Coaching & Mentoring
The development of school leaders is essential to the success of implementing change in a school environment. GreyED Solutions provides executive coaching and mentoring services that provide structure, guidance and support for school leaders as they go from where they are to where they want their organizations to be.
Digital Learning Leadership Dialogue
Many leaders are driving change processes in teaching and learning in educational settings. Educational technologies catalyzed rapid shifts in modes of teaching and learning in schools and districts. As a result, often the change leader is responsible not just for the devices, professional development, and supporting instruction and learning. The change leader is also consulted on related issues that must adapt in schools. How does assessment, teacher supervision, student discipline, and overall school policy and climate change following the transformation of the instructional environment? Many leaders consult with others in similar settings for advice. However, there are many educational stakeholders who have contributed to a growing body of scholarship and information that are applicable. GreyED Solutions will facilitate dialogue with leaders around the issue of the realities they face as agents of change.
This dialogue is about involvement in the change process (working towards learning environments balancing rigor, inquiry, differentiation, access to digital resources and tools, collaboration, communication, and higher level thinking). This dialogue will review why change is important, recognizing and creating conditions for change in a school, how to facilitate and lead change, how to facilitate reflection, how to select and support change agents, and more. Individuals will participate in a shared experience (there will be several choices for differentiation), individual reflection, small group dialogue, and consultation with the facilitator. Participants will leave with a tangible next individual step for their own involvement in facilitating change.
Professional Standards on Leadership and Change
Many leaders understand and practice the content and people-management responsibilities of their roles. However, many leaders are not prepared when it comes to facilitating, leading, managing, and supporting change work in schools. Direct connections to ISTE standards are listed below for Coaches and Administrators on change, leadership, and facilitating reflection. We will take a look at why they are important, briefly describe ways to implement, and how the standards connect to creating conditions and spaces where change can occur.
For a district or school to undergo change and transformation, they need more than a change agent and professional development time. The success of coaching and organizational efforts at change or transformation is not determined by the coach alone. The four conditions below are short summaries of Aguilar’s (2011).
- The school or district “culture must be oriented towards growth and improvement.” One indicator of a culture filled with members eager to improve practice is hearing “a dominant message that the staff feels the problems are within their sphere of influence, that they have the power to improve the problems.”
- A school or district “needs to have established time and structures for collaboration.” Change does not occur in isolation, and teachers must be comfortable having open and honest conversation not only about students, but also about instructional and learning practices. “research has shown that when coaches work with teams there is a greater impact on teacher practice.”
- The change agent needs a close relationship with the leader, principal, superintendent, etc. The leader first needs to understand the purpose of coaching or working for change. What is the leader’s expectations for results, resistance, timeframes, etc?
- The change agent needs professional development. “Perhaps the most critical condition for coaching to work is that an organization sees itself as a place where everyone is a learner.”
Educational Technology Leadership Coaching
Many leaders are driving change processes in teaching and learning in educational settings. Educational technologies catalyzed rapid shifts in modes of teaching and learning in schools and districts. Districts and schools face changing practices and traditions in order for support frameworks to keep up with the changing face of instruction and learning.
GreyED Solutions provides coaching for educational leaders. The quickly changing face of “what instruction looks like now” adds different pressures to educational leaders such as funding, technical support, professional development, parent and community communication, security, cyber safety, ethical and legal issues. Our coaches understand the demands of the 21st century school and subsequently, 21st century leadership. They are not advisors, but will help leaders answer the question of “how do we get there?” Our coaches will ask questions, listen, synthesize, empower goal setting and accountability, and provide authentic professional coaching to meet today’s leadership challenges.