Coaching Plan

One of the drawbacks to trying to complete this course over the summer is that I am relatively on my own. While I could send emails to my coworkers who are off resting during their break, I prefer to not bother them. So there are a few things I could not do to make this plan more robust, but school starts in two weeks, and at that time I can make the necessary changes that need to be made.

Throughout the summer I had been writing down my ideas for the upcoming year. So when we got to this point, I had something I could fall back on (see Jim Collins Good to Great). But it didn't come to me at first and I had to play with a few ideas before I had my plan. The first plan I made didn't have a school-wide goal. Which could be OK because I will be able to go to school tomorrow and talk to someone, but the group I chose to use was not very solid. That's when I thought back and decided to use the Elementary Team.

I am excited to get this plan underway for a few reasons. It ...

• is aligned with school's goal
• gets teachers talking with each other about tech integration
• creates transparency among teachers. Transparency leads to more ideas.

Again, this is not a final plan, but a direction I want to take.

Coaching Plan -- Pre-Scenario

This module is based on a sample scenario.


What is Mr. Park's most important coaching role?
In this scenario, the school is new to coaching (as well as the Mr. Park) and with most teachers, I think it would be best to ease into the role. Using this as a guide, I think the two scenarios Mr. Park should take are:

Classroom Supporter
Mentor

Bust since this is supposed to be a single role, I'll go with Classroom Supporter. I think both roles are important, but of the two, I think coaches should be in classrooms as much as possible, hence, classroom supporter.


Whom should Mr. Park coach?
In this scenario, there are two groups of teachers interested in working with the coach: Group 1 is not experienced, Group 2 is a little more experienced.

This is a hard call to make, but since the coaching program is new, I think the choice would be to work with the more experienced and confident group first. That way, this group could get up and running and be used as a support group for others.

The danger in supporting the less confident group first is that less experienced individuals usually take longer to grasp concepts, which takes valuable time. While it is not the goal to speed through coaching cycles, and it is important to take time with those who need it, I think it is important for the coach to use time wisely.

That's what I thought before I reread each scenario. The school's academic focus is writing across the curriculum. Since the first group is interested in writing, that's where Mr. Park should start. In addition, the two groups don't seem as far apart as they did when I first read the scenarios.

What could Mr. Park do to align his coaching work with the school's focus on writing across the curriculum?
For one, he could work with the first group of teachers who specifically said they want to integrate writing. He could then use those examples to show other staff in the school what they did. I would share the results whether they were successful or not; teachers could learn from both the exemplars and learn what not to do with the examples of failure. 

Mr. Park could also offer workshops and/or roundtable and/or create a book club that talks about how to integrate writing into the curriculum. These could be safe places for teachers to suggest ideas and take a more leadership role. 

I think Mr. Park should also work with the administration to figure out the best strategies to repeat the message of the goal the school is striving toward. This can be in meetings, placing posters strategically around the school, and could include the goal in the teacher evaluation -- anything to keep the message alive and in teachers' minds.


What resources could the school contribute to the coaching teams?
This is an interesting question. I suppose this is to get coaches/potential coaches thinking about what resources they potentially need to ask their administration for -- before starting an initiative.

In this scenario, the administration could supply resources such as books on writing, additional professional development related to writing, and most importantly, could think of ways to make time for teachers to collaborate and work together.

I am left pondering the following questions for my own situation ...
Who will you coach?How will coaching align with your school's academic goals?What kinds of support will your school or district provide?

Creating Norms

What roles will you take when coaching? 

What roles and responsibilities will the peers you collaborate with assume?

Review the list of example norms below.  

Norms

Creating norms for a group, even groups as small as two participants, establishes a set of ground rules to help teams work together more efficiently. When establishing norms, consider the following key categories:

• Time
• Decision making
• Listening
• Participation
• Confidentiality
• Expectations - (Delehant and von Frank, 2007)

Sample Norms

Begin and end on time Stay on agenda Reach decisions by consensus Listen respectfully Observe basic conversational courtesies Listen attentively Attend all meetings Discuss issues, not people Honor confidentiality

Silence all cell phones Respect questions Monitor your own airtime Do assignments prior to meetings Hold yourself personally accountable Respect the group Attend to goals and objectives Limit distractions Probe ideas, do not criticize people Show respect for views of others Avoid side conversations Assume positive intentions

1. As you review them address this question: How would adopting this norm help us work most effectively as a team?

Time - Keeping meetings tight (starting and finishing on a set time) is important because teachers are limited in the time they have. There is so much to do with grading, preparing, and duties that teachers will not willingly attend another meeting that wastes their time.


Decision making - Small group meetings could rotate the facilitator responsibility to a different member each session. Coaching meetings could be run by the teacher, with the coach mostly following. This could give everyone a chance at leading a meeting, allowing for all to feel more involved.

Listening - Listening well to the person who is speaking, makes him/her feel important. Listening is a sign of respect to all members of the meeting they are respected. Along those lines, listening attentively also signals you are able to learn from your colleagues.


Participation - "Showing up is 80 percent of life."Everyone's voice and opinions are important. You never know where the next bit of inspiration will come from. This builds on the last norm, but if you have a culture of listening and showing respect to others, people will be more willing to participate. It is important to get everyone participating so all feel equally involved.

Confidentiality - Secrets, mistakes, and private thoughts and opinions are just a few of the things we entrust our colleagues to keep to themselves. Someone who can keep your secrets safe will most likely be someone you can trust.

1. Decide on the five or six norms that will guide the behavior of your Peer Coaching community.

I was imagining a 1-1 coaching situation, as was the majority of my experience from last year. Of the options above, the following four were most likely to apply.

