Wong discusses the effectiveness of the roles of coach and mentor. He does not dismiss the importance of the mentor, but instead differentiates between the two. Wong believes that the Teacher-Coach has a “responsibility” to those in his charge, where as the Teacher-Mentor simply has a role in the learning experience of those students he or she is paired with. The Teacher-Coach has responsibilities that include coaching students to improve skills in their content area, focusing on specific learning goals, and being a leader within the context of the teacher-student relationship. The teacher-coach is invested both emotionally and financially in the success of the student they are coaching.
The idea of the teacher coach is similar to that of an athletic coach. The coach of a football or softball team is charged with teaching his athletes the skills they need to excel in their particular sport. The individual teammates each have varying levels of experience and skill. The coach must identify areas of strength and weakness and instruct each individual accordingly.
The teacher-coach idea translates well to the classroom. As teachers we are responsible to help our students grow and achieve the learning goals that have been set for them by the teacher, the school and the state standards. Our job as classroom teacher goes beyond reacting to situations and providing support to our students. We need to work with them to develop actual, tangible skills that they can use as they mature into adults.
You do a great job explaining the teacher-coach. However, because this wasn't done during the week you taught, it really doesn't have much application.
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