The coach is a provider of skills training, not a supervisor or performance evaluator. A coalition of district and union administrators were involved in the initial design. In the former, coaches share materials and help teachers develop structured and innovative lesson plans. Classroom management is another area of focus for beginning teachers and their coaches. Many beginning teachers feel lost in terms of arranging or managing their classrooms.
Coaches help beginning teachers to develop their own styles of classroom management.
Frances Peterson earned national board certification, which moves Kentucky teachers into the top pay scale. Coaches are best able to help beginning teachers when they are matched by grade level or subject area. This can be a challenge depending on the availability of experienced teachers at school. In one location, a beginning English teacher was paired with a science teacher. Although the coach was able to help with classroom management issues, he was not much help on curriculum matters.