Getting Teachers to Initiate Coaching Cycles, Ep. 87 Buzzing with Ms. B: The Coaching Podcast

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!

Learn more
Ep. 58 Collecting Feedback from Teachers with Erinn Cottman

Ep. 78 Model Classrooms: Why You Need One and What to Do When You Get One

Helpful resources 
Instructional Coach Binder Megapack

Instructional Coaching Forms and Slide Show for the Coaching Cycle

Teacher Feedback Surveys for Instructional Coaching - Printable and Google Forms

Thank you for listening to Buzzing with Ms. B: the Coaching Podcast. Want more coaching ideas?

Check me out at buzzingwithmsb.com and on Instagram @buzzingwithmsb.

If you love the show, share it with a coach who would love it too, or leave me a review on iTunes! It’s free and it helps others find this show, too. Happy coaching!

Podcast produced by Fernie Ceniceros of Crowd & Town Creative

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Working with Teams with Instructional Coaching Corner, Ep. 86 Buzzing with Ms. B: The Coaching Podcast

Instructional coaches are asked to work with teacher teams but often don't have the training, tools, or time to do it effectively.

Greg Deutmeyer from School Talk Podcast (formerly Instructional Coaching Corner Podcast) joins me to talk about working with teams of teachers. We talk about the importance of teams and how to make them stronger.

How to Establish Positive Relationships with Teams of Teachers

During our call, we talk about how to establish relationships within teams. Greg explains that the book The Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni has been beneficial for his coaching work. The book is written for the business world, but the ideas can be applied to any industry. The five things talked about in the book can help us to develop a well-functioning team. 

Here are the five dysfunctions and some ideas to work through them.

1.      Absence of trust

Teams members often struggle to trust each other. Greg recommends that coaches show some vulnerability because being vulnerable leads to trust.

Coaches can do this by asking simple questions at the beginning of meetings and starting with a win. That simple positive sharing can help build trust and bring the team together.

2.      Fear of conflict

As coaches, relationships are everything. It’s natural to want to preserve the relationship we have with the people on our teams. This sometimes leads us to avoid conversations that are necessary but may be unpleasant. 

Although it’s not easy, Greg recommends having healthy conflicts with the team when necessary. Having disagreements often lead to changes in understanding and perspective. Even though these conflicts can be scary, there are a lot of benefits to facing that fear.

3.      Avoidance of accountability

Greg talks about why it’s important to hold teachers accountable if they say they are going to do something, but don’t. When people don’t keep their promises, coaches should talk about it with them. Of course, we want to do it in a way that is respectful of everyone's feelings.

4.      Lack of commitment

We’ve all been to group meetings where one or two vocal team members make most of the decisions while others say nothing at all. That can make it hard for all the team members to commit to the plan. Greg discusses how team members will be more likely to commit to the objectives when everyone’s voice is heard. 

5.      Lack of focus

Focus gives a team a common objective and a way to identify when they are successful. When the focus is clear, it is easier to achieve success.

Greg explains that if we tackle these five things, we're going to create more effective teams. 

Coaching Challenges When Facilitating Teacher Teams

Greg and I talk about common challenges when working with teams of teachers. We discuss how building relationships and trust is the bedrock of any successful team. Team dynamics play a big role in whether or not a team will achieve its mission. 

Teachers expect instructional coaches to be the expert. A lot of times they will wait for coaches to give them the directions or answers. This is a common problem and something I struggle with myself as a problem solver. 

Greg suggests that coaches don't think of themselves as an expert in content, but rather experts in conversation or questioning. The coach facilitates the discussion, but the team makes the decision. When a team makes a decision, they win and lose together. This makes them more likely to work to achieve the goal.

Another challenge coaches face is accepting that things take time. We often want things to happen quickly because we have deadlines and other pressure hanging over us. While there are things that can be done to grow the team, you can’t rush it and it may take longer than expected. Be patient and you’ll develop a stronger team.

