Coaching
Skills for
Team Leaders
Leadership
development
Objectives
• to develop a shared
understanding about
coaching and the skills
involved
• to understand how coaching
can be used to share good
practice and develop
classroom expertise
• to plan to develop a
coaching culture in your
team
Ways of working:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
contributing
taking responsibility for learning
open to change
professionally and positively, focussed on
solutions
punctually, mobiles etc
being your best self……
having fun
others???????
Preview
• coaching skills inputs and activities
• dvds – case studies of coaching
schools/lessons
• preparing feedback on lesson observation
• action planning
Expectations
Excites
Challenges
Getting started…..
Working in table groups, discuss your
understanding and experience of coaching.
Make a note of what you think coaching is – and
maybe what coaching isn’t…….
What’s the difference between coaching and
mentoring?
Why coaching?
Research shows coaching to be the most
effective way of developing staff and sharing
knowledge, skills and understanding to change
teaching behaviours.
The most effective professional learning is
school based, collaborative and has an impact
on classroom behaviours and attainment.
Effective
CPD
type of CPD
classroom
coaching
feedback on
performance
workshop
practice
modelling
skills
exploring
theory
awareness
knowledge
skills
application
Retention Rates
•
•
•
•
•
•
lecture
reading
AV
demonstration
discussion
doing
5%
10%
20%
30%
50%
75%
Best learning?
teaching or coaching others90%
Coaching
Embedding a coaching culture.
What are the benefits to staff and students?
What are the challenges around developing
coaching?
Table discussion
In table groups discuss coaching
and identify
Benefits
Challenges
Coaching skills
building
rapport
feedback
listening
coaching skills
encouraging
reflection
questioning
Rapport
Good coaches are great to talk to and the
coachee will experience them as warm,
attentive and easy to relate to. This is due to an
ability to build rapport with other people.
Think of a friend or colleague with whom you
believe you have good rapport. This probably
feels like an easy-going relationship in which you
feel comfortable and enjoy conversation.
Feeling rapport
Sometimes rapport comes easily from
“sameness” especially with the following
characteristics:
• physical appearance/clothes
• body language/physical gestures
• qualities of voice
• language and words used
• beliefs and values
Use of your voice
Using the phrase “OK I’ll try it” repeat it three
times, using your voice in different ways and
changing it to appear……
1. bored and slightly irritated
2. excited
3. resigned but compliant
Listening
Cosmetic
listening
Conversational
listening
Active listening
Deep
listening
• It looks like I’m listening. I’m not really. My mind is some where
else.
• I’m engaged in the conversation. I’m listening, talking, thinking
etc.
• I’m very focused on what you are saying, recording facts and
paying attention.
• I’m totally focused on you and on the questions I should ask you
to develop my understanding and help you to move forward.
Asking good
questions
The ability to ask good
questions is the key coaching
skill.
Questions should be:
• simple;
• purposeful;
• mostly open; and
• influencing without being
controlling.
Types of questions
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
open
probing
summary
reflective
factual
comparison
hypothetical
to gather information
to explore and clarify
to obtain confirmation
to explore and solve
to check facts
to check alternatives
to think more widely
Good classroom
coaching questions
Coaching questions
• Did all students achieve the
LO? How do you know?
(What will you do about
those who didn’t?)
• How did you ensure all
students engaged
appropriately? (ask about
specific groups)
• What was your rationale for
grouping/pairs?
• How effectively did you use
the resources?
• What could you do to
improve students’ learning
in a similar lesson?
• How did you assess and use
students’ prior knowledge?
• Did the students enjoy the
lesson? Why do you say
that?
Powerful
questions
Powerful questions have many benefits:
• refocus from problem to solution
• help someone feel more powerful and
constructive about a situation
• tap into creativity and create options
• can make a problem feel more like a
challenge or an opportunity
• create forward movement towards solution
Posing powerful
questions
1. Why did group two go off task and not
complete their activity?
