Time spent on professional learning demonstrates a true priority for teaching and learning because educators' learning is linked to students' learning. When educators learn, students not only achieve greater success, but they also have opportunities to witness adults modeling the value of continuous learning and striving to strengthen their…

The instructional coaches in Kildeer Countryside School District 96 (KCSD 96), outside Chicago, are like tugboats, a key part of a maritime navigation system. Just as tugboats nudge and guide barges and ships that need steering assistance to navigate tricky waters, the coaches in KCSD 96 nudge and guide educators to navigate toward school and…

Coaches make hundreds, if not thousands, of decisions that affect the daily work of teaching and learning. These decisions are not arbitrary; they are guided by the mental models coaches hold. Mental models are comprised of assumptions, beliefs, and generalizations, and they shape how people see the world and act in it. Coaches' mental models are…