How to Support Collaboration Among Teachers

It may be challenging to support alignment when teachers don’t have a common language or vision. On this episode of The Coaching Podcast, we discuss ways to support collaborative planning with teachers.

Greg also shares how he helps create an environment where people are comfortable enough to ask questions and get clarification. He asks what he calls “dumb questions”. For example, he’ll ask a clarifying question when a veteran teacher throws out terminology that may be different from the word used by a new teacher. He says he has no problem being seen as the person asking a foolish question because it creates an environment where teachers feel secure enough to stop the conversation when something is not clear.

On this episode, we discuss all this plus, how to give data a purpose, characteristics of high-functioning teams, and how team members can hold each other accountable. Listen to the entire episode to get tips and ideas for how instructional coaches can support teaching teams.

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!

This post contains links to products from one or more of our advertisers. This means I may receive commissions for purchases made through links in this post when you click on links to those products.

Learn more
Ep. 74 Building Relationships with Teachers

Helpful resources 
Instructional Coach Binder Megapack

Instructional Coaching Forms and Slide Show for the Coaching Cycle

Book: The Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni on Amazon

Thank you for listening to Buzzing with Ms. B: the Coaching Podcast. Want more coaching ideas?

Check me out at buzzingwithmsb.com and on Instagram @buzzingwithmsb.

If you love the show, share it with a coach who would love it too, or leave me a review on iTunes! It’s free and it helps others find this show, too. Happy coaching!

Podcast produced by Fernie Ceniceros of Crowd & Town Creative

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Neurodiversity in Education with Jillian Starr, Ep. 85 Buzzing with Ms. B: The Coaching Podcast

What is neurodiversity and how can we support neurodivergent teachers?

On this episode of The Coaching Podcast, Jillian Starr joins me to talk about coaching neurodivergent teachers. She shares her experience and perspective as a neurodivergent teacher with us.

What does neurodiversity mean?

During the episode, I ask Jillian to define neurodiversity. She explains that people think and learn in different ways. The term neurodiversity is used to highlight the variety in the human brain. It’s a biological reality like any other human variation. It includes things like ADHD, sensory processing issues, and dyslexia.

Jillian goes on to say that neurodivergent has shifted from a term of identifying to more of a movement. It signifies a desire to make environments more inclusive and rejects the idea that neurodivergent people need to be fixed or cured. It is an approach to learning and an understanding that our classrooms should be inclusive of neurological differences.

Neurodiverse Educators

Jillian talks to us about what it’s like to be neurodivergent and how instructional coaches can best support work with neurodivergent teachers.

Some teachers may not be aware or want to tell their instructional coach that they are neurodivergent. As coaches, we must be thoughtful and make sure we provide services inclusive for all teachers.

Being Neurodivergent

Since Jillian only represents one part of the neurodiverse community, she asked other teachers she knew who are also neurodivergent what they wished people knew about it. Listed below are a few things they all agreed on.

1. Neurodivergent people need help breaking down big tasks into smaller, manageable chunks. Jillian and her neurodivergent colleagues agreed they would welcome support to simplify and streamline procedures.
2. They need help with day-to-day, mundane tasks that seem easy for other educators.
3. Many times the systems given make no sense to the neurodivergent brain. For example, teachers are expected to put information in spreadsheets. The neurodivergent brain may have difficulty understanding how it is supposed to work and may need a different way to view information.

Jillian explains that many neurodivergent teachers had IEPs as students. Being neurodivergent doesn’t disappear when you become an adult and go into the workforce. 

As coaches who support teachers, who may be neurodivergent, we need to make sure we provide accommodations. Jillian discusses how this can make or break a relationship and makes the information accessible. Differentiating is beneficial for everyone, but it’s a lifeline for some.

Supporting Neurodivergent Teachers

Jillian and I talk about how the schools, like the rest of the education system, were created by certain people and for certain people. At its foundation, it is not meant to support teachers who are neurodivergent.

