Supporting Colleagues

As outlined in Looking at our Schools Middle leaders can play an

important role in supporting colleagues in their teaching through
professional development and learning

Middle Leadership
Supporting Colleagues
• Teachers learning from other teachers within the same school is
considered highly effective (Garet et al. 2001)
• School based professional development can be adapted to be
context specific with an element of ongoing support available over a
sustained period

• Teachers often value learning with, and from, colleagues over

traditional forms of professional development (Armour and Fraser 2004).

• ‘Teaching without telling’ – importance of encouraging active

involvement of colleagues in their own learning (Patton et al. 2013)

Middle Leadership
Principles of Effective Professional
Development Enhanced
pedagogical
and content
knowledge

Based on
teachers Ongoing and
needs and sustained
interests

Effective
professional
Development

Has
Involves
opportunities
active
for
learning
collaboration

Focuses on
student
outcomes
(Patton et al, 2014)
 Principles of Adult Learning – Andragogy
Supporting the learning of adults (andragogy) and children can
be different

• Adults often like to be involved in planning and reviewing their

instruction
• Previous experiences provides the basis for learning activities
• Adults are most interested in topics which have immediate
relevance to their lives
• Adult learning is problem centred rather than content oriented
(Knowles, 1984)

What elements are similar/different when working with children?

Middle Leadership
Supporting Colleagues
What practical strategies could you implement to support your colleagues?

• Collaborative work practices

• Team teaching
• Class swapping
• Provide continuous and easily accessible support. Meetings?
• Spark teacher interaction focussed on teaching and learning
• Share resources/equipment
• Review resources/materials
• Develop learning communities

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Mentoring
• Mentoring typically involves more experienced teachers
supporting and sharing knowledge and skills with less
experienced teachers

• Stages of mentoring may involve:

-Giving confidence and reassurance
-helping with day to day content/pedagogy
-acting as a critical friend/supporting reflection

Middle Leadership
Coaching
Coaching involves facilitating self directed learning through
questioning, active listening and appropriate challenge
(Van Nieuwerbugh, 2012)

Supporting other teachers to come up with solutions and realise their

own goals through increased self awareness

Coaching questions are open-ended e.g. what would you like to focus
on? where do you see yourself currently? what makes this important
to you?

For more information about coaching read this article

https://www.edutopia.org/blog/power-educational-coaching-ben-johnson

Middle Leadership
 Peer Observation
Check out
this article
on peer
observation
as part of
this modules
reading

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References
• Armour, K. M. and Fraser, S. (2004) Evaluation of the national PE and school sport professional
development programme: interim report (first 6 months of year 1), Loughborough: School of Sport
and Exercise Sciences.
• Garet, M., Porter, A., Desimone, L., Birman, B. and Suk Yoon, K. (2001) 'What makes professional
development effective? Results from a national sample of teachers', American Educational
Research Journal, 38(4), 915-945.
• Knowles, M. (1984). The Adult Learner: A Neglected Species (3rd Ed.). Houston, TX: Gulf
Publishing.
• Patton, K., Parker, M. and Pratt, E. (2013) 'Meaningful learning in professional development:
teaching without telling', Journal of Teaching in Physical Education, 32, 441-459.
• Patton, K. and Parker, M. (2014) '“I Learned More at Lunchtime”: Guideposts for reimagining
professional development', Journal of Physical Education, Recreation & Dance, 86(1), 23-29.
• van Nieuwerburgh, C. (2012). Coaching in education: An overview. In C. van Nieuwerburgh (Ed.),
Coaching in education: Getting better results for students, educators, and parents (pp. 3–23).
Karnac Books.

Middle Leadership