What is Early-Career Educators

While research indicates that instructional coaching is an effective alternative to traditional professional development models, most teachers do not have access to a coach. Lack of opportunity to engage with a coach negatively impacts the professional growth of early-career educators. Instructional coaching supports the development of first-year teachers by incorporating nine elements of effective professional development: (1) individualized support, (2) active learning, (3) collaboration, (4) focus on content, (5) modeling of effective strategies and practices, (6) extended duration, (7) reflection, (8) feedback, and (9) trust. This chapter presents five critical arguments for the implementation of virtual instructional coaching for first-year teachers: (1) tenets of effective professional development, (2) professional learning needs of first-year teachers, (3) instructional coaching as effective professional development, (4) virtual instructional coaching benefits for first-year teachers, and (5) implications for educational leaders and policymakers.