Instructional coaches and other educational leaders will gather for the Northwest Arkansas Instructional Coaching Conference on Aug. 1 and 2 at Hellstern Middle School in Springdale.

The conference is sponsored by the College of Education and Health Professions, with support from the Northwest Arkansas Writing Project. Because of a generous grant from the college's WE CARE initiative, the conference is available to educators for only the cost of the included lunch both days ($35).

Details are included in this flier, and interested educators may register here.

Keynotes for the conference include coaching expert Jim Knight and other leaders in instructional coaching, including Vicki Collet, U of A Department of Curriculum and Instruction; September Gerety, Gerety Education Team; and Afton Schleiff, Educator's Neighborhood and a "conscious discipline" instructor. Participants will attend breakout sessions each day facilitated by these leaders and doctoral students with an instructional coaching background. The conference will include opportunities for participants to practice coaching strategies and to consider how they will take new practices into the upcoming school year.

"Instructional coaching is a research-supported approach for teachers' professional learning," said Collet, an associate professor. "Coaches are most often experienced educators who have used best practices in their own classrooms. Instructional expertise, however, is insufficient for effective coaching. Coaches must also understand and use principles of adult learning and build relationships of trust with the peers they serve."

These and other attributes will be addressed during the upcoming conference, she added.

Collet is chairing the conference and available to answer questions via email at collet@uark.edu. Her book, Differentiated Mentoring and Coaching in Education: From Preservice Teacher to Expert Practitioner, was published in 2022 by Teachers College Press. During her keynote and breakout sessions, Collet will share coaching strategies from the book and her work with in-service and preservice teachers.

The Northwest Arkansas Writing Project is a professional organization focused on improving writing in area schools. As one of about 200 National Writing Project sites, it provides professional development for educators and directly reaches young writers through summer camps and other activities. For more information about writing project events, contact Collet at collet@uark.edu or visit nwawp.uark.edu/.