One of the toughest parts of coaching can be finding the exact starting point for each teacher.

When we coach with a carefully crafted mix of approach and content focus, we create a right-fit coaching cycle that allows for whatever support the teacher truly needs at that moment!

Instead of giving broad advice like “let’s work on improving child engagement,” walk through this mental checklist when debriefing a teacher:

• Does this thing I am asking the teacher to do give almost immediate results? (This will ensure that they want to keep doing it over and over again.)

• Is this thing that I am asking the teacher to do easily understandable given the teacher’s current professional development on the topic?  (This will ensure that they can get started right away.)

• Did I have the teacher put this action in his or her own words? (Have the teacher add to the action plan using their words and steps that make sense the them.)

Sometimes, solutions to big problems are simple and practical, like a tangible reminder system. What could a simple reminder system for your coaching next steps look like?

• a series of sticky notes that are placed in the upcoming weeks in the lesson plan book

• an Outlook calendar reminder that pops up on the day the teacher typically lesson plans

• an email reminder that you program into your email system to auto-send to the teacher each Monday for 4 weeks