What is the Dreamcatcher Coaching Project?

 

What the School Division says:

What is a School-based Instructional Coach?

A school-based instructional coach is a staff member who partners with teachers to help them incorporate research-based instructional practices into their teaching so that students will learn more effectively. (Jim Knight, 2009)

 

Project Outcomes of the School-based Instructional Coaching Pilot Project:

  • Increased student achievement through job-embedded professional learning;
  • Increased student and teacher engagement;
  • Elimination of the achievement gap for our First Nations and Metis students and other at-risk groups.

 

Outcomes will be achieved by:

  • Facilitation of teachers’ use of data in a cycle of continuous improvement;
  • Partnership approach – collaborative inquiry through PLC activity;
  • Reflective practice;
  • Working in a trusting, open environment;
  • Respectful Communication.

 

So what does that mean at Wesmor?

Your Dreamcatcher coach will:

  • Check-in with you weekly to see how your students are doing;
  • Work with you to incorporate new strategies into your classroom to increase student achievement. These strategies will be based on teacher and student need so each teacher may be incorporating different strategies;
  • Collect data from you and collate it into school-wide data.

 

Your Sticky Team will:

  • make the goals of our school “stick” by talking about the goals;
  • support the goals through words and actions;
  • Support all staff in achieving the goals.
  • Your Sticky Team is: Aaron MacDonald, Jen Fines & Louise Hall

 

So what do you need to do?

You will:

  • Track your students’ progress in each of your classes each block;
  • Meet with your Dreamcatcher coach each week to discuss student progress, your successes, and your/ your students’ needs;
  • Meet with the Dreamcatcher coach as needed to get ideas and support on incorporating new strategies into your course that will support students in achieving course outcomes.

 

What are we working towards?

Wesmor has two (2) school goals:

Literacy – Non-Fiction Comprehension (Dreamcatcher)

By the end of June 2015, all Wesmor students will reach proficiency/ independence in all three (3) of the elements (paraphrase/summarize, make connections, synthesize) on the Wesmor nonfiction rubric when responding to reading.

Strategies:

  • Dreamcatcher coaching project
  • Literacy (comprehension) focused PLC days
  • SCC promotion and involvement in increasing comprehension strategies in the community

 

Achievement – Credit Attainment

By the end of June 2015 (block 5), the total amount of credits attained by all students in Grade 9-12 (regular and alternate education programs) will increase by 10% from the 2013-14 school year.

Strategies:

  • Dreamcatcher Project
  • Monthly staff PLC meetings with achievement focused working groups who will develop and implement 1-2 strategies that are aimed at increasing student achievement:
    • Adaptive Dimension and Differentiated Instruction PLC group.
    • Numeracy instruction for all learners PLC group.
    • Positive teacher engagement practices PLC group.
    • Tech assistance and intervention strategies PLC group.

‹ Links that might help!upNon-FIction Comprehension Rubric ›