Chapter 2: Inclusion Coaching Roles and Partnerships

Inclusion coaches are catalysts who jump-start educators with innovative ideas as supportive, yet nonthreatening, collaborative agents of change. Coaching, an effective instructional model, propagates appropriate support systems to ensure that classrooms are welcoming ones that are set up to help educators and their students succeed (Davis, 2008). This includes unified systems of support from administration with formal times for collaborative teams to meet, discuss, and continually plan together. Administrators who make use of coaches allow their staff opportunities to collaboratively investigate how to continually teach, reach, and include learners of all ability levels. Coaches respond to educators’ needs to meet teachers where they are through equitable partnerships, dialogue, and ongoing collaborations (Knight, 2007). Coaches act ...