Study Program | Cognitive Coach Course

Price

The price is available upon request. There are reduced costs for school/MAT groups.

1st participant per MAT/School: £499 (+VAT)
2nd-5th participant per MAT/School: £449 (+VAT)
6th and further participants per MAT/School: £399 (+VAT)

For further information, please visit Thinking Matters website.

Description

Build teaching skills in developing cognition, metacognition, and self-regulation.

Different to most on-line CPD, the Thinking Matters ‘Cognitive Coach’ Course is a live, interactive and expert-led course designed to develop individual teacher pedagogy with practical, effective strategies that enhance metacognition and self-regulation in learners.

The course will allow participants to:
- gain confidence in using metacognitive tools and strategies in their teaching.
- enhance their pedagogical expertise to share with colleagues.
- build meaningful evidence to support professional development objectives.

Who is This Course For?

- School/MAT Leader
- T&L Research Group
- Coaching Partnership
- Teacher
- Tutor
- HLTA
- TA
- SENDCo

This course is for educators who have an active professional interest in developing student metacognitive and self-regulating learning behaviours and would like to grow expertise in the practical teaching strategies that can make a difference.

Individuals will join a cohort of like-minded professionals, forming of a group of up to 12 colleagues from across the UK and abroad. The cohort will come together during interactive online sessions and benefit from the networking opportunity this brings. Participants will receive individualised support from the lead consultant.

School/MAT leaders can choose to work with Thinking Matters to form a cohort comprising members of staff from across the setting who share a common interest in metacognitive and self-regulating learning behaviours and are intending to build in-house expertise to meet whole-school improvement objectives.

Course Structure

1. Agree your module dates with Thinking Matters.
2. Each module is sequenced progressively, allowing participants the opportunity to explore and build upon their ideas, through engagement with expert-led ‘live’ online sessions.
3. Each session includes pre- and post-activities to support participants in experimenting, monitoring and evaluating possibilities presented to them in a serious and committed fashion.
4. Through these activities, participants will build a portfolio of evidence demonstrating developing skills and their impact. This includes written accounts such as reflective journals, individual and group tasks and records of in-school activity that demonstrate developing skills and their impact.
5. The course culminates in a final short assessment in the form of an individual viva, during which participants are able to share the development of their pedagogical practice and its impact on student learning. The viva will be conducted by your course lead, a Thinking Matters Accredited Trainer (typically a former SLT member at an Exeter University accredited Thinking School).

- 9 x 60 minute 'live' online modules
- 2-12 participants per cohort
- 3 x modules per term
- Expert-led
- Pre- and post-module activities
- Supporting materials and resources

Module Objective and Learning Intentions

1. Course Overview & Introduction
Participants will become familiar with the purpose and intent of the course, including timescale, participant expectations, format, and assessment.

2. The Cognitive Coach
Through self-reflective exercises on current practice, participants will demonstrate understanding of the key principles which underpin cognitive coaching.

3. Understanding the Science of Learning
Participants will deepen understanding of key aspects of the Science of Learning and its impact on student metacognition, including brain structure, neuroplasticity, and memory.

4. Introduction to Metacognitive Visual Tools
Participants will become familiar with tools that develop the metacognitive capacities of students in Thinking Schools.

5. Thinking Processes
Participants will consider use of the metacognitive visual tools in the curriculum content.

6. Skilful Questioning
Participants will review and reflect on current strategies for skilful questioning. Become familiar with questioning tools that develop the metacognitive capacities of students and consider the importance of questioning as a fundamental strategy for the meta-learner.

7. Skilful Feedback
Participants will explore the key roles and features of skilful feedback in the pedagogy of the cognitive coach.

8. Feedback and the Metacognitive Cycle
Participants will deepen understanding of the key features of skilful feedback and its role in developing the metacognitive process.

9. Deliberate Practice
Participants will develop a deep understanding of the core principles that underpin Deliberate Practice and be able to explain these principles in the context of improving metacognitive teaching skills. Apply the concept of Deliberate Practice to their teaching.