2. What kind of activity would engage group
two?
3. What do you need to do to ensure group two
are appropriately challenged and engaged in
their learning?
Preparation for
coaching practice
Think of something in your professional work
that you would like to move forward
with…something which if you were able to
resolve, improve or have great clarity about ……
you would be a better teacher or leader.
Summarise this development on a post-it.
Coaching models
Coaching model 1
Based on Eagan’s Skilled Helper
Stage 1
Analysis
Where am I
now? What’s
happening?
Stage 2
Direction setting
Where do I want
to be?
Stage 3
Action planning
How will I get
there?
Coaching triads
Coach: poses questions, uses deep listening,
reflects back, summarises etc
Coachee: responds to questions, reflects,
thinks, finds a solution
Observer: watches and listens, makes notes to
provide feedback on process
Coaching
practise
3 x 20 minutes
10 minutes in analysis stage
2 minutes in direction setting stage
3 minutes in action planning stage
5 minutes feedback and discussion
Coaching models
Coaching model 2
Based on Landsberg’s Coaching in a busy life
1. Issue or
problem
3. Blocks
coachee
2. Ideal outcome
3. Blocks
others
3. Blocks
situation
4. Brainstorm
actions
Considerations
Research shows that oral feedback (what we say
to another person) is potentially:
• the most effective way of providing
professional learning and development
opportunities; and
• the most powerful way of giving feedback.
Why do we give
feedback?
What are some of the
purposes of giving
feedback?
Outstanding feedback
If we get feedback rightIf we are able to use feedback to improve
learning and performance and to develop the
team…….
How would it make people feel?
Write a short statement to communicate why
we use feedback in our school/team…….
Giving feedback
effectively
• begin with positive aspects
• be specific
• focus on behaviour which can be modified
• use questioning to engage with dialogue
Giving feedback (cont)
• describe rather than evaluate
• describe behaviours not the person
• own the feedback – make it clear that this is
your feedback not from someone else
Giving feedback (cont)
• try to start the feedback with a headline
• give feedback about strengths and what went
well
• ask questions to clarify, deepen
understanding, engage in dialogue
• ask powerful questions to develop
understanding
Giving feedback (cont)
• make sure the person is clear about what you
are saying especially about strengths
• look together at the criteria and decide on a
judgement and/or an improvement point
• give some thought to what the feedback says
about you
Receiving feedback
• listen to the feedback carefully
• be sure you fully understand what is being
said
• ask questions for clarification and exploration
• seek other opinions rather than relying on one
source
Receiving feedback
(cont)
• ask for additional feedback if you consider
important points have not been covered
• respond to questions and join in professional
dialogue
• check the written feedback carefully
• decide what you will do as a result of the
feedback
Non-verbal
communication (1)
• 7% words
• 38% inflection and tone
• 55% body movement and facial
characteristics
Non-verbal
communication (2)
Skills of paying attention- SOLER
S Face the person Squarely
O Adopt an Open posture
L Lean slightly toward the person
E Maintain good Eye contact
R Try to be Relaxed and natural
Before the feedback
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Plan an opening statement
Plan the feedback for the strengths
Plan the areas for improvement
Consider some questions
Consider some targets
Prepare to balance talking and listening
Think – What does this feedback say about me?
During the feedback
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Match verbal and non-verbal communication
Consider the seating and space for the meeting
Encourage the coachee to engage in dialogue
Negotiate targets (if appropriate)
Ensure clarity about strengths and AFI
Check that your feedback has been understood
Agree what will happen as a result
After the feedback
• Provide a copy of the agreed statement/
record
• Follow up targets
• Disseminate findings – if appropriate
• Check on agreed actions
Action planning
What do you need to put into place to promote
the coaching culture in your team ?
What can we do to minimise our concerns?
Actions required……by when….by who????
Review
What are your strengths as a
coach?
Which coaching skills do you
need to develop further?
What will you do to ensure
you are a good coach?