FJHS/HJH Book an Appointment

Click HERE to book an appointment with your Innovative Learning Coach for 4th quarter support!

1) Click on the gray box for the date/time you would like to reserve. 

    (Friendship M-TH-F, Holmes T-W)

In the next window, add a description for your appointment and click "Save."

*IMPORTANT* The periods you book can only be seen by you and the coach and remains confidential. Once a period is booked, it appears as a blank slot to all other viewers.

How can an innovative instructional coach help?

STEP 1: PLANNING

• Identify a goal for the class.
• The coach and the teacher will develop lessons to meet the needs of your students.

STEP 2:  IMPLEMENTATION

• Depending on your request, the coach will model innovative strategies, co-teach with you, or provide feedback on a lesson you completed with the students.  (I do, we do, you do style)
• Sometimes you might just need an extra set of hands in the classroom to help with a lesson.  Just ask!

STEP 3: REFLECTION

• Reflect on the implementation of the lesson and the progress of the students.  Plan for next steps.

How can I incorporate INNOVATIVE instructional strategies into my lessons?

Technology does not equal Innovation, however there can be a relationship between the two. Technology tools can be used in increase innovative practices, but simply substituting a screen for a worksheet will not change the overall learning outcome.

What are examples of innovative instructional practices?

• Student agency and choice - Do student have some level of choice in demonstrating their knowledge?  How much control do they have in their learning?  
• Learning is a process - Are they learning how to be learners?  Are they being scored on just the end product or is there a focus on the process it took to get there?  How are they practicing to critically think, collaborate, communicate, and be creative?  What tools can we create to access learning along the way?
• Feedback - How are students getting feedback as they learn? What are different ways they can get feedback from the teacher?  Are they getting feedback from other students and people outside the classroom walls?  How are they reflecting on their own progress and monitoring their own growth? 

What might this look like in the classroom?

• Every classroom looks different and every planning session is different.  Some ideas I have developed with teachers are:
• Blogs for reflective practice and gaining feedback from others.
• Genius Hour/Passion Projects/20 Time projects to practice all the 4C's.
• Creating choice boards for demonstrating learning in a variety of platforms.
• Helping students communicate through creation of websites, videos, screencasts, digital stories, and tutorials.
• Google Classroom and social media as a communication tool for students and parents.
• Finding experts in various fields to connect and collaborate.
• Connecting locally with other CCSD59 classrooms.
• Joining global learning initiatives, like Hour of Code, Connected Educator Month, and the Global Read Aloud.
• Creating BreakoutEdu experiences to increase engagement and critical thinking.
• Planning celebrations of learning and museum walks.
• Writing and supporting the implementation of the CCSD59 Learning Experiences.
• Creating "Shark Tank" style presentations.
• Using a variety of platforms to create digital stories.