Learning from Coaching

How do I work with an instructional coach to grow as a teacher? (ASCD Arias)

Nina Morel

• Publisher: ASCD
• Year: 2014
• ISBN:
  9781416619345
• Topic: Education
• Subtopic: Professional Development

Every day, new research and technology influence what are considered to be best practices in the classroom. Despite limited time, resources, and support, teachers are expected to implement new standards and practices with expertise. A coach can be a much-needed partner in navigating changes and challenges, helping teachers handle a variety of instructional issues. In Learning From Coaching, educator and instructional coach Nina Morel addresses the benefits of coaching along with common questions and concerns teachers have about entering into coaching relationships. Readers will discover practical strategies for working with a coach, including how to

* Construct and strengthen a coaching relationship.
* Make time in the school day for coaching.
* Set goals, document and evaluate success.
* Troubleshoot potential pitfalls.

Coaching relationships can enhance school culture, teacher satisfaction, professional growth, and student achievement. Through working with a coach, teachers can find support as they think more deeply about their work, set goals, and develop plans to meet those goals.

Introduction

Congratulations! You’re embarking on an incredibly important journey with a colleague to help navigate the continual changes that are inherent in education. A coaching relationship, if entered into with thoughtfulness and intention on the part of you and your coach, can help you become and continue to be the best educator and leader you can be. This publication will deepen your understanding of the purpose of coaching, the teacher-coach relationship, and the responsibilities you have to each other.

You made the decision to enter what I consider the most challenging profession on Earth: teaching. Good teachers manage to cultivate deep personal relationships with their students while also demonstrating their content knowledge and pedagogical expertise in a very public setting. This in itself is emotionally and intellectually challenging. To complicate matters, though, new technology and research about the brain and learning continually impact and redefine “best practices” in the classroom. Teachers—who have very little time for additional study and training—are expected to implement these practices with expertise. On top of that, many teachers work in school environments with limited resources and have students with diverse linguistic, cultural, and economic backgrounds. Ultimately, teachers’ roles require them to be excellent leaders and collaborators with colleagues, parents, administrators, and support professionals. This whole process takes place in a highly political environment of constant change.

Unlike other high-profile, challenging industries, the education field rarely has adequate support structures in place to help teachers navigate the professional demands they face on a daily basis. When I was hired for my first teaching job, I was expected to know (or be able to figure out on my own) what to do in the classroom, how to stay abreast of changes in best practices, and how to deal with any difficulties I might face. My principal made infrequent check-in visits and mandatory evaluative observations that felt more like a test of my ability than an opportunity for growth.

Absent an assigned mentor, I gathered my own. More experienced teachers in the building were kind enough to give the rookie a few tips and resources. As I became more experienced, though, those relationships became more social than professional, and I began to feel like a private contractor. This feeling was so strong that I considered leaving the profession; despite my hard work, I could not grow professionally like I wanted to.

This changed when I was introduced to instructional coaching. As a teacher, I began to see that I could solve almost any instructional problem if I had someone help me think about it through a coaching conversation. As a leader, I began to see how I could improve the quality of my relationships and performance using coaching skills. I discovered that I could have more effective parent engagement and productive parent-teacher meetings using the principles of coaching.

For the last few years, I have been teaching leaders and coaches how to develop instructional coaching programs. A recurring question from coaches and other school leaders is this: We know coaching works, but how do we get teachers to choose to be coached and to make the most of it? I think part of the answer is to invite teachers to prepare themselves for coaching by understanding it, reflecting on it, and then making the decision to use the process in their own professional growth. Consider this your invitation.

This publication reflects some basic beliefs about coaching:

1. Anyone who wants to excel and be the best at his or her chosen profession needs coaching.
2. Coaching is about helping you think more deeply about your work, organize your thoughts, set your own goals, and develop a plan to meet those goals.
3. Coaching is controlled by the teacher, not the coach. You are in the driver’s seat.
4. Coaching is a relationship between two or more people, and all parties to the relationship are responsible for its success.
5. Coaching is confidential and based on trust.

Although there is a profession called coaching, there is also a coaching lifestyle that can benefit any leader, teacher, or parent. It is a lifestyle of asking instead of telling; listening more than speaking; and developing a deep, rich community with colleagues instead of superficial social cliques. This lifestyle is not just for professional coaches; it is for everyone who has the opportunity to coach or be coached in his or her personal and professional relationships.

The first four sections that follow deal with some major concerns I have heard from teachers:

1. What is coaching, and why is it important?
2. What is a coach, and what can I expect from him or her?
3. What is my role in the coaching relationship?
4. How do I make sure coaching is effective and productive?

