building relationships as an instructional coach

As planning gets underway, is there a teacher voice in the room to echo what leaders request? Below I'll offer some suggestions for how to introduce yourself as a coach to administration, teachers, and other coaches. Without trust, an instructional coach has very little influence over the professional growth of a teacher. To demonstrate that there are great things happening in every classroom even if they arent working with you (yet!). So look for opportunities for personal connections to build a personal relationship. Were talking about instructional coaches. What does this look like? So start filling up your to-do list and feel productive about the important workyoure doing. If the former, could I see what work has already been done? So, during my interactions with Allie, both in our debriefs and in our PLC, I always highlighted her strengths as a science teacher. Define Your Goals It is important to define your goals before beginning any instructional coaching process. -Responds to data, sets goals, and action plans. In this way professional development might directly affect student learning. How does whiteness get in the way of equity work in schools? Step 2: Ensure the . Claire Fassio,a Knowles Senior Fellow, works forthe Salt Lake City School Districtin Utah as a secondary sciencecoach. From Our President: Making Consistent Instructional Support a Reality. I used the introductory letter to further demystify some of the common concerns new coaches hold, such as the fact that coaching is non-evaluative and confidential. The MOST important steps in starting out as an instructional coach are building relationships and building trust. What do they need to know? Typically, training sessions are born when instructional specialists visit schools and meet with school-based leadership teams to identify professional development needs. Instructional Coaching, Empower teachers Instructional coaches have expertise, and so do the teachers they support. Instructional coaches have the unique opportunity to work alongside a variety of teachers and administrators across a range of grades and content areas. Whether you are new to the district or have been there for a while, taking time to build relationshipsis a must! 5. As we looked at her students work, we noticed that almost every student showed a better understanding of forces on the post-assessment. Tuning in to what others communicate is much easier if we take the time to turn off inner agendas and listen carefully despite distractions that the environment around us provides. She was interested but worried that she would not have time to develop CER prompts since this strategy was new to her, and she was already busy taking endorsement classes and participating in other professional development after school. Intentional collaboration helps instructional specialists partner with teachers and administrators to focus on student learning. Around winter break, I heard Allie say that she is not good at assessment and that she thought she should be assessing her students more often. 6 strategies for working with all teachers. Keep students at the center: This one sounds obvious, but some intentionality is needed to make this happen. No one can learn from you if you think that they [stink]. I started reading. Be transparent by sharing your successes and failures. In order for teachers to trust a coach and be open to coaching, they need to have a relationship built on trust and respect. Allie was very excited about this and said that she really like this kind of assessment, rather than multiple choice, because she could see what students were thinking. The relationship with an instructional coach is pivotal for a teacher's successful professional development. While many schools have a formal system for instructional coaching, there are variations. I recently took a class called Cognitive Coaching. Instructional Coaching How Instructional Specialists Can Build Positive Relationships With Teachers Intentional collaboration helps instructional specialists partner with teachers and administrators to focus on student learning. If a coach is brought into an expanding support system, they should inquire about what supports are available to them for data collection, ongoing professional learning, and networking. Be there, be visible and availableif questions come up. Over the summer, she met with each coach and introduced herself, the model of coaching she was employing, and the vision for her work. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. As I finished my first year as a coach, I repeatedly thought back to this quote and realized that it was one of my fundamental takeaways from the year. We will not share or sell your personal information. I used her suggestion and took photos of the work my students did to share with Allie. Edutopia and Lucas Education Research are trademarks or registered trademarks of the George Lucas Educational Foundation in the U.S. and other countries. Ask them questions and really listen. The support of building leadership is essential to developing a vision of growth and a culture of coaching. Dig Deeper. Aguilar, E. (2013). No one can learn from you if you think that they [stink]. I started reading The Art of Coaching by Elena Aguilar when I became a middle school science coach last fall, and this quote from Leslie Plettner stuck with me (2013). In many states, like Wisconsin, there is no license specific to instructional coaching. Allie told me that she felt like the coach was there to point out flaws and that the coachs expectations were not grounded in the reality of Allies teaching context. An intentional coaching conversation built on relationships and authentic understanding of assets can have a lasting effect on how a teacher approaches their craft, which, in turn, can have a. Dont get caught up in or start rumors. The third challenge an instructional coach can face at a school site is a lack of reciprocity (Gresham, 2012). Without a clear understanding of what coaching is and the research behind it, a leader may ask coaches to break confidentiality, act as an evaluator, or use the position as a substitute for all other positions and tasks. Just make sure that if you are using an experience as an example to another teacher that you dont use a name unless that teacher has given you permission! Practical Advice, After establishing the goal, follow up by asking what the goal might look like and sound like in the classroom. And every school year brings us closer to having those deep professional conversations with more and more of our colleagues as we build on the year before. Ask for and respect end times: Saying that teachers are pressed for time is the understatement of the year. A document that will be key to ongoing support is a "job description." Summary: Agile Coach with experience building small businesses, departments, and teams from the ground up. There are four ways we can build relationships: be visible, provide stakeholders with a voice, build trust, and recognize and reward successes. 