As a new charter elementary school that opened during a pandemic, we are still developing our coaching, observation, and instructional feedback practices. Our goal is to norm with our organization's coaching and observation practice called the Teacher Support and Reflection Protocol (TSRP). Our first-year teachers and their manager coaches (Principals/Assistant Principals/ Directors of Special Education) will participate in the support and reflection process 1 time annually. Returning Teachers will participate in the full process every other year and a revised reflection process on alternating years. Though specific elements of this formal process will only occur annually, bi-directional feedback and multiple touch-points between teachers and administrators will happen throughout the year on a weekly basis.

The intended outcome of teacher coaching, observations, and instructional feedback for the school is to establish a positive school culture, a space to address concerns and issues at the moment, negating long term problems, creating an environment of professional growth, and build an authentic and caring relationship between staff members. The intended outcome of teacher coaching, observations, and instructional feedback for the teacher is to further develop the teacher’s skill set, build upon collaboration with colleagues, and ensure that they are taking care of their physical and mental health. The intended outcome of teacher coaching, observations, and instructional feed for the students is to provide them the best quality education possible.

After reviewing our current practices, I find our weekly coaching meetings very effective because these practices help build deeper connections and relationships within the staff and improve staff morale. The observations and instructional feedback are also very effective and supportive of the teachers because it improves the quality of education for the students and school overall and they also make sure that the teacher is taking care of their own physical and mental health.

At a minimum, prior to executing the performance reflection process, there will need to be a goal-setting conversation between Teacher and direct coach (Principal/Assistant Principal/Director of Special Education), one short/pop-in observation conducted by the teacher’s direct coach, one short/pop-in observation conducted by a second administrator, one longer observation conducted by direct coach, followed by a lesson debrief with the Teacher. Information identified in this reflection can also come from ongoing observation of teachers through daily school activities, engagement in ongoing professional development, and patterned feedback from school stakeholders.

An anchor document for this support and reflection process is the school’s Teacher Practice Framework, which identifies ten (10) domains (one specifically focused on Special Education instruction) and their underlying sub-domains and competencies. Another document used during coaching is the one-on-one check-in document. With our school being so new, we are still developing the goal setting and data collection document that we want to use going

forward.

In the coaching practices, teachers have direct input on the focus and purpose. Not only do they jointly pick a TSRP goal that they want to be observed in and given feedback for, but they also create a self-care goal they want to improve on to have a better work/life balance. In the observation and instructional feedback practice, teachers have direct input on the focus and purpose. Teachers jointly pick a TSRP that they want to be observed in and given feedback for. The TSRP that they choose guides the data that coaches collect during the teacher’s observation and the feedback they give the teacher.

Our Teacher Support and Reflection Protocol (TSRP) domains are modeled after the CSTP but the standards are customized to our organization's values. Teachers have to choose TSRP goals that guide the teacher’s growth and development at school. The goals have influence from the CSTP but reflect our organization’s values. The TSRP guides the data that coaches collect during the teacher's observation. The type of data collection depends on what TSRP goal the teacher and coach jointly select in their pre-observation meeting. The feedback the coach gives the teacher is from the data they collect on the TSRP they jointly select. If the volunteer teacher jointly selected standard 2.3 (Establishing and maintaining learning environments that are physically, intellectually, and emotionally safe) on the CSTP’s. A crosswalk to that standard on our TSRP would be represented by Subdomains 4 (Promotes Joyful Classrooms and Positive Student Culture) and 5 (Celebrates Success, Effort and Process) in our Domain 5: Cultivate Learning Environment.

Based on this experience and the feedback I elicited from the volunteer teacher about my instructional coaching abilities, one of my coaching strengths is my ability to make my teachers feel supported in the coaching process. In my post-observation meeting, the volunteer teacher expressed that I never made her feel like I was coming in to “judge or critique” her. Instead, she said that I made her feel confident as I observed her teaching because I was supportive and trying to support her growth as an educator. After reflecting on the coaching cycle, another strength is my ability to reflect on my owning coaching during meetings. Several time throughout the process I realized after the fact that I wanted to ask clarifying question and I found ways to ask them at other times.

Based on this experience and the feedback I elicited from the volunteer teacher about my instructional coaching abilities, a growth area for me is the management of logistics. The volunteer teacher specifically mentioned that I could improve my process for scheduling meetings. I can improve this by creating timeslots that I have available to my calendar so that the teacher can pick a time that works best for them. Once, they select a time, I can make sure to send a confirmation email to make sure we’re all on the same page. Another learning I gained throughout the process, is how I collect data during observations can be better. To improve in that area, I could create a data observation document to collect the data for this standard. Next time, I could collaborate with the teacher to create a document to collect data on the specific standard they want to improve on. This will allow them to specify the area they want to grow in by identifying what they want me to observe, specifically.

I was able to facilitate and maintain a two-way conversation throughout the coaching partnership by asking questions that encouraged teacher voice and ownership of her strengths and areas of growth. During the pre-observation meeting, we jointly selected a CSTP standard. I asked the teacher if she had an area of growth that she wanted to focus on and we both agreed upon the standard that would benefit her the most in that area. During the observation, the video of instruction made it evident that I encouraged the teacher’s voice by asking the teacher what data she would want me to collect for the standard we choose together. This clarified further what area the teacher wanted to improve in. During the instructional feedback cycle, I empowered the teacher and allowed her to take ownership of her strengths and areas of growth by asking her what her next steps would be. I gave her the opportunity to share any professional development or resources that she had in mind to support her growth in the standard that we jointly selected.

With a continuous improvement mindset and focus on equitable leadership, the professional development strategies of coaching, observations, and instructional feedback that are part of my school’s culture, support teacher development and are beneficial to our students.

Our coaching is supportive of our teachers’ development because it provides them with the opportunity to reflect on their strengths and areas of growth and to receive feedback and resources to continuously improve their teaching practice. Our observations are supportive of our teachers’ development because they provide them with data that they, together with their coach, can analyze in order to continue to determine effective teaching practices. Our instructional feedback cycle is supportive of our teachers’ development because it reassures and/or informs them of effective strategies they have in place or areas where they need to work. In turn, our coaching is beneficial for our students because it ensures that the teacher is meeting their needs and providing them with the best educational experience possible. It ensures that the teachers are aware of their student’s assets and needs.

Coaching at my school could be improved through an equitable leadership lens if we made our students part of the reflection process. It would be very valuable for our teachers to hear from their students the teaching practices that they use that they like and what they need from their teacher to feel successful.