Jim Knight

This was a book given to me to help support my coaching role and I just got around to reading it now. I particularly liked the reminders of the principals of partnership; equality choice, voice, reflection, dialogue, praxis and reciprocity. Praxis was a word that I didn't know and I've come to understand that it means being able to apply what you learn to a situation right away. Apply the new ideas to real life practice - how might this look in your classroom.
I found the book quite repetitive in places and also a lot of what he was saying wasn't new or particularly insightful for me, but it was still good to have the reminders. A bit too dense and theoretical for my liking - would have liked to have more "use this right away" kind of material, but it wasn't the worst professional book I've ever read.… (meer)

I various specialists of the school are to be integrated into the staff of the learning commons, then the roles, ideas, strategies, and impact of the concept of coaching is essential if these professionals are to make a difference in classroom teaching practices. Jim Knight has assembled a group of various kinds of coaches with various perspectives to write essays about how coaching is to be designed and implemented in real schools. We were amazed at the titles of the many coaching positions modeled here: instructional coaches, literacy coaches, classroom management coaches, content coaching, and leadership coaching. Knight also lists ten important roles of coaching to include: data coach, resource provider, mentor, curriculum specialist, instructional specialist, classroom supporter, learning facilitator, school leader, catalyst for change, and learner. There is much to learn from professionals outside the library world. They have ideas very close to our own, fresh perspectives on problems we have faced for years, and different perspectives worth discussing. This book is worth a read to broaden our own ideas of collaborative roles we can link to in order to make a larger difference of our own. Recommended.… (meer)