The fifth section describes some problems that can arise and offers some suggestions for dealing with them. The Encore section at the end offers some additional resources that may be helpful as you begin your coaching experience.

What Is Coaching, and Why Is It Important?

Coaching is a general term used to describe a job, process, relationship, skill, model for professional development, and strategy for change in an organization. Because coaching can be defined so broadly, in so many different contexts, it’s important to clarify what we are talking about when we discuss the word coach and the process of coaching.

The word coach has historically indicated “movement that is made easier.” For example, you have probably traveled in a “motor coach,” which is really just a fancy name meant to imply something nicer and more comfortable than a plain old bus. By the 19th century, the word had come to mean a tutor who “carried his or her pupils” through examinations. Since then, it has entered into sports, social services, the corporate world, and—more recently—education to refer to someone who helps others improve by way of a challenging endeavor.

As with all innovations in education, different schools and districts adopted or developed their own coaching models, which were variously based on the research of a growing number of educational authors and professional learning organizations. Today, the coaching model that most schools adopt includes a series of cycles in which the teacher asks the coach to observe a lesson in his or her room. The coach and teacher meet to discuss the teacher’s goals and to decide on the focus of the observation.

For example, if a teacher is working on a new strategy to engage her English language learners in the classroom, she may ask her coach to observe and take notes on the level of engagement at different checkpoints in the lesson. The coach then observes and collects these data, either in person or by watching a video of the teacher “in action.” After this observation, the coach and teacher meet again to reflect on the data and make a plan for the next step, which may include expanding, honing, or redirecting. At this point, the teacher may ask her coach to model a lesson or to coplan and coteach a lesson. Alternatively, the teacher may just bring an issue of concern to the conversation. It could be about how to engage parents more efficiently or how to work with a coworker more effectively. It’s important to understand that the coach does not give advice or evaluate practice; he or she instead listens to the teacher and asks questions to help her think more deeply and clearly about the issue. In certain circumstances, the coach shares additional information and resources that are related to the teacher’s goals.

Here is an example of a coaching conversation with a 3rd grade teacher who wants to talk with her coach about modifying instruction for a new English language learner (ELL):

Coach: Hi, Melinda! Thanks for reaching out to me. How are you today?

Teacher: Well, I’m OK, but I’m feeling overwhelmed. The principal just told me I’m getting a new preproduction ELL in my class tomorrow. I have a lot going on in my head trying to realign some things to make sure this unit is going to work for him. I’d just like to have more advance notice to plan for my students’ needs. I’ve never even had a preproduction language learner before!

Coach: Wow, it sounds like you’re stressed because you have ideas but don’t have much time to adjust your plans! What do you know about instructional strategies for preproduction students?

Teacher: Not a lot. I think I remember from a workshop that a level 1 student may have a lot of receptive language but no productive . . . and they need time to listen and to learn basic interpersonal communication skills . . . BICS, I think it’s called.

Coach: So you know you need to provide listening experiences and an introduction to basic communication skills. What has been effective in the past with your ELLs that might work with this student?

Teacher: Well, last year I had a student who came in at level 2, and we used graphic organizers and a word wall to help her understand academic language. I assigned her a buddy as well.

Coach: How did that work?

Teacher: Well, she progressed quickly. The word wall and graphic organizers are something I use all the time now. I’m just not sure that’s a good first strategy for this student. I need to get him to the point where he can use the organizers. He is at the preproduction level, so I think I’ll need some other ideas just to help him learn basic communication. The buddy is a good idea I can use, though . . . and I guess I can add some really basic school words to the wall. I can get pictures to represent recess, art, music, lunch, things like that. That could help him learn words he’ll use every day.

Coach: Great! You’re focusing on BICS and listening skills. So you have a first step—assigning a buddy—and some other solid strategies, like the word wall. What resources are you thinking about tapping into to get some other ideas for this student?

Teacher: Well, I have heard of Total Physical Response. That’s a strategy where you act out words. Maybe I can call the district office and get the ELL consultant to come out and give me some information on that. I probably need to do an online search about preproduction kids. And maybe Mrs. Sherod can help me. She had several ELL students last year.

Coach: You have some strong options for new strategies. What’s your plan? When do you think you can do this?

Teacher: I can call the district office right now, after our talk. I’ll have an hour or so tonight to do some online research and get some ideas together so he feels welcome tomorrow when he arrives!

Coach: It sounds like you have clarified your plan. You have a call to make, some websites to review, and some lesson plans to modify! Would you like me to check in with you on Monday to see how it is going?

Teacher: Sure! Maybe by then I’ll feel ready to have you observe me teach and give me some feedback on how engaged he appears to be. Then I can tell if the strategies I’m trying are effective.

Coach: Sure thing!

