Coaching the Master Teacher
School leaders and instructional coaches are responsible for developing their staff and, when it comes to teacher training and development, an equitable perspective is required. Leaders and coaches need to experience the diversity within their staff, their areas of strength, and opportunities for growth to determine a coaching plan that maximizes each teacher’s potential. When coaching more experienced or “master” teachers, the approach you would use for a novice teacher will not suffice, and more must be done to ensure these teachers are adequately challenged. Often, this requires some additional lift from the coach or school leader as well.
Master teachers are those who consistently demonstrate strong classroom culture, solid lesson execution, and thorough understanding of curriculum and instructional and pedagogical practices. They operate on a consistent basis with overall strong student performance and outcomes, are mission and goal oriented, and are those you would encourage visitors to observe in action. When working with a master teacher, there are elements to consider in making the relationship most productive and fruitful for both parties.
I. Mutual Respect and Strong Relationships
Mutual respect and a strong functional relationship are critical within any coaching arrangement, and this is true of any teacher you coach. Regardless of experience level, teachers want a coach that listens, values their ideas, and works alongside them toward a shared goal. However, it could prove more challenging to coach someone who has had previous experience with coaching, whether positive or negative. People will enter your school with mindsets toward coaching, but experienced teachers likely have more of those and stronger held opinions because of their experiences. Relationship building may take longer with a master teacher, or may feel more complex, but is critical in ensuring a successful coaching experience and strong outcomes.
II. Shared Goal and Vision Setting
Novice teachers typically have a limited understanding of what makes for a strong classroom and, as such, coaches play a larger role in guiding their goal and vision setting. Master teachers, on the other hand, are equipped to set their own goals and vision, or at least to work more collaboratively alongside their coach to get there. They will need more voice in articulating where their classroom is currently and in establishing expected outcomes. They will require a wider range of options to help achieve that vision and variety in observation and support type. For example, goals may be measured more frequently through student data in the classroom rather than evaluating teacher output. It will be important to discuss things these teachers have already tried, reflect on what worked and what hasn’t, and what new tools or strategies they would like to explore in their practice to expand their skillset or maximize results.
III. Orientation and Growing Together
Master teachers will likely need less support with the basics. Even when adapting to a new school system, they will be able to use their established toolkits to assimilate; they are not working with a blank slate. Their goals will be more rigorous, more complex, and may require a bit heavier lifting from their coach. There may be times in which a master teacher has more experience in an area than their coach, and so coaches must continuously reflect on the value they add to the work they are doing. Coaches do not need to know everything to add value to teachers’ development, but this does require a good deal of self-reflection and understanding what can be done to make a great teacher better at what they do. Coaching a master teacher may require alongside them, conducting additional research, or leaning on available resources or the expertise of others in your organization.
IV. Potentially Slower Growth Trajectory
It is important to remember that, when coaching a master teacher, the trajectory for growth will likely look different. There may not always be steady growth or immediate changes as you might notice with a novice teacher. Instead, there will be ongoing conversations and repeated practice to see results over time, mainly reflected in the outcomes of students.
If you are a school leader or instructional coach seeking to further the development of your strongest, most veteran staff, know that it is possible and it is a worthwhile investment. It will require relationship building founded on mutual respect and a shared desire to achieve set goals. It will also require a bit more research, collaboration, and greater patience to see results. Ultimately, you will be shifting the bar from great to even greater for students, and developing a teacher who is ready to maximize impact, inspiring and developing others themselves through their practice.