Implementing a Virtual Coaching Model for Teacher Professional Development

Book excerpt: Over the last two decades, the use of instructional coaching has surged in PreK-12 education settings as one way to support the implementation of instructional best practices in a wide range of disciplines. However, not all educators have access to high-quality instructional coaching due to multiple factors, which typically include isolation (geographic and otherwise), limited financial support, and limited professional development time. In addition, the COVID-19 pandemic brought long periods of quarantine and social isolation where educators were scrambling to teach in an unfamiliar medium, and virtual coaching was the only way they could receive professional development. For these reasons, many districts are exploring virtual solutions to provide professional development and coaching support. Implementing a Virtual Coaching Model for Teacher Professional Development addresses how to effectively implement virtual coaching in the field of education and discusses how technology can provide more equitable access to job-embedded and personalized professional learning (through virtual coaching) across all educational institutions. Covering a wide range of topics such as sustainable learning and cognitive coaching, it is ideal for professional development professionals, corporate trainers, education leaders, principals, teachers, researchers, practitioners, academicians, and students.