We've reached the end of Season Two and I wanted to do something special to celebrate!
This episode is all about coaching
cycles, which are the bread and butter of instructional coaching. It's how we
make a big impact in classrooms.
I've shared several episodes in the past about coaching cycles and what they can look like. In Episode 3, I explain the basic process that goes into a coaching cycle.
Then in later episodes, I talked about different strategies that can happen during the classroom work portion, such as modeling, co-teaching, and observing during the coaching cycle.
Getting Teachers to Initiate Coaching Cycles
In Episode 18, I talked about ways to get in the door, even if teachers are resistant. Today we're going to take a bit of a different approach.
We're going to discuss getting
teachers to initiate coaching cycles. I'm going to share ways to create a
climate where teachers perceive the value of the coaching cycle and ask you for
the support they need.
When teachers initiate the coaching
cycle, you've really made it! That teacher is going to be excited to work with
you and invested in the outcome.
If you feel like you've hit a wall
and teachers are not excited about coaching cycles, try these strategies.
Coffee with a Coach
Invite teachers to a discussion to
help them understand what a coaching cycle is and your role. One of the easiest
ways to do this is a Coffee with a Coach. I like doing this as part of
professional development when all the staff is present. That way everyone gets
the benefit of the conversation.
I suggest scheduling a specific time
when you can introduce your role. You can use a presentation, or you can just
chat. I recommend having a coaching menu that spells out exactly what your
coaching supports look like. It helps start the conversation and then you
can invite teachers to participate in coaching cycles.
Model classrooms
My next tip is to have a model
classroom. This is a place where you can have other teachers come to visit. You’re there
to support the ongoing growth of that teacher, plus any other teacher who would
like to visit.
When teachers see the benefits of the
coaching cycles in the model classroom, they become interested in
participating in a cycle. They realize the coaching cycle isn’t scary, but
rather is supportive. The model classroom can act as a commercial or billboard
for what is possible with coaching.
Start with a Friendly
We want to begin with the teachers
who are excited to work with us and have some good things happening in their
classrooms. Please don’t start with a classroom that is struggling, and the
teacher is reluctant to work with you. You're not going to be able to get much
leverage out of that. It also positions you as someone there to help struggling
teachers instead of all staff.
Highlight Teachers
Another way to get teachers more
aware of the culture of coaching is to share motivation with them. One thing I
like to do is give shout-outs and celebrate teachers’ achievements. This
highlights the work that is being done in a coaching cycle and elevates it. It
gets everyone talking about the good stuff that came out of our coaching cycle.
I used a teacher feature board. I
would take pictures of the classroom work that we were doing together and
feature great things. This showed that I wasn't there to correct people but
rather to grow alongside them.
Small Wins
Instructional coaches can help
teachers understand the benefits of coaching by assisting them in achieving
tiny victories. Small wins may not sound like much, but to many teachers fixing
a little problem is huge. It can help open the door and get them to interact
with you.
Surveys
My last tip is probably my favorite
one because it creates a culture of coaching. If you want to know what teachers
need, give them a survey.
There are so many benefits to sharing
a survey with teachers. You can give one at the beginning of the year to
identify a focus on campus or for an individual teacher. Surveys can be used
throughout the year to learn about the coaching work you're doing together or
to get feedback on new initiatives.
You can also ask for feedback on your
coaching work. While it can be hard to put ourselves out there, we must do it.
We need to find out what teachers think because it’s eye-opening and helps us
grow as coaches. If we can show that we are responsive and listen to input from
teachers, this feedback can be a gateway to get in the door.
There are many options for surveys,
both digital and printable. You might try different ones to see which gets the
most responses.
The best part about surveys is you
have the evidence on paper. You’ve got it in writing - black and white. When
you go to the administration, it’s clear exactly what teachers need and want.
Conclusion
So there you have it, the final
episode of Season Two. These are my favorite tips for getting teachers to
initiate coaching cycles. These tips will help you get teachers interested in
what you do. Once they see how you’re helping others, they’ll want in too!
Be sure to listen to the entire
episode to get all the details. If you want some help implementing these ideas,
you can sign up for my free Coaching in the Classroom Forms download below. It
will give you the tools you need to apply many of the ideas that I shared on
the podcast.
Season Three
I’m about to start recording Season
Three and would love to know what you want to hear about next. You can send me an email or tag me on Instagram @BuzzingWith MsB with your suggestions.
The podcast will be on a break until February 2022. This is the perfect opportunity to catch up on all the episodes from Season One and Two that you may have missed.
Ready to listen? You can listen below
with the media player, or search for Buzzing with MS. B: The Coaching Podcast
anywhere you listen to podcasts!
Check me out at buzzingwithmsb.com and on Instagram @buzzingwithmsb.
Podcast produced by Fernie Ceniceros of Crowd & Town Creative