42 0 obj <> endobj 79 0 obj <>/Filter/FlateDecode/ID[]/Index[42 77]/Info 41 0 R/Length 158/Prev 224858/Root 43 0 R/Size 119/Type/XRef/W[1 3 1]>>stream Instructional coaching provides individual teachers with one-to-one assistance working on identified instructional needs. They make me think. I told Allie that I wanted to be useful in her growth as a teacher and asked what she had hoped for in a science coach. Those personal connections and ongoing conversation builds trust. It might be that they misunderstand the goal or it might be that they have a legitimate concern. But, there could be other reasons that just are not apparent to you. & Rosenquist, B. For the purposes of this discussion, an instructional coach is defined as someone whose primary professional responsibility is to bring ractices that have been studied using a variety of research methods into classrooms by working with adults rather than students. Surprisingly, I speak with many coaches who have been hired and are operating without a job description. In March, Allie told me that she had been using the probes as pre- and post-assessments for a few topics. Building trust can seem like a huge undertaking as a new coach, however, trust can mean the difference between your success or failures as a new coach. Every teacher has something they are amazing at! Find a few teachers who apply this approach with success, and ask for help in planning a learning progression for their colleagues. The MOST important steps in starting out as an instructional coach are building relationships and building trust. Three Ways Instructional Coaches Can Contribute to Equity Efforts in their Schools 1. Whatever it is, find a personal connection that can help you open the door to conversation. Despite the diversity that exists with coaching, the goals of this form of professional development remain focused on two areas: Like professional athletes, even the best educators benefit from coaching. I often say things like I have a contradictory thought, can I share it with you? or if we have a good rapport, something more like brace yourself, Im about to offer a controversial opinion. This helps ensure that you have clear objectives when implementing instructional coaching. 4. Teaches employees problem-solving skills Posted by Staffing instructional coaches who are able to build relationships with teachers, understand good teaching practices, have experience with adult learners, and know how to use data are some of the skills associated with effective coaches, according to the New Teacher Center, an organization which helps districts implement coaching and induction . s the end of the academic year wraps up, many districts begin to consider ways to support coaching positions in their districts. Without trust, an instructional coach has very little influence over the professional growth of a teacher. Create a Teacher-Coach role descriptors chart that explains what is expected of each person in the partnership. I have had organic conversations with teachers about the amount of worksheets/paper work they have. For leaders who aren't very well informed, I've taken time to share research from Joyce and Showers, as well as one-page graphic outlining the typical roles of an administrator, a coach, and the overlap (plus mutual exclusiveness) between and among the two. Building relationships in instructional coaching is the most integral part that must be in place, to ensure success in any coaching model. Paraphrasing is used to help validate what teachers are saying. If you work to intentionally make these moves part of your routine, youll likely find that teachers become more open to having conversations about their practice and might even start to carve out more of their precious (and so very limited) time to meet with you. Find out when each grade level eats lunch and conduct your work time in the teachers lounge. Goals of Coaching. All rights reserved. Joseph is in his second year as Wisconsin's statewide coaching coordinator. In addition to the question in our FB group, we recently conducted a survey of instructional coaches, and the results showed that one of the top challenges was working with teachers who are reluctant to be coached. Teachers have a lot of things on their plate and a lot to do to get ready for their lessons. Trust is a tricky thing to gain. If you are new to instructional coaching check out some research articles/books to better understand the profession. Help teachers set specific, measurable goals. You ARE NOT an administrator. Be attuned to their emotions, have social conversations, and share in activities with them. I asked Allie if she would be willing to share her ideas for how to teach this concept. No, were not talking about the person with the whistle who leads the basketball team. When you start any meeting, ask the teacher when they want to wrap up the conversation. I had heard what they were saying, but never really listened. I was especially nervous to work with Allie, a seventh grade integrated science teacher. As I finished my first year as a coach, I repeatedly thought back to this quote and realized that it was one of my fundamental takeaways from the year. Course assignments are job-embedded, thus prompting reflection and action. I wanted Allie to know that I was invested in learning about her context and in being a member of her team. 2. Taylor-Marshall likens instructional coaching for teachers to coaching for professional athleteseven the best ones benefit from coaching support. Dont let them know that youre doing this to gain access to their friend, because likely both colleagues will benefit from your coaching, just start building a relationship. Sometimes, these conversations would lead to topics like higher Depth of Knowledge (DOK) level questions