Teacher Coaches in the OECS
Professional development took a giant
leap forward when the OECS USAID Early
Learners Programme acknowledged that the
traditional workshop alone would not make
the grade. We, ELP Coordinators, echoed
the sentiments that effective workshops
go far beyond the “what” and delve well
into the realm of the , “‘how”’ “when” and
“why”, as we planned national training sessions. However, we knew that the real
change would be effected when we visited
teachers in their classrooms following the
workshops. In six member states of the
OECS (Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica,
Grenada , St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia and
St. Vincent) a different approach to teacher
professional development began: teacher
coaching.
Coaches or ELP Coordinators communicate
with Principals and teachers via
telephone and WhatsApp groups to set up
appointments to visit schools and observe
teacher instructional practices
in the classroom. During teacher
conferences, discussions are held
about planning and assessment,
as well as teacher personal
professional development. The
teacher sets a personal goal,
which is supported by the Coach,
who may help the teacher locate
resources to meet that goal. In this process, teacher and coach grow together
and both develop new insights and
instructional skills.
What does coaching under the Early
Learners Programme look like?
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