Improve

Depending on the answer to these questions different things might happen:

• the teacher might make minor adjustments to the strategy, or just want more time, and so they go through the Improve cycle again;

• the teacher might want to change strategy, so they go back to the Learn phase to learn about a new strategy;

• the goal might have changed, in which case the coach  might ask the Identify questions again, to help identify a new PEERS goal;

• the teacher decides they have had enough at this point in time, and wants to call it quits for now (for example, there is a lot of other things going on in the teacher's life).

Reflection and Feedback

There are two common questions that educators often ask when it’s time to reflect. They are” 1) “How did I do?” and 2) “What do you think?” Many educators crave feedback as a means not only to improve practice but also as validation that their efforts have been worthwhile. That said, not everyone reacts to feedback with the same frame of mind. While some are very open to critical feedback--even very well-intentioned feedback--others find any suggestion jarring, perhaps even offensive. The best strategy for providing feedback is being very clear upfront about the type of data you will collect during coaching and agreeing how that feedback should be shared. Reflective conversations should also be that--a collaborative conversation--in which you explore the data and jointly consider its implications. Very often, when asked those questions, a response may be another question like, “What did you notice in the data?” or “How do you feel it went?” This National School Reform Faculty resource titled Feedback Principles is a helpful resource for understanding guidelines for feedback to make them audible, credible, and actionable.

There are a variety of data you can collect to support those you coach. Coaches plan with teachers to determine the type of data to collect during observations so that teachers can receive the greatest benefit from the visit. With a concrete purpose in place, the teacher is positioned to showcase learning strategies or resources that are crucial for meeting their professional learning goal. You, as the coach, are also able to look for the best evidence to monitor progress and determine next steps. When observing for classroom management strategies, you may count instances of students accurately following desired classroom procedures, or not, either through a tally or taking time-based samples. If you are working with a teacher on a new pedagogical strategy or resource, you may be able to catalog how the teacher’s actions do or don’t represent implementation with fidelity or a known procedure. In addition, you can count, describe, or record teacher questions, student responses, student reactions, behaviors, time spent on different tasks, or interactions with students that you record in a notebook, observation form, or other document. You may do this with paper and pencil, electronic forms, audio or video recordings, pictures, or other means. The best rule to data collection is, only collect what you need and use what you collect. This is determined, of course, by conversations prior to your visit.

Select a tool. During your next pre-conference with a teacher, ask what kind of data would provide information that would help show progress toward goals. If the teacher is not sure, share a few examples for the teacher to choose from. 

Co-develop a data-gathering tool. During preparation for a classroom visit, collaborate with a coaching colleague to develop a data-gathering tool aligned to the teacher’s goal and desired data set. Use the tool multiple times with slight adjustments, reflecting on both usability and impact on conversations with the teacher.

Reflecton is a vital part of the improvement process, but it is not always that easy to reflect on the right things to move us forward. For this reason, we have developed a Reflection Journal for those undertaking Instructional Coaching.

The Reflection Journal is available in three formats:

• Google Docs (you will need to make a copy)

• Word

• PDF (best for printing and writing in)