Build Stronger Teacher Teams with Bite-Sized Coaching

 Tired of overwhelming your teachers with endless professional development? Discover the game-changing "Coaching à la Carte" approach that's transforming how instructional coaches support educators!In this episode of Schoolutions, instructional coaches and Two Writing Teachers Blog authors Amy Ellerman and Morgan Davis share revolutionary strategies for building stronger teacher teams through bite-sized professional development and innovative learning labs. If you're struggling with teacher burnout, low engagement in PD, or need effective coaching strategies that actually work, this conversation is for you.What You'll Learn:✅ How to implement "Coaching à la Carte" for busy, depleted teachers✅ The power of learning labs to transform teacher collaboration✅ Why turning teachers into "risk-takers" (not experts) creates better outcomes✅ Practical strategies for instructional coaching that drive student success✅ How to build collective efficacy through parallel practicesChapters:0:00 Introduction to Amy Ellerman & Morgan Davis2:04 Inspiring Educators: Katie Wood Ray & Sam Bennett4:33 The Shift in Teacher Capacity for Professional Learning5:43 What is "Coaching à la Carte"?7:21 Teacher Teams & Risk-Taking in Learning Labs9:50 Understanding Learning Labs Structure11:06 Pre-Unit Planning: Building Clarity Together12:55 Teacher as Writer: Living the Experience15:28 Pre-Brief: Setting Up Learning Lab Success20:46 Mid-Unit Collaboration & Feedback Palooza24:20 Observation: Growing Teacher Learning27:00 The Critical Debrief Process30:12 Finishing Units Strong: Reflection & Celebration35:07 Commitment & Follow-Up in Learning Labs39:33 Call to Action: Building Collective Efficacy42:11 Getting Started: Breaking Down Big Work45:09 Closing & Two Writing Teachers BlogEpisode Mentions:Coaching à la Carte: Stronger Together Blog Series by Amy Ellerman (10/31/22)Teacher Teams: Stronger Together Blog Series by Morgan Davis (11/5/22)Katie Wood RaySam BennettLearning Lab StructureProfessional Learning Community (PLC)Vicki Collet’s 2022 CCIRA session based on her book, Collaborative Lesson Study: ReVisioning Teacher Professional Development (2019)Other Recent Blog Posts by Amy & Morgan:Conferring Notes: The Key to Unit PlanningJoy and Agency: An Origin StoryIt's not Magic (but it IS): The Power of Being a Teacher who WritesWhen teachers, coaches, administrators, and families grow together, they create schools where everyone is inspired and every student is fully engaged, supported, and ready to thrive.