Team+3

Team 3 Lisa, Rachel, Jerry, Sandy

**How does coaching help schools develop a culture of professionalism?**

**How does coaching help schools develop a culture of professionalism?** According to our Facilitator cohort, Peer Coaching influences professionalism in multiple ways. Among them strengthened community trust and improved collaboration rank highly.

**Strong Community** Building relationships is key to any coaching situation. As with personal relationships, those professionally based are grounded in trust. Developing trust occurs over time as a result of open communication. The Coaching Skills Cue Card, available in Session 2 Activity 2, provides a valuable framework to improve communication between the coach and collaborating teacher.

**Collaboration** Improved collaboration is another manner in which Peer Coaching influences professionalism. Working together provides an effective way to improve lesson design. Adhering to the old adage that “two heads are better than one”, putting teachers together in a collaborative setting and giving them tools such as the Lesson Improvement Process Rubric and Lesson Improvement Template (provided in session 4) can greatly enhance their lesson planning. In addition, collaborative relationships offer an avenue for overcoming challenges. In the seemingly solitary teaching profession, communication protocols such as Reflection and Analysis, guide educators through the processes of effective problem solving.

**Unified Focus** Building relationships and improving collaboration result in a unified school focus. When all have a similar vision, teachers can concentrate on what really matters: the students. It is our intention to develop a culture of professionalism through the implementation of the aforementioned strategies during the upcoming academic year.