows that some teachers are still critical of teacher coaching programs:
“Researchers from the University of Virginia found that many teachers see no need for coaching. Others hate the idea of being observed in the classroom, or fear that using a coach makes them look incompetent, or are convinced, despite assurances, that the coaches are reporting their evaluations to the principal. And some are skeptical that the school’s particular coaches would be of any use.”
Despite these reservations, another study found that teachers who attended professional development workshops brought new skills to the classroom only 10% of the time, while they did so 90% of the time after being coached. To confirm from personal experiences, Gawande recounts a conversation he had with a master-teacher he observed being coached. She claimed that coaching decreased her stress levels and saved her from burnout. “Before getting a coach,” she said, “I’d exhausted everything I knew to improve.”
Taken all in all, Gawande feels that coaching “may well be the most effective intervention designed for human performance.” For this reason, coaching in schools should be seen as indispensable, rather than something that can easily be cut when budgets are crunched. “There was a moment in sports when employing a coach was unimaginable—and then came a time when not doing so was unimaginable. We care about results in sports, and if we care half as much about results in schools and in hospitals we may reach the same conclusion.”
To read more, please visit http://blogs.edweek.org/teachers/teaching_now/2011/09/a_surgeons_plea_for_teacher-coaching.html
Core Education, LLC is pleased to support states and districts in the design of effective coaching practices to support teacher effectiveness, both for novice and veteran teachers. For more information, see http://www.coreeducationllc.com/PD.php
