Coaching in Practice-Based Literacy Education Courses

As teacher education programs shift to more practice-based methods in the preparation of literacy teachers, the ways in which teacher educators support the learning of their preservice teachers (PSTs) becomes paramount. In an effort to support PSTs in developing competency in instructional literacy routines, coaching has been found to support PSTs’ understandings of how to teach for student learning. In this article, three approaches to coaching are explored: rehearsals, a modified behind-the-glass approach, and structured video reflection. Drawing from rich examples of practice, attention is paid to the ways each method of coaching supports novice teachers in developing competency and the contexts in which each is used.