Everyone, including the neurodivergent community, needs to feel safe to take learning risks. When coaches work to build relationships with teachers it makes a big difference.

Jillian shares that her coach really tried to get to know her and make her coaching experience work best for her. She always treated her like a professional and that built trust.

During our conversation, Jillian gives us tips for how to support neurodivergent teachers. Many of these practices are the same as what teachers use with neurodivergent students in the classroom.

One of her tips is to streamline procedures. It’s best when teachers can co-create the procedures so that everyone’s needs can be met.

Another tip is offering flexibility around deadlines and offering gentle reminders. This can make neurodivergent teachers feel better supported by their coaches and administrators. Visuals of a timeframe and expectations around when emails or other memos need to be responded are helpful too.

Challenges During PLCs

Jillian shares that PD days present challenge after challenge. Many things that might seem completely irrelevant to others can make the day much harder to get through for her.

Professional development sessions disrupt daily activity. Routine is important because it helps the neurodivergent mind stay focused, present, and alert.

It also takes her out of the normal, happy sensory atmosphere of her classroom People with ADHD often struggle with sensory integration issues and their day can be thrown off by the lighting in the room or the texture of the chair.

Below are several common issues and some accommodations you can make to support your team during PLCs.

• For people with hyperactivity and ADHD, sitting and staying focused for long periods is difficult. Coaches can give teachers the option to stand or move around to help with this.
• Jillian says for people who have dyslexia, font choice in a presentation can make it or break it. Whether it’s a presentation or a reading passage, font types, size, and color matter.
• Create environments that consider the needs of people who are neurodivergent. Try to make the environment and content accessible for everyone.
• Get feedback from teachers about what would make their PD experience better. Her coach used a Google form to collect information from teachers about their preferences.

Everyone learns differently. It is important to come to teaching and coaching with that always at the forefront. As coaches, we need to make things accessible because everyone needs something different from us. If you want to hear all the details about how to support neurodivergent teachers, listen to the entire episode.

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!

Learn more
Instagram @ jillianstarrteaching

FB Group: Elementary Teaching with Jillian Starr

Instagram @ifpencilscouldtalk

Instagram @matthalperneducation

Instagram @teachingwithmxt

Helpful resources 
Instructional Coach Binder Megapack

Instructional Coaching Forms and Slide Show for the Coaching Cycle

Thank you for listening to Buzzing with Ms. B: the Coaching Podcast. Want more coaching ideas?

Check me out at buzzingwithmsb.com and on Instagram @buzzingwithmsb.

If you love the show, share it with a coach who would love it too, or leave me a review on iTunes! It’s free and it helps others find this show, too. Happy coaching!

Podcast produced by Fernie Ceniceros of Crowd & Town Creative

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Effective Communication with Lisa Westman, Ep. 84 Buzzing with Ms. B: The Coaching Podcast

Effective communication is one of the most important skills for instructional coaches. However, it’s not always easy to talk with teachers in a way that everyone understands each other.

Author, speaker, and consultant, Lisa Westman, joins me on this episode to discuss effective communication for instructional coaches. She shares ideas and strategies to help build bridges when communicating with teachers.

She and I talk about empathy and why it’s a crucial component of communication for instructional coaches. We talk about clarity and how to be compassionate but still set boundaries.

Empathy & Instruction

On this episode of The Coaching Podcast, Lisa and I talk about why coaches need to have empathy for their teachers. She also talks about why assuming positive intent and asking questions to clarify are so important when building relationships.

Coaches need to recognize that teachers have different points of view and experiences. When we are empathetic and understand their perspective, they are more likely to hear what we say to them.

Growing Effective Communication

During the episode, Lisa shares tips for effective communication with teachers and administrators. The first thing she suggests is always being genuine. Listen to what other people are saying and try to get to know them as a person. It’s not about getting your point across but rather genuinely wanting to learn about those you coach.

