April 20th 2021
Our learning event was organised by teams of Leeds, Ljubljana and Tübingen and was held online as a two-day event on 2nd March and 4th March. The online format allowed a wider international community (around 50 participants) to gather more easily on Zoom.
The programme was spearheaded by the project leader Mhairi Beaton, who introduced the PROMISE project to the participants. The first day was about breaking the ice, participants enjoyed a game, where they could introduce each other via EtherPad.
The second day allowed participants to learn more about coaching and coaching techniques by Rachel Lofthouse. During the rest of the day, in groups of three, participants had the opportunity to try out peer coaching as a professional development tool. The members of the triads were in the role of coachee, coach and observer, accompanied by a PROMISE team member as an observer too. Coaching sessions run for 10-15 minutes followed by a 5 minutes reflection. The workshop was concluded by oral/written reflection and feedback on the experience.
It was a very interesting experience to participate in peer coaching activities that can be organized seamlessly online as well. The event showed how powerful a tool coaching can be in the professional development of teachers.