In a recent zoom conversation, around the topic of peer coaching, the common concern about the need for trust emerged. It is frequently stated as, “We don’t have the trust among the staff that is needed for people to engage in ‘real’ peer coaching.” A similar concern often emerges when exploring professional learning communities, “Teachers […]

In the work that I’ve done across the past 35 years connected to peer coaching, instructional coaching, mentoring, and coaching connected to supervision, one of the elements that has been present from the very beginning is the realization that coaching creates discomfort. Being coached brings some level of discomfort. To grow from the coaching experience, […]

While reading an Education Week Blog by Jill Berkowicz and Ann Myers, The Importance of Challenging Our Comfort Zone   (August 6),  I was reminded of the need for school leaders, instructional coaches and teachers to create environments where staffs and students are comfortable with discomfort. Berkowicz and Meyers explore the need for school leaders to be […]