As the events of our world continue to unfold, instructional coaches are re-imagining what coaching looks like in virtual spaces and are planning online units of study, gathering digital texts and activities, and compiling helpful links to support students' learning in new spaces. Coaching and leading remotely is a new challenge for most instructional coaches, and it requires a shift in the way we think and carry out our daily routines.

How can we re-imagine instructional coaching for digital, virtual and remote learning settings?

Over the past months, I’ve worked closely and carefully with other literacy coaches to re-imagine what instructional coaching could look like remotely and virtually. I’ve always embraced digital tools and technology to transform literacy coaching, but now, I’ve using them exclusively to coach from afar. I’ve learned a lot of lessons along the way and invite you to learn alongside me.

In this ten-hour on-demand course, we’ll explore tools and technology to support virtual instructional coaching in remote, digital and virtual teacher learning communities. Each session tackles a different aspect of virtual coaching (building virtual learning communities, designing virtual professional learning sessions and launching virtual coaching cycles) and will end with a project-based session to launch you into the school year. And then, we'll continue our work together through monthly live sessions to sustain our work, together!

How Does It Work?

The heart of the community is built on a 10-hour on-demand course carefully designed to to support your instructional coaching with digital tools and technology and to coach virtually. Each session includes a replay of a 2-hour live professional learning session with a viewing guide to pace your learning and a long listing of instructional coaching resources, ideas and tutorials for each session. You'll find an outline of the five sessions below:

Session 1: Virtual Coaching Mindsets and Learning Communities 

• What mindset shifts must we
• make for virtual coaching?
• How can we make sure our philosophy of coaching shines through online?
• How can we build teacher learning communities from afar?

Session 2: Designing Virtual Professional Learning Sessions

• What matters most when creating virtual professional learning sessions?
• How can we harness the power of on-demand PD for teachers?
• How can we use launching pads as starting points for coaching partnerships?

Session 3: Launching Virtual Coaching Cycles 

• What options are there for virtual coaching cycles?
• How can we use synchronous and asynchronous tools to promote collaboration?
• Which digital tools can support coaching organization, connection and collaboration?

Session 4: Tools for Virtual Coaching Organization, Productivity and Your PLN 

• How can I best organize my coaching life online?
• What tools are available to support scheduling, digital paperwork and communication channels?
• How can you build your own professional learning network to support your own learning?

Session 5: Project-Based Session to Launch You Into the Year 

• What matters most to my coaching right now? 
• What can I work on to support my coaching in the new school year?

And the BEST part? You'll gain exclusive access to the Virtual Coaching Roadmap to guide your journey!

I show you EXACTLY how to get started with my Virtual Coaching Roadmap: a carefully constructed set of 6 steps to launch virtual coaching in your school:

Step 1: Create a Vision

Step 2: Get Organized

Step 3: Welcome Teachers

Step 4: Launch Teacher Learning Communities

Step 5: Design Intentional Professional Learning Sessions

Step 6: Dive Into Coaching Cycles

I walk you through each step with a series of short videos that give you EXACTLY what you need to get started. You'll gain immediate access to 20 carefully designed videos and all the needs links and resources that accompany them. 

You can complete the Roadmap as quickly or as slowly as you'd like and you'll have instant access to me through the course comments and email for timely feedback.

But, there's more!

You'll have exclusive access to a members-only Voxer group to support your journey through the course and provide just-in-time support for when you need it the most.

Each month, I'll offer a live session to connect, share new ideas and coaching tools, answer questions and collaborate. It is my hope to come together as coaches to embrace a new way of learning with teachers as models for how teachers might approach instruction in their own classrooms.

Want a sneak peek of our course page? Take a look at my 'Welcome' video below!

What are coaches saying about the course?

Listen to Dawn, a literacy coach, share her feedback on the Coaching Through COVID Course & Community!