or student engagement, and we would talk about ways that students could share their reasoning, but I never forced the subject. Then come back later to read the full thing! The instructional coaches' primary role is to work with educators to implement research-based practices and encourage reflective practice (Knight, 2007). No matter how much a visiting instructional specialist may know, the true experts in a school building are both the administrators, who have a bigger-picture view of school priorities, and the teachers, who have on-the-ground knowledge of daily intricacies that impact instruction. An instructional coach is infinitely valuable to new teachers as these teachers are provided with an experienced educator that will show, not tell, them how to make lessons successful and beneficial to the students. Its likely that you will always struggle to work with the resistant teacher in this scenario, but you might be able to influence their classroom practice through a friend. Instructional specialists can ask the following questions to make sure that teachers and administrators are in alignment about the needs of the community: Red flags may appear in the conversation that follows from these questions. They also are very grateful for positive recognition. instructional practices that will support students' critical thinking and raise their achievement in mathematics. It is important that coaches build positive relationships, which can act as the glue that cements their players to the cause and binds them together as a team. What teachers in the building have expertise in this area? After winter break, Allie sent an email to ask if I would help her think of some CER prompts for her upcoming units. Introductions. I knew that students needed to understand that I, their teacher, believed in their ability to succeed, but I hadnt really thought of how I would need to maintain this strengths-based mindset in my work with adults as well. What data can I look at to contextualize the professional development focus under discussion from a student or teacher perspective? Manuscript submitted for publication. Instructional coaching, specifically educational coaching in the classroom, aims to enhance teachers' success by giving them new problem-solving strategies. She is using these assessments as part of her evaluation worksample this year, and she said that she wants her professional goal next year to focus on CER. The teacher I coached feels more comfortable asking students to share their thinking, and she sees value in it. Because of this, the four coaches came together to agree on key tools and a defined coaching cycle. Please just make sure that you are valuing teachers time. I would also give constructive feedback about classroom management and/or her lesson plan, since those were areas that she wanted to work on. Instructional Coach. We have no idea what is happening in students' lives unless they tell us, so our number one goal with building relationships is to knock those walls down. I am glad that I will get to work with Allie again next year (and that she is interested in continuing our work). Learn about ways to encourage positive working relationships with your team members. We had talked about Claim-Evidence-Reasoning (CER) at a district professional development that Allie attended, and she seemed interested in this framework. Sandra Taylor-Marshall is the Instructional Coaching Program Coordinator at PLACE who strongly believes in the power of coaching. Assuming that the administration is open to including teacher expertise in the facilitation of professional development (and again, intentionally omitting this step is a red flag), setting up a space to collaborate with classroom-based experts is key to an ideal outcome that values the instructional lens.This two-way model of expertise allows both parties to embrace a variety of different vantage points and strengths, all of which lead to the achievement of an identified professional development goal with clarity. Next, bring clarity to the colleague - colleague relationship as teacher and coach. As coaches, we tell teachers: Work to build an authentic relationship with each child. 4. Teachers are usually pretty willing to share with one another. Building Teachers' Capacity for Success: Instructional Coaching Essentials > Module 1 > Reading 2: Characteristics of Effective Coaches of connecting, cultivating, nurturing, and developing relationships. 5. Once lost it is nearly impossible to get back. This coaching support will look different for each and every teacher and team, yet its essential to honor teachers knowledge and expertise. Constantly refer back to the goal and ask What does that look like? or What does that sound like? Use the answers to those questions in your coaching log. It may not be something you prioritize, but that doesnt mean its not important to them, or to their students. Relationship building works both ways. Relationships between district and school-level policies and expectations for instructional coaching and coaches' time use. It is also for the teacher to figure out if the student is understanding the skill, right? I wanted Allie to know that I valued her ideas. Instructional coaches work not only with teachers, but also with administrators and students to support teaching, learning, and professional development. Coaching isnt exclusively about teaching and learning. instructional coaches as to best practices for trust development with classroom teachers. The results will give you helpful information to enable you to become a more effective coach . Instructional Coaching 101: Building Relationships. They facilitate inquiry and action as they work to address educational inequities at the classroom level and within larger systems at the school and/or organizational levels. Read all about that here. A coaching relationship is the same as any other relationship. We are published by the George Lucas Educational Foundation, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization. Watch Joseph talk about the major takeaways from his article. Or, if the proposed initiative seems to come out of nowhere, that might also indicate a lack of focus on effective training measures that address practical needs for instructional growth. Be vocal about the good you see: Teachers rarely get focused feedback on the practices they devote so much of their time to improving. Using a strengths-based approach, coaches recognize and elevate teachers strengths to accelerate student learning. The learner will acquire tools and techniques for building effective interpersonal relationships that lay the foundation for a coaching partnership. Building relationships as an instructional coach. Instructional coaches are there to make a teacher's life a little easier. Be sure to check out Joseph's blog, Coaching Roots, and connect with him on Twitter @j_kanke! 