Personalized learning isn’t only beneficial for early learners; it is valuable in educating those who teach them. More education institutions are aware of the responsibility to provide continuing education for their teachers and finding new ways to make professional development more effective. Plus, teaching requirements continue to grow, requiring more learning opportunities for teachers to stay up-to-date.
However, despite efforts to implement professional development, results from a teacher survey found many teachers feel that they do not have adequate time to complete continuing education courses or apply new skills in the classroom.
Personalized learning and job-embedded coaching have been utilized among several schools to not only meet the demands of busy teaching schedules, but to support every teacher’s individual learning styles.
“Job-embedded professional learning is grounded in day-to-day practice and is designed to enhance professional practice with the intent of improving children’s learning and development…”
Avoiding teacher burnout
Teachers arrive at their job with a diverse background of training, skills, interests, and experience. As each day in the classroom brings new challenges, educators are expected to be properly trained and capable of handling unexpected circumstances. Teachers observe classroom behavior and adapt to support different learning styles and reach learning objectives.
With the need to be continuously aware of effective student learning, a lack of professional training can quickly lead to teacher burnout. The University of Missouri School of Medicine reported that professional training is needed to help lessen the stress that can come from teaching—especially among teachers in early learning. Professional trainings provide encouraging methods that give teachers greater skills to manage and improve the classroom environment.
Personalized learning for teachers
Professional development is highly effective for teachers when it is built upon similar learning methods that are proven to be successful for young students.
Just as students benefit from individual instruction that is personalized for their interests, educational requirements, and learning style, teachers benefit from the support and feedback that comes from individualized instruction.
One of these personalized learning methods that has gained attention is job-embedded coaching. An instructional coach gives ongoing feedback through modeling, demonstrations, observations, and follow-up conversations. This form of professional learning helps teachers receive a supportive mentor who can help them enhance teaching practices, develop effective lesson plans, and clearly observe educational outcomes for their students.
Job-embedded coaching takes place within the classroom and is built on a foundation of trust and open communication between the coach and the teacher. External coaches are often used to give the teacher an opportunity to feel confident and trusting of someone outside of their current school administrators. External job-embedded coaches are most effective when they demonstrate encouragement for the teacher’s professional growth.
How job-embedded coaching benefits teachers and students
This form of on-the-job teacher training can have a huge impact on teacher instruction and classroom learning. Listed below are results that have been observed through job-embedded coaching.
6 Benefits of Job-Embedded Coaching
- Early childhood educators are faced with an increasing number of demands as academic objectives become more challenging for young students. Coaching can relieve the stress of these expectations and provide teachers with the support they need to grow and practice lessons learned within the classroom.
- Job-embedded learning through individual coaching sessions provides the opportunity for discussions regarding lesson planning and teaching. Coaches offer an outside perspective to provide potential solutions to challenges. They can also share lessons other teachers have learned and support collaboration between classrooms.
- Job-embedded coaching provides teachers with the opportunity to talk through concerns specific to their own classroom needs. Empowering teachers to reflect upon their own practices, coaches can encourage confidence in testing solutions and using new skills for their classroom challenges within a safe and supportive environment.
- As needs change from year-to-year, with students and curriculum expectations, job-embedded coaching encourages observation and awareness of classroom progression.
- Much like students learn at different paces, teachers do the same. When executed correctly, job-embedded coaching can be as if the teacher has an encouraging friend in the classroom.
- A collaborative environment accompanied by a supportive coach can provide an opportunity to share and learn lessons from other teachers. Mentoring and peer observation is also a part of this team effort allowing for numerous professional development opportunities.
Improve classroom learning through teacher training
Teaching techniques and curriculum are constantly changing, and teachers need to rely on each other to develop the skills they need to manage classroom learning. Job-embedded coaching can support teachers in a variety of professional situations, including new teachers or teachers who are struggling to improve classroom learning.
Developing trusted and supportive relationships with a job-embedded coach, fellow teachers, and educational leaders can have a huge impact on classroom learning and lessen teacher burnout.
