Coaching with Peers, Mentors, and

Instructional Coaches

Steve Barkley March 2019

Coaching with peers, mentors, and

instructional coaches

Coaching with peers, mentors, and instructional coaches is guided by conferencing skills of questioning, paraphrasing, and feedback. This session will provide identification, modelling, and practice with these critical coaching skills.

This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND

School Change

Source: Model developed by Stephen Barkley

Student Achievement What is the definition of student achievement that

drives your work?

Student Behaviors What student behaviors need to be initiated or increased to gain the desired student achievement?

Student Achievement When you identify your student achievement goals for improvement, what are some of the student behaviors you identify as being necessary for generating the desired learning?

• Outcome Behavior Indicators

• Production Behaviors

Student Behaviors Outcome: • Increased Vocabulary

Production: • Hear new vocabulary in

teacher reading and speaking

• Conversation with others using new vocabulary

• Reading material with new vocabulary

• Writing for purpose that requires new vocabulary

School Change

Source: Model developed by Stephen Barkley

Teacher Changes What changes in teacher practices are most likely to generate the changes we seek in

students?

Teacher Behaviors

• Teach the desired student behavior.

• Model the desired student behavior.

School Change

Source: Model developed by Stephen Barkley

Instructional Coaching EVALUATION

Outside Criteria MENTORING

PEER COACHING Teacher’s Choice

SUPERVISION

Unconsciously Talented

Unconsciously Unskilled

Consciously Unskilled

Consciously Skilled

Unconsciously Skilled

Gordon’s (1974) Skill Development Ladder

Gordon’s Skill Development Ladder

The Art of Teaching

Later

Now

The coach is a cheerleader during this difficult time.

Learning Dip

Joyce/Showers Research

Training Components and Attainment of Outcomes in Terms of Percent of Participants

Components Study of Theory Demonstrations Practice Peer Coaching

Beverly Joyce and Bruce Showers (2002) Student Achievement Through Staff Development 3rd Edition. Ch. 5: Designing Training and Peer Coaching: Our Needs for Learning. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development

Knowledge (thorough)

10

30

60

95

Skill (strong)

5

20

60

95

Transfer (executive implementation)

0

0

5

95

— OUTCOMES —

Pre-observation Conference

Observation

Post-observation Conference

The Environmental Influences

Closed OpenQuestion Controls

directionAnswer Controls

directionRight/Wrong

One Way Sequence

Skills Test

Control Authority Quick Fix

Uncover Thinking Opinions

Problem Solving Creativity

Critical Thinking Discussion

Emotions/Feeling Counseling

Confirmatory Paraphrase

Fact

Attitude/Feeling

Intention

Commitment

Coach: That was a difficult lesson

Coachee: It’s frustrating to put so much time into planning a lesson and then not have it go well.

Creative Personalized

Focus

Agenda

Vision - MissionStrategy - CurriculumTactics - Lesson Plan

Operations - Teaching Skills

Evaluative

Collecting Observational Data in the Classroom

• In the pre-conference, seek clarity of the focus of the observation. What question or concern is the teacher looking to answer or solve?

• Identify what observational data you can collect that would be most valuable for the teacher. (teacher behaviors, student behaviors, both)

• Create a plan or process or template for recording. Confirm with the teacher.

Confirmatory Paraphrase Fact

Attitude/Feeling

Intention

Commitment

Approval

H.I.P.

Personalize

Cite the Specifics

Making Suggestions Phrase Positively

Clear and Specific

Congruent

Pay-off

Observation Form

Post-Conference • Focus is conversation

rather than report • A 50-50% of voice (75%

teacher/25% coach is a good goal)

• Keep all feedback on the focus as set in the pre-conference

• Consider how the post can become the next pre-conference

Creating a Coaching Culture In a coaching culture, most staff use a coaching approach in their daily life – with each another, and with external stakeholders and customers. A true coaching culture is just ‘part of the way we do things around here’. But it’s not all motherhood and apple pie. A coaching culture is about delivering results, improving performance and making the most of people’s potential. The emphasis is on delivering results and making each other (and the wider organisation) stronger and more capable. It’s NOT about having coaching conversations for their own sake, or as a diversion from other activities! Ed Parsloe