Collaborative Peer Coaching That Improves Instruction

"e;This book should be required reading for all teachers and administrators seriously seeking ways to engage teachers in their own professional development and learning."e;Rudolph F. Crew, Former ChancellorNew York City Schools"e;The book is an action-oriented game plan to improve teachers performance-designed, initiated, and implemented by teachers. It tackles one of educations toughest issues-teacher isolation."e;Anne Bryant, Executive DirectorNational School Boards Association"e;The authors present a wonderfully simple idea for turning a school into a learning community. It is a powerful, growth-oriented strategy for creating instructional focus in a school."e;Roy D. Nichols, Jr., Superintendent of SchoolsTroup County (GA) Board of EducationDramatically enhance teaching and learning by reviving teacher collaboration!Behind a simple equation, 2 + 2, lies a rich yet realistic approach to enhancing teaching and learning. As Collaborative Peer Coaching That Improves Instruction demonstrates, the current method of job appraisal consists of sporadic classroom visits from school administrators that frequently serve to reinforce teacher isolation rather than promote professional development. In contrast, the 2 + 2 method, a practice where teachers visit each others classrooms long enough to provide two compliments and two suggestions for improvement, has not only been proven to enhance teaching skills and student learning, but has also increased job satisfaction by reviving productive teacher collaboration. Through the presentation of detailed case studies that illustrate the authors actual experience implementing the program at an inner city school, this work chronicles how the 2 + 2 method:Restores the vital connections between teachers and students, teachers and administrators, and teachers and teachers Encourages teaching and learning to develop beyond what standardized tests reveal Provides a low-cost, easy-to-implement program that is realistic, given teachers time constraints and limited school budgets Transforms schools into cultures of collaborative teaching and learning The 2 + 2 program is much more than a simple equation; it is a powerful tool that can revolutionize a schools approach to teaching and learning.