Even though things can feel personal at times, it usually isn’t. Teachers are human and sometimes get frustrated. If the coach can see that the teacher needs someone to listen and not judge them, we form true relationships. Instructional coaches need to talk about tough stuff but not when a teacher is in distress.

To communicate effectively, Lisa suggests resisting the temptation to make statements and instead suggests asking more questions. If we can understand what teachers need and why they need it, we will be better able to reach our goals.

Asking for help can be difficult for some teachers and administrators. Lisa discusses how we inadvertently perpetuate shame and magnify deficiencies in education. She explains that we get fixated on deficits in education instead of a focus on teachers’ strengths. Instructional coaches can help by supporting teachers and respecting their experience.

Being vulnerable is uncomfortable for a lot of teachers. As a coach, one thing you can do is let your guard down. When you let your guard down, other people let their guard down too. To create relationships that are sustaining, purposeful, and real you must put yourself out there first.

Lisa shares that being vulnerable is about letting people know your greatest insecurities. Coaches are considered the experts. We feel like we need to have the answers but inevitably teachers will ask you something you don’t know. It’s OK not to know something because we’re always growing and learning.

Constructive Feedback for Teachers

Not everyone loves getting feedback. For some people, it’s downright scary!

Lisa explains that feedback is only useful when it’s related to a goal. If you’re giving somebody feedback on something else, it’s unsolicited advice and that will be hard to take in.

No one likes being told what to do, especially if they didn't ask. It doesn't feel good, and we risk alienating those people or making them feel smothered. It’s better to give small bits over time.

Language and Clarity When Coaching

During the episode, Lisa reminds us that we don’t always have to use big terms or academic language with teachers. It can be confusing because we don’t always have a common meaning, or the person has a misconception about the term. It’s crucial to be very clear in what you're saying and clarity often comes from simplicity.

Another thing that can get in the way of clearly communicating is that teachers may be uncomfortable with your visits. It may put them on the defensive. Try your best to make teachers feel comfortable so they can be open and listen. Be aware of your non-verbal cues like how you’re sitting and eye contact.

How to Talk to a Resistant Teachers

Teaching isn’t all rainbows and sunshine. There are hard days or a string of bad days.

Recognizing and meeting people where they are at is more important than trying to change someone. Often, they aren’t ready to hear what you say and forced change doesn’t stick.

Coaches should listen to how teachers are talking about the situation and try to find where the resistance is for them. Lisa says that most people resist because they are either scared they can’t do something or they’ve been trying for years and their voice has not been heard.

She explains that if a teacher comes to a coach upset, the most effective thing to do is validate their feelings without probing any further. Have genuine conversations and build real relationships with those you coach. Let’s also celebrate teachers’ accomplishments more than we focus on their deficits

As coaches, we are not trying to change people. We are trying to ensure that they feel supported and safe. It’s important that we don’t hold things against them or push our agendas when they are vulnerable. We are there to support the team with the goal of growing our students.

The real magic happens in education when we build relationships and make an effort to communicate effectively. If you want to hear all Lisa’s tips, be sure to listen to the entire episode.

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!

This post contains links to products from one or more of our advertisers. This means I may receive commissions for purchases made through links in this post when you click on links to those products.

Learn more

Ep 32 Communication for Instructional Coaches with Melanie Matthews

Twitter @lisa_westman

Helpful resources

Instructional Coach Binder Megapack

Instructional Coaching Forms and Slide Show for the Coaching Cycle

Book: Tell Me So I Can Hear You on Amazon

Book: Student-Driven Differentiation on Amazon

Thank you for listening to Buzzing with Ms. B: the Coaching Podcast. Want more coaching ideas?

Check me out at buzzingwithmsb.com and on Instagram @buzzingwithmsb.

If you love the show, share it with a coach who would love it too, or leave me a review on iTunes! It’s free and it helps others find this show, too. Happy coaching!

Podcast produced by Fernie Ceniceros of Crowd & Town Creative

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