1. Begin and end on time 
2. Stay on agenda
3. Listen attentively
4. Respect questions
5. Accept ownership for your own learning

1. If you have not already included it you may want to add this norm: "Accept ownership for your own learning." The goal of this norm is to encourage all participants take responsibility for their learning. It helps each participant in the team to develop their capacity to improve teaching and learning.
   
   
   
   
   

Building Trust: A Scenario

Scenario:

Ms. Kim works with a fourth grade team at her school. She always leaves her door open to encourage her colleagues to feel free to come in, and if she is busy she acknowledges their presence and arranges to meet them as soon as possible. She sends the team regular emails with Internet resources she feels they may be able to use and then encourages them to have candid conversations about what kinds of skills and support they may need to use these resources in their classrooms. She visits their classrooms often to model lessons, co-teach or just observe. The teachers feel comfortable with Ms. Kim because they know she has knowledge to share and will not be judgmental about their abilities.

I have always tried to put myself into the shoes of my colleagues and think what I would want if I were in their shoes. The above graphic shows what I basically try to do.

1. Don't Make Extra Work For People
The first thing that stood out to me in the above paragraph was this line: She sends the team regular emails with Internet resources she feels they may be able to use

This wouldn't be my style. Our inboxes are flooded as it is, and I have come to the conclusion over the last few years that having a central repository, that is easily searchable, is the way to go. This fictitious coach is curating content for her staff but is leaving it up to them to clean their own inboxes and organize the resources.


2. Know what is going on
3. Build Trust
She visits their classrooms often to model lessons, co-teach or just observe. The teachers feel comfortable with Ms. Kim because they know she has knowledge to share and will not be judgmental about their abilities.

This final part of the scenario show what a good job this coach is doing. Getting teachers to feel comfortable working with you is the biggest part of the role -- it is relationship building.

Building a positive relationship, free of judgements, also builds trust. Teachers who feel they are being judged are less likely to try to branch out and push their own teaching farther; they are less likely to take risks. And that goes against what [technology] coaches are trying to accomplish.

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Questions to ponder --
Why is it critical for a coach to build trust? 

What can coaches do to build trust?

Reflect on Roles and Trust

Behaviors That Build Trust in the Workplace

• Acts consistently and responsibly
• Listens attentively to others' ideas
• Uses communication skills to promote open discussion
• Keeps promises and commitments
• Is open minded
• Advocates for others
• Communicates accurately, openly and honestly
• Treats others with respect
• Displays compassion for others
• Shows confidence in others' abilities
• Respects others' time
• Maintains a strong focus on teaching and learning
• Strives to be knowledgeable
• Is committed to personal success for self and others
• Listens to and values what others say
• Actively encourages others

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Really? I am supposed to choose those that would be critical for me to adopt? They are all important. Of the above behaviors, I chose the following five:

• Listens attentively to others' ideas
• Advocates for others
• Communicates accurately, openly and honestly
• Maintains a strong focus on teaching and learning
• Is committed to personal success for self and others

And after grouping them, and arranging them in order of importance ...

Maintains a strong focus on teaching and learning

Listens attentively to others' ideas
Communicates accurately, openly and honestly

Is committed to personal success for self and others
Advocates for others

I try to keep the focus of what I do on student learning and I believe that technology integrated well follows good teaching. 

The next level I have grouped two behaviors that deal with communication. I think I put these here because I believe that a good coach needs to be able to listen well. 

The last set of behaviors is about building trust with those I serve. After all, it is the teachers who make it happen.

Google Search Operators

Rethinking PD

When I did PYP training (Making the PYP Happen), I was fortunate to be able to do it all in a weekend. It was a whirlwind weekend, but it was over after two days plus some online time.

I was able to do my MYP training this past school year. It was not the best timing (Is it ever?) but I feel I learned a lot in that short time. My wife is in the middle of her MYP training, and it got me thinking about an effective online PD.

During the first two weeks of her training, the facilitator was online every day. The pace of the workshop was set. The facilitator gave about four assignments a week, which were then turned in and commented on. It was pretty intense, but it looked like a worthwhile effort.

Then suddenly the facilitator was not online for a few days. I said that it is probably just because it is summer and the facilitator is on vacation too. My words rang hollow. The precedent had already been set that the facilitator would be online daily and assignments would be checked regularly.


What might work better?
I have taken many online courses in the last 10 years. Not one of them has put students into small learning teams.

But who will oversee the work?
I would either get extra teacher assistants to help (online courses don't require as much capital to get them going) or monitor each group. Each group would then have readings, blog posts, comments, and projects to do with roles being rotated amongst the group members. In addition, I would create a set routine of when I would be online and when I would check work. That way students would be able to fall into a routine.


I know that facilitating an online course must be a challenge and I don't mean to come down on anyone. But, I do think that the way courses are structured are due for an update. These ideas are here for me incase I decide to use them in my own courses.

Roles and Trust in Coaching

What roles will you take when coaching? 

• Facilitator- Planning and leading meetings, activities, and staff development in one-on-one, small group, or large group situations.
• Collaborator- Working together with colleagues to plan, implement, and evaluate activities.
• Expert - Acting as a subject matter expert on a variety of topics.
• Catalyst - Helping teachers reflect on and improve their practice by using questions strategies and skills that assist colleagues to become effective instructional decision makers. 

What other roles might you take on as a coach?

Innovator -
Very quickly I found myself helping to create a coaching plan and an idea for peer mentoring, as well as helping teachers integrate new tools into their lessons. Many of these happen on a school-wide scale that includes PD. The coach connects teachers in the