ETO’s Way of Work
Instructional Coaching
Essentials
Coaching Cycle and
Coaching Continuum
2013 ETO COACHES’ ACADEMY
Booker T. Washington Senior High School
1
June 10 – 11, 2013
Essential Questions
What is effective instructional coaching?
How can my approach/work with my
administration/teachers maximize my
effectiveness as an instructional coach?
How can the coaching cycle benefit
instruction?
Coaching as a well-oiled machine
“Every piece is equally important and ALL must
work in sync for the ‘machine’ to work!”
Classroom Walk Through
What’s the purpose?
The classroom walk through provides a powerful
tool for instructional coaches to gather
information for the purposes of coaching,
tiering teachers, and needed job-embedded
professional development opportunities.
Classroom Walk Through
What is it?
An observation technique that allows the observer to
record “snapshot” information on the effective elements
of a classroom including:
• instructional strategies
•standard-based objectives
•aligned instructional materials
•level of cognitive interaction
•classroom displays and resources
•student engagement and works produced
Tiering MY Teachers
Content
Knowledge
T-3
Pedagogy
T-2
T-3
T-1
T-2
T-2
Knowledge
of Learner
T-3
Administrative Support Cycle
How does the administration support the Instructional
Coach’s work?
Administrative Support Cycle
Coaching Cycle
How Do I Know
where to Start?
PRE-CONFERENCE
*Based on needs identified
during walkthrough
Observation
& Feedback
*Determine next steps
ETO
Coaching
Cycle
Model
*Teacher takes notes for
the debriefing
Collaborative
Teaching &
Debrief
Debrief &
Plan
*Varies depending on the
level of support
*Determine focus for
collaborative teaching
PRE-CONFERENCE
Why do we do it?
 To set up the gradual release coaching cycle – naming goals, roles,
and accountability for teacher and coach.
How do we do it?
 Invite the teacher to meet with you.
 Share observations & notes from walkthrough.
 Discuss teacher’s existing strengths and skills.
 Determine instructional strategies to be refined during the coaching
cycle and how they will affect student achievement.
 SET A GOAL WITH A TIMELINE
 Schedule a modeled teaching session that focuses on identified
instructional strategies.
PRE-CONFERENCE
 What does it look like (Coaches’ Reflection)?
I meet with the teacher after walk-throughs to discuss my observations
and determine where the teacher could improve their instruction that is
most aligned with the whole-school’s needs/vision. We talk about how
students are moving and how she is feeling about her implementation
of the established ETO systems and structures. By the end of the
conversation we have decided that I will model the identified
instructional strategy that we both agree she could refine and key
points of lesson she should focus on. The next step will be for the
teacher to use the modeled strategy and try using it in future lessons.
Modeling
Model
Why do we do it?
 To demonstrate for a teacher (or group of teachers) how to
implement a pedagogical structure or a content move. It is
important to narrate/reflect throughout the model, as long as it
does not disrupt instruction for students (video taping
opportunity)
How do we do it?
 Teach a lesson that focuses on the strategies discussed during the
pre-conference.
 The teacher observes and takes extensive notes with clarifying
questions.
Modeling
Model
What does it look like (Coaches’ Reflection)?
 As per our discussion during the pre-conference, I (the coach)
will be delivering a lesson focused on the instructional strategy
identified as the point of refinement. The teacher will
attentively take notes and write down clarifying questions on
strategy observed for discussion later. If possible, I will be
pointing out components of instruction that the observing
teacher must focus on.
Debrief & Plan
Why do we do it?
 To discuss teacher implementation and student learning
throughout the coaching cycle and plan for next steps.
How do we do it?
 Teacher shares feedback/notes taken during the modeled lesson.
 Answer questions the teacher has about the strategies modeled
during the lesson.
 Plan a lesson that allows for the teacher to practice implementing
the strategies and the coach will observe and take notes.
Debrief & Plan
What does it look like (Coach’s Reflection)?
 After modeling the identified strategy for the teacher, we meet to
debrief. I explain what I was hoping they would get from observing and
we begin to discuss how the students engaged and absorbed the lesson.
The teacher feels that the students could have participated more in the
mathematical discourse and answering of questions. The debriefing
begins to take on a “planning session” feel because the work is looking
forward. I let the teacher know I will take on any aspect of the work that
is still uncomfortable, so the teacher plans to develop more
opportunities for students to talk and discuss and asks me to do a followup on student accountable talk and embedding “checks for
understanding” throughout the lesson. I begin to think about what the
next coaching cycle will focus on.
Collaborative
Teaching & Debrief
Why do we do it?
 To SHARE the work in order to gradually release the responsibility to the
teacher.
How do we do it?
 Select the collaborative teaching approach that best fits the teacher’s
needs.
 Supportive, Complementary, or Team Teaching
 Teach the lesson that was created during the planning phase.
 Debrief (as soon as possible) after the lesson.
Collaborative
Teaching
What does it look like (Coach’s Reflection)?
 The teacher and I have decided to use complimentary co-teaching as
the model for the collaborative teaching component of the coaching
cycle. Part of our focus of the support is to improve content
knowledge, the teacher wants to tweak the co-teaching strategy by
taking a greater lead in the delivery and has asked me to interject as
“teachable moments” are missed. The lesson was delivered well and
my “interjections” helped the students develop a better
understanding. The teacher also added some information related to
other topics discussed prior. The teacher still needs to improve the
student discourse and engagement in the lesson.
