Coaching Cycle

Coaches employ a range of coaching and development strategies and techniques to develop, broaden, and refine teachers knowledge, skills and mindsets to maximize our teachers impact on student outcomes. Coaches enable teachers to develop the habits essential to continuously increasing their own effectiveness, so as to lead their students to make the significant academic progress and personal growth necessary to succeed. The coaching cycle has two primary purposes: To increase student achievement through targeted support and problem-solving To build teachers independent ability to reflect on their own practice through problem-solving In addition to accomplishing these two primary purposes, the coaching cycle supports teachers in maximizing the experiential learning opportunities afforded by our TEM Teaching and Learning Framework: By reflecting on evidence coaches use data and evidence on student outcomes and student actions that correlate to teachers actions and teachers underlying knowledge, skills and mindsets. By recognizing successes teachers benefit from recognizing their own successes, and having others recognize them as well in order to gain confidence as well as understand and build upon their areas of strength. By identifying and following-up on solutions/next steps teachers and coaches execute strategic, specific next steps that will contribute to teachers increased effectiveness and hence to their students achievement.

The coaching cycle is comprised of three phases of work: Analyze. In the analysis phase, coaches use multiple points of evidence to identify potential professional development priorities for a particular teacher. This typically involves studying a teachers lesson plans, analyzing student work and student data, and conducting a classroom observation. At the PLC level, this requires coaches to draw upon their work with individual teachers to identify trends across campus. Align. There are two components of alignment that are critically important: Alignment between people. Alignment at all levelsbetween teachers and coaches, among coaches and between a coach and manageris critically important. Typically, coaches align directly with teachers via debrief conversations in which coaches illuminate professional development priorities, invest teachers in their professional development priorities and action steps, and build teachers independent ability to reflect on their practice. At the PLC and Regional-level, coaches align with other school leaders to determine school- and Region-wide needs. Alignment of outcomes, causes and solutions. During debrief conversations, both teachers and coaches work to draw out the connections between student outcomes and student actions, between student actions and teacher actions, and between teacher actions and the teachers underlying knowledge, skills and mindsets. Additionally, coaches work to ensure that the next steps will truly increase a teachers proficiency in their prioritized areas of growth. Through this process of identifying outcomes, causes and solutions, coaches ensure that they are maximizing student achievement in the most efficient and effective manner possible. Act. Coaches work with teachers to determine the most appropriate professional development activities (solutions) to most efficiently close gaps in their practice or to build upon existing strengths. To this end, coaches use a variety of coaching strategies: Real-Time coaching: providing concrete & specific feedback in the moment followed by observing teachers do it again until (ideally) a coach sees mastery of the skill (e.g. using ear bud technology) Modeling: building a teachers vision of what a particular instructional practice looks and sounds like when executed well. Video-recording and reflection: a coaching strategy designed to increase a teachers self-awareness and ability to analyze their own practice.

PLC Group learning experiences: a learning experience for a group of teachers who share a similar area of development. Lesson planning support: coaches often review their PLCs lesson plans and facilitate collaborative planning time to build teachers backwards-planning mindsets and skills. Teacher-led development: a development technique in which the teacher takes the lead in designing and facilitating with support from their coach. Peer-to-peer coaching: this strategy can take a variety of forms including strategic observations and coaching between colleagues, collaborative work and professional learning communities.

Coaches strive to develop teachers in the most efficient and effective manner and in a way most aligned to the teachers learning style and readiness. The following table outlines the overarching structure of the coaching cycle: Analyze To identify the most pressing gaps in the classroom to inform the focus areas for the coaching cycle Align To ensure teacher know their strengths and areas for growth, are invested in their development and capable of reflecting on their practice independently *Recognize progress *Facilitate problem-solving *Identify next steps Act To develop teachers in the most efficient and effective manner and in a way most aligned to the teachers learning style and readiness.

Purpose

*Determine coaching priorities *Build knowledge, skills and *Provide teachers with mindsets observation notes and data on their practice Frequency** *Approximately once every two *Approximately once every two *Approximately once every two weeks weeks weeks Length** *Roughly 30-45 minutes *Roughly 30-45 minutes *Roughly 60-90 minutes (depends on the strategies chosen) **Rather than focusing on the time recommendations, its best to allocate whatever amount of time is necessary to achieve the target outcomes. Coaches will likely extend or shorten these times based on the needs of the individual teacher.**

Target Outcomes