This conversation took less than five minutes, but it helped the teacher recognize available resources and make a plan. As you can see, all of the thoughts and ideas were the teacher’s, and the coach simply helped her clarify her thinking and set a timeline. Over time, these conversations might get more sophisticated as the teacher explores deeper concepts related to planning for this student in her classroom. If the coach is proficient in teaching ELLs, he or she might coteach, model new strategies, or identify and bring in relevant resources. Ultimately, the coach and the teacher may decide to lead a workshop for the entire faculty on the strategies they learned and implemented. Alternatively, the coach may facilitate a professional learning community (PLC) meeting in which the teacher collaborates with her peers to meet ELL students’ needs and look for patterns that could help improve student achievement.

Increasingly, coaching like this takes place online or over the phone. With video technology becoming more accessible, more teachers are videotaping their lessons and sending them to a coach in another location. Though this can be an effective method to facilitate coaching across distance and time, it is important to note that the relationship between coach and teacher is critical and should never be shortchanged, regardless of what medium is used. In the pages to come, I’ll offer more information about how to build the coaching relationship in both face-to-face and virtual settings.

There is strong evidence to suggest that coaching contributes to improved teaching and student learning. Almost 20 years ago, Joyce and Showers (1995) found that there was very little transfer of learning from the training room to the classroom. However, professional training that included theory, demonstration, practice, feedback, and coaching led to a positive transfer of new learning to the teacher’s practice.

Since that research, multiple studies have shown that teachers improve their practice when coaching is part of professional learning. Several studies link coaching to learning transfer, teacher efficacy, teacher satisfaction, and student achievement (Biancarosa, Bryk, & Dexter, 2010; Bruce & Ross, 2008; Edwards, Green, Lyons, Rogers, & Swords, 1998; Joyce & Showers, 1995). Coaching has also been linked to a greater use of student data, an improvement in teachers’ capacity to reflect, and the promotion of collective leadership across a school system (Annenberg Institute for School Reform, 2004).

The best evidence for a positive outcome resulting from coaching is through your own experience. If having a coach helps you think more deeply about your practice and your students’ learning, if it helps you set goals and monitor progress for yourself and your students, and if it promotes celebration when you and your students meet your goals, then coaching has been a success and is effective for you.

What Is a Coach, and What Can I Expect From Him or Her?

This simple question is actually messy because “coach” can be a title that means many different things—and not all of them involve coaching! Sometimes a coach is actually a consultant, specialist, or facilitator who does not guide or instruct at all. In education, coaches spend much of their time planning, thinking, deciding, and reflecting with a teacher, but they also assume the role of an onsite professional developer who facilitates workshops and PLCs, teaches new concepts and strategies, and acts as a mentor to new teachers.

On the other hand, in some school settings, the people who perform these roles may have a very different title. For example, in some districts, all administrators are trained as coaches. Their title may be “principal,” but their first role is that of coach because they believe the most important skill of leadership is coaching. Great leaders almost always use this as their first method to interact with teachers, parents, and students; they only use more authoritative communication when necessary.

Finally, in many schools, innovative teachers are taking it upon themselves to fulfill the role of coach, and they are coaching their peers in PLCs or in grade-level or subject-area teams. They are learning coaching skills together and practicing them with one another…and they’re improving their teaching practice at the same time.

So, for our purposes, we will set aside job titles and think in terms of the role of coaching. A coach is your thinking partner. Ideally, he or she should be trained and experienced in listening carefully, observing closely, asking questions, and giving feedback that helps you reflect on your practice.

Look back at the example coaching conversation presented earlier. Can you identify instances of the coach directing, controlling, or evaluating the teacher? Hopefully you cannot, because these are the roles of a supervisor or an administrator—not a coach. Did the coach extend the teacher’s knowledge and skills in any way? She could have suggested, “A preproduction student might be assigned a buddy or student peer to help him in the first days and weeks of school.” If she had, she would have been teaching, not coaching. Remember, a coach is your peer—not necessarily an expert.

A coach may impart information when requested to, but this should not be the default stance of a coach, and it should be done only when you, the teacher, invite it. What if the teacher in the previous example was in her first year of teaching and had never worked with ELLs before or read about ELL strategies? If so, the conversation might look like this:

Teacher: Wow, I just got a new preproduction ELL student in my class, and I really don’t know how to help him participate. I know I can do some research tonight, but in the meantime, do you have any suggestions to help me get through today?

Coach: You are asking me to give you a suggestion from my own experience, right? Well, it sometimes is helpful to give a preproduction ELL student a buddy to...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title Page
• Table of Contents
• Introduction
• Encore
• Additional Tools and Resources
• References
• About the Author
• Copyright