Collaborative
Teaching
Several collaborative teaching approaches have proven to be
successful to guide educators who work together in co-teaching
partnerships:
 Supportive Co-teaching
 (Parallel Co-teaching)
 Complementary Co-teaching
 Team Teaching
Different Strategies for
Co-Teaching
Potential Problems with
Co-Teaching
Observation &
Feedback
What does it look like?
 To determine effectiveness of the coaching cycle and plan for next
steps.
 Assessment/Closure
How do we do it?
 Conduct an informal observation of the teacher during a scheduled
time to look for implementation of new practices.
 Meet with teacher to provide targeted feedback.
 Identify the next steps for teacher’s own practice.
 Discuss opportunities to build capacity through structured
opportunities for the participating teacher to share learning with
colleagues. (Lesson Study)
Observation &
Feedback
What does it look like (Coach’s Reflection)?
 The teacher began the debriefing session by thanking me for the
support and helping them get better. We discussed how I saw some
improvements and that there is still some work to be done. I
informed them that I will be back in a week or two to see these
improvements. We discussed possibly improving on holding all
students accountable for participating. The teacher did not believe
this was an issue and seemed insulted. I said that I will video-tape a
lesson and only we will dissect it. The teacher seems hesitant, but I
plan on working on their comfort level and relate it to improvements
only and not for evaluation purposes.
Response Boards
Find these sheets and “HAMBURGER” fold them to use as response boards
Where are we with the
Coaching Cycle?
Respond to each one of the scenarios
by using the response boards.
YOU HAVE 20 SECONDS TO RESPOND AND HOLD
UP YOUR BOARD!! (After the scenario is read)
Where are we with the
Coaching Cycle?
 Conducted initial walkthroughs at the beginning of school year
and have begun to have conversations with individual teachers
on areas of support.
 Just completed a demonstration lesson and the teacher and I
are discussing the implementation of it.
 Teacher and I are having a conversation regarding the effective
implementation of the strategy to be informally observed.
 While observing the teacher’s instruction, the coach “chimes
in” on additional instruction the students may need to better
understand the concept being taught.
Where are we with the
Coaching Cycle?
 The conversation is heading towards other areas of support for
the teacher that the coach can assist with.
 The coach is teaching a lesson and the teacher is actively
observing and taking notes.
 The teacher is teaching the lesson and the coach is walking
around and making sure the students are understanding the
lesson and actively engaged.
HOW DID YOU DO??
“MODIFIED” Coaching Cycles
Classroom
environment
PostConference
Preconference
Observation
Coaching
Debrief
Model
Observation
Coaching
Debrief
Collaborative
Lesson
(optional)
Coaching
Debrief
Inform the Assistant Principal
of the completion of the
focused cycle for follow-up
and monitoring.
Understanding the Coaching
Continuum
Consider
An effective Instructional Coach
differentiates professional learning
opportunities by thinking of coaching
as a continuum.
COACHING CONTINUUM
Inter-active coaching
Intra-active coaching
Increased external scaffolding
Decreased external scaffolding
Subject-centered pedagogy
Solution-seeking andragogy
Transformation may occur when teachers or his or her coaches are provided opportunities to
observe, co-teach, confer, study, research, and reflect on practices based on behavioral evidence.
Note: The term observation lesson has been used to replace
demonstration lesson to denote the opportunity being
provided versus a model lesson to emulate.
adapted from
K. S. Froelich & E. A. Puig, 2010, p. 128
The Literacy Leadership Team:
Sustaining and Expanding Success
Components of the Coaching Continuum:
Facilitate action
research to seek
resources after reflection
to improve learning and
instruction
Facilitate a study group
or literacy leadership
team to investigate
adaptive challenges to
improve learning and
instruction
Facilitate a workshop
or session to improve
learning and instruction
Co-teach with a host
teacher in an
observation classroom
to improve learning
and instruction
Provide an
observation lesson
(“model”) to improve
learning and
instruction
Confer, observe,
and debrief to
improve learning
and instruction
Your TASK with the Continuum…
1. PUT AWAY all your handouts and CLOSE your folder.
2. Find the BLANK Coaching Continuum with cards
clipped on.
3. Discuss in your groups where each card would fall
on the continuum.
COACHING CONTINUUM
Inter-active coaching
Facilitate a
workshop or
session to
improve
learning and
instruction
Provide an
observation lesson
to improve learning
and instruction
Intra-active coaching
Co-teach with a host
teacher in an
observation classroom
to improve learning
and instruction
Confer,
observe, and
debrief to
improve
learning and
instruction
Facilitate a study
group or literacy
leadership team to
investigate adaptive
challenges to
improve learning and
instruction
Facilitate action
research to seek
resources after
reflection to
improve learning
and instruction
Increased external scaffolding
Decreased external scaffolding
Subject-centered pedagogy
Solution-seeking andragogy
Transformation may occur when teachers or his or her coaches are provided opportunities to
observe, co-teach, confer, study, research, and reflect on practices based on behavioral evidence.
Note: The term observation lesson has been used to replace
demonstration lesson to denote the opportunity being
provided versus a model lesson to emulate.
*Answer: C, E, D, F, B, A