Teachers are not Children: So don't treat them as such while coaching

As a beginning of the year coaching you want to be successful… right? In order to be effective as a literacy coach you have to understand that your teachers are not children. There is a slight learning curve that comes along with becoming a new coach. You now have to focus on adult learners. You must understand their needs and do a little research on the Adult Learning Theory. Adult learning is a totally different approach you took when you were a classroom teacher, so if you are a new instructional coach make sure you understand and review the Andragogy-in-Practice Model by Malcolm Knowles.1. Involved Adult Learners- The learning states that adults benefit from designing and understanding the relevancy of learning. Teachers in the classroom are involved learners, they need to be involved in the conversation and planning phases of any idea they may have. They also must be in charge of their instruction with2. Adult Experience- Teachers need to have an experience with the technique or strategy being used in the classroom including mistakes. Mistakes are the basis for learning to occur3. Relevant to Life- Whatever strategy is being used must have a direct impact to them as a learner and their students. Adults are more interested in subjects that are quick wins. This means that it must immediately impact their role in the classroom as well as directly impact their students.4. Solve a Problem- Adult learning revolves around a problem rather than content. This is key because as a new coach youwill continue to grow and many problems that you will solve in the classroom may not be in your area of content expertise therefore research is the key to your success.     Here is a chart expressing the difference between Pedagogy vs. Andragogy:Take a look at video created by Vistler about adult learning:[embed]https://youtu.be/nz6SwliUWoE[/embed]