6 Strategies to Build Coaching Relationships with ALL Teachers - Eduro Learning We know the number one priority for every instructional coach is relationships: building them, maintaining them, and making them at the forefront of what we do. might be a good resource for CER prompts. Ideas & Strategies for K-12 Coaches and Teachers. They often wish the coaches would just come to them, rather than expecting that teachers have time to schedule and attend meetings. Arlington, VA: NSTA Press. Be prepared to share an explanation of your role as you best understand it, but be open and flexible with it. The best coaches also engage as learners, supporting others as they share their expertise with the school community. Instructional coaches may also serve as gifted and talented coordinators, interventionists, reading specialists, and staff development leaders. Coaches support and scaffold teachers learning by reflectively listening, asking questions, and working alongside them in classrooms and professional learning opportunities. Step 1: Create a coaching strategy, and align it to the business goals and wider organizational culture change. It can also improve collaboration because professional growth opportunities are stressed by instructional coaches, and collaboration and building of successful relationships is encouraged within the educational community. This allows both you and the teacher to take your minds off the clock and commit to focusing on the conversation. This will also provide the new coach with more time to focus on building relationships, learning about a system of support, and engaging in new coaching cycles. We want our students to think deeply and critically. If there is a teacher who is resistant to be coached and you know they have specific concerns about it, approach them, seek out their opinions, listen to their concerns and discuss them with respect. As the year began, they were able to collect survey and observation data and collaboratively make adjustments to the tools to better fit educators' needs. Instructional coaching is rooted in relational trust and effective communication. By giving them some distance, and continuing to work with others, you might be able to build a curiosity about the value of working with you, and allow them to come to you instead of you always pushing in to them. Maybe you both like running, or traveling or peanut butter! Allie had high expectations for her students, and used scaffolding like structured notes to help her students meet these expectations. At the beginning of the year, I wondered if I should push back more and ask more probing questions about Allies teaching. relationship building ; and collegial conversations about instructional practices and systemic change. Instructional coaching is not only theoretically promising as the only form of CPD that reliably affects student achievement (Kraft et al., 2018), but its impact is also visible in schools. 5 Relationship-Building Tips for Instructional Coaches Building strong ties with teachers is key to being able to support them in improving student outcomes. Building relationships in the workplace is essential for career success. Allie was still in her first few years of teaching, and like many teachers (new and veteran), Allie said that she felt like she was rushing through the curriculum in order to finish in time for her students to take the end-of-year state science test. This is particularly important for teachers who have resisted coaching in the past. Guest Blogger, Instructional Coaching is an important part of ensuring that each student in Utah has access to a highly-skilled teacher who can effectively meet their unique needs. Before joining our team, Taylor-Marshall was a PreK-5 literacy coordinator and coach in a district outside Madison, Wisconsin. This has been the most difficult thing for me as an instructional coach. Districts are beginning to invest more heavily in coaching. When you have to summarize someone elses words it forces you to really listen. Using business acumen, an Agile approach, an entrepreneurial mindset, and possessing the . This blog post (and upcoming5 Min Friday video) was inspired by a question in our#coachbetter Facebook group: How do you build relationships with ALL teachers? File Folders - Keep records for each teacher that you support in one . I didnt want Allie to feel like I was ignoring her workload, so I suggested the formative assessment probes in Uncovering Student Ideas in Science (Keeley, Eberle, Farrin, Tugel, & Dorsey, 2009) might be a good resource for CER prompts. So I have a few items to add to your list of tasks that will help you build the relationships you need to begin to impact teacher decisions and student growth. Coaches also co-teach lessons and debrief afterward to determine next steps. Home Who We Are Our People Annual Reports Awards & Recognition Find Knowles Fellows Fellows Programs Teaching Fellows Program Senior Fellows Program Fellows Stories She was very organized, always had a starter on the board, and her students knew that they were expected to be working on this before the bell rang. by Elena Aguilar when I became a middle school science coach last fall, and this quote from Leslie Plettner stuck with me (2013). The primary goal of instructional coaching is to improve the coachee's teaching and introduce new strategies to facilitate classroom success. Be the first to know about promotions, special offers, and #coachbetter news! At the time, I knew this applied to students. 2023 Instructional Coaches Corner. Suppose a school is focused on implementing blended and personalized learning across content areas. Supporting experimentation with new classroom strategies. The ultimate goal: improved teaching practice and improved student achievement. "Connection before content" is the idea that coach and teacher must invest the time to build an authentic and mutually respectful relationship , with shared goals and a solid commitment to working with each other.