Distant Peer-Coaching

Beginning teachers learn to support each other with digital tools

Detail

Learning goals

  • Beginning teachers will be able to coach each other during the phase of their first teaching experiences and when preparing their lessons
  • Beginning teachers will be able to use digital tools to coach their colleagues over distance (home-office).
  • Beginning teachers will be enabled to reflect on difficult situations they encounter in school. They will be enabled to identify the dilemmas connected to such situations.
  • Beginning teachers will be able to get a realistic view on their competencies and their next steps of professionalisation

Learning fields

  • Coaching
  • Reflection/self-assessment
  • Goal setting
  • Communication
  • Cooperation
  • Use of digital devices
  • Decision making

Learning path

  • Introduction to coaching techniques
  • Vignettes session 1 using one vignette (see below) to simulate coaching in a face-to-face scenario
  • Creating a vignette from the personal experience in school (description or videoclip)
  • Introduction of further techniques on communication and coaching
  • Vignette session 2 (using one’s own vignette for face-to-face coaching)
  • Introduction to digital tools for distant peer-coaching
  • Action planning (distant peer-coaching, when, who etc)
  • Creating further vignettes from the personal experience in school)
  • Distant peer-coaching
  • Reflection/self-assessment

Learning methods

  • Peer discussion
  • Cooperative learning
  • coaching

Learning environment

  • Beginning teachers’ lessons on pedagogy
  • Face to face meetings in groups of three
  • Online meetings in groups of three

People involved

  • Beginning teachers
  • Teacher educator in pedagogy

Indicators of success/impact

  • distant peer meetings of the beginning teachers
  • mutually observed and shared learning outcomes/competencies acquired through the professional learning activities
  • vignettes that represent the issues and or dilemmas of beginning teachers in professionally challenging situations.
  • Feedback of mentors and teacher educators on the professionalization process
  • Facts and figures where possible

Time is an important factor of success for the process described here. We suggest to organize it for several months up to one year. An intensive event for instance within three days could be organized for the first steps of coaching and using the digital devices.