For the past several years, Caitlin Franco has overseen Equality Charter School as the Executive Director and Founder. Initially started as a middle school, she has expanded Equality Charter School to include a high school and adult education programming. Caitlin Franco has also ensured the institution remains competitive through its implementation of such technology as video coaching.
Video coaching refers to the practice of filming oneself while teaching in a classroom. Although this may be a strange concept to some, it can dramatically improve a teacher's abilities to keep students engaged throughout a lecture.
Through video coaching, teachers will see how they present information to their students. They can see how often they use filler words, such as “okay” or “um,” and analyze how well they communicate with every student rather than just the ones communicating with them. Based on this information, teachers can make changes to their instruction so that they play to their strengths.
Teachers can also share their videos with colleagues to get varying opinions or suggestions. Each colleague may notice something different that a teacher can fix to ensure their students stay involved. This sharing can be done through a video coaching platform, thus eliminating the need to meet with colleagues and gather feedback in person.
Teachers can work on improving their lectures once they know where their instruction struggles. As teachers improve, they can continue filming their classroom practices to track their progress. These videos can also be used by the administration to ensure teachers are improving over time.
