Coaching for Quality: Bridging the Gap from Content to Classroom

1. Coaching for Quality: Bridging the Gap from Content to Classroom

2. Objectives • Introduce NCQTL • Describe what we know about professional development • Define coaching • Describe approaches to coaching • Identify key components of coaching • Look at coaching in action

3. Implementing our Framework • Review and identify evidence based practices aligned with Head Start Child Development Early Learning Framework • Develop training materials and useable products • Implement coaching and mentoring • Provide intensive work with ECES and states

4. Framework for Effective Everyday Practice for ALL Children

5. Importance of Professional Development • Essential to teachers’ use of evidence-based practices • Evidence-based practice to everyday practice is a challenge • Some approaches to PD are more effective than others

6. What have we tried? • Workshops, conferences, “trainings” • Consultation • Communities of practice • Coaching • Expert • Peer • Distance, web-based

7. Coaching as a BRIDGE Implementing it in daily practice Hearing about it in training

8. IMPACT Joyce and Showers, 2002

9. Coaching Approach Entry and Relationship Building Goal Setting and Action Planning Observation Debrief, Reflect, and Feedback

10. What is Coaching? • Relationship between a teacher and someone with specific expertise on: • A specific curricula • Joint goal setting • Actions that produce results (i.e., behavior change) • Skill development • Different from mentoring • Mentors are typically peers • Mentors have shared experience • **Different from supervision **

11. Components of Coaching • Observations • Debriefing sessions • Feedback

12. Coaching Strategies Modeling Videotape teacher Video demonstration Review teacher’s video Graphing Provide materials or resources Manipulate environmental arrangements Other help in classroom • Observing • Problem-solving discussion • Goal setting/planning • Reflective conversation • Role-play • Performance feedback (verbal or graphic) • Side-by-side support (verbal or gestural)

13. Teacher talk! It was wonderful to have somebody right there with you, showing you along the way, rather than going to the training and here are your materials and I will see you in a couple of weeks or a couple of months.

14. Coaching Approach Entry and Relationship Building Goal Setting and Action Planning Observation Debrief, Reflect, and Feedback

15. Entry and Relationship Building • Get to know the teacher • Schedule • Classroom style • Personal “stories” (new babies, family events) • Coaching history • Share / demonstrate your expertise • Jump in and help • Let them know they are appreciated - recognize their effort and their strengths

16. Entry and Relationship Building • Initial meetings will look different than later meetings • Ask questions… then focus on HEARING what the teacher has to say • What is going well? What is the best part of your day? • What is more challenging? • What have you already tried? What happened?

17. Entry and Relationship Building

18. Teacher talk! There were treats, there were words of encouragement, telling me what I was doing right what I was doing wrong. She gave me encouragement to be consistent and keep going. Even when I was like “okay this will not work” and she said, “let’s stick with it,” And it all worked out!

19. EXAMPLE HIGHLIGHT STRENGTHS IDENTIFY AREAS THAT ARE DIFFICULT BRAINSTORM STARTING TOPICS FOR COACHING

20. Coaching Approach Entry and Relationship Building Goal Setting and Action Planning Observation Debrief, Reflect, and Feedback

21. Goal Setting • Setting goals helps to make coaching • Accountable • Measureable • Worth your time and effort! • Think of evaluation in a different way • Finding your starting point to coach • Strengths / needs assessment • NOT judgment

22. Goal Setting – Using Data • What can you use to see growth? • Anchors your coaching • Combine with something already familiar or a center goal? • CLASS, ECERS, ELLCO • Part of your curriculum • CSEFEL Inventory of Practices / Teaching Pyramid • Or maybe child measures? • Engagement • Behavior instances

23. Evaluate: Sharing with Teachers

24. Coaching Approach Entry and Relationship Building Goal Setting and Action Planning Observation Debrief, Reflect, and Feedback

25. What is an action plan? • Plan for action and practice • Steps for crossing that “bridge” • NOT a limit to what you can or can’t do • Way to jointly decide on how your coaching journey will look - together

26. Why use an action plan? • Provides a “roadmap” to implementation • Breaks down complex interventions to more manageable steps • Personalizes professional development • Link from training • Can serve as a “contract

27. Teacher talk! It’s great to have someone help you figure out your next step. This can be overwhelming, but the coach helped me identify my next steps.

28. Developing Action Plans • Look at areas of need • Connect from training, if possible • Ask the teacher • What would you like to work on? • What is the first strategy/idea you would like to try? • Brainstorm a list, then choose • Allow time to think and process… it’s okay to have some silence!

29. Action PlaN Components • Can be program wide or individual • Make it your own • Important pieces: • Goals • Steps to reach goals • Materials needed • Timeline • People responsible

32. Let’s take a peek at action plans “IN ACTION”! • Kiersten talking about transition action plan with Kristie

33. Coaching Approach Entry and Relationship Building Goal Setting and Action Planning Observation Debrief, Reflect, and Feedback

34. Observation • Might include • Watching • Modeling • Prompting • Taking data • All of the above in one visit!

35. Observation • Important to plan for the observation • Take notes • Keep track of what you might want to share in debriefing • Focus on action plan items

36. Observation • Other strategies • Videotape – watch together later • Take notes • Use a coaching log • Take data • Turn taking • Positive comments

37. Observation • Know what the teacher is comfortable with • Talk ahead of time • Might vary across teachers • “Jump in the action” vs “watch then talk” • Make sure observation matches action plan goals • Target a specific time of day • Make your minutes as meaningful as possible

38. Coaching Approach Entry and Relationship Building Goal Setting and Action Planning Observation Debrief, Reflect, and Feedback

39. Feedback • Encourage, affirm & acknowledge • Strengths-based • Conversational & reciprocal • But grounded in data • Connected to action plan • Reflective questions can help

40. Feedback STARTER Phrases • You really got it when you _____ • I enjoyed the way you ____, • It was great to see ____. • I would love to share with others how you ____, etc.

41. Focus Specifically on Strengths • It’s important to identify strategies that are in place and going well • Self-identify strengths • Past successes builds confidence for new learning • Specific information makes praise more comfortable • Not always easy! • Great time to call on “community of coaches”

42. What does Supportive Feedback look like? • Video of Kathleen and Melanie talking about turtle

43. Teacher talk! It felt like coaching was more “We’re going to enhance the great jobs that you’re already doing,” instead of “We’re going to fix you because you’re not good.”

44. Conversational and Reflective Feedback • I heard you say…, • I see…, • I understand…, • You seem (feeling), etc. • Can you tell me a bit more about…

45. Data-based Feedback • Provides feedback that is objective and anchored in the teacher’s practice • Provides a measure of growth • Opens the door for a range of conversations • Might include more than graphs • Video • Running records • Adult or child behavior counts

46. EXAMPLE: Data-based Feedback

47. Additional Coaching Activities • Revisit initial training • Group coaching on topic of shared interest • Pairing teachers together based on strengths and needs • Peer study group • Field trips to other classrooms • Email feedback with links to online resources

48. Coaching essentials • Build your relationship • Demonstrate your expertise • Spend time in the classroom • Be clear what you are coaching on • Give positive feedback • Monitor and show growth

49. Parting words of WISDOM Build and use a community of coaches Spend time building relationships Anchor it in! Don’t be afraid of data. Map it out! Use an action plan to guide you. Make it your own – just like teaching, coaching isn’t “cookie cutter”. Know it takes time and there will be “coaching highs” and “coaching lows” along the journey!

50. kiersten.a.kinder@vanderbilt.edu