What Can I Learn in AACTE Coaching? Q&A with AACTE’s Shari Baker
AACTE strives to meet the professional development goals of its members through programs like AACTE Coaching — a new initiative to engage with deans, assistant deans, and other faculty leaders with catered executive coaching to help them accomplish their career goals and excel in leadership.
AACTE sat down with Shari Baker, Ed.D., vice president of professional learning and growth, who coordinates the AACTE Coaching program, to learn more about what the initiative can provide through personal and cohort coaching later this year.
What inspired AACTE to launch this new executive coaching initiative specifically for deans and faculty in leadership roles?
Executive level professional development is difficult to source. However, leaders need to continuously learn and improve as much as their faculty and staff. AACTE developed this coaching initiative to fill in the gap of relevant, impactful professional learning available to deans and senior leaders.
Can you describe the main objectives of the AACTE Coaching program?
We all know that it is a challenging time to be an educator. Well, those called to prepare the educators are also experiencing new complexities within the field. Our objectives are to help educator preparation professionals build capacity, enhance their leadership skills, and achieve their institutional goals. There are many coaching programs available, but there is only one coaching program tailored to the unique needs and experiences of professionals in educator preparation, and that’s AACTE’s.
Can you elaborate on some of the coaching methodologies or frameworks that will be employed in this initiative?
Our coaches each have their own styles and methodologies. Some of them have coaching degrees and certificates, other have been credentialed by their clients. All of our coaches are seasoned or retired deans with at least a decade of experience in the deanship, or as provosts and vice-provosts.
Are there specific areas or skills that the coaching will focus on, such as strategic planning, conflict resolution, or faculty development?
Each of the three cohorts has its own theme. While there are some high-level objectives in order to ensure common expectations, specific skill development and focus areas will be at the discretion of the coaches and their assessment of the needs of the group.
How does the program plan to foster a community or network among participants to enhance learning and collaboration?
Cohort members not only meet for two hours each month, but can collaborate in perpetuity through their online community in AACTE’s Connect360. One of the key features of the cohort experience and Connect360 is that all the cohorts are in the same group. Therefore, participants can actually meet new colleagues and vicariously learn lessons gleaned from topics outside of their own cohort. Finally, all coaching program participants are invited to attend the Coaching Preconference at AACTE’s Annual Meeting on Thursday, February 20, 2025, from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. PST.
Visit the AACTE Coaching webpage to learn more about this initiative, or contact Shari Baker at sbaker@aacte.org for questions.
Tags: innovation, program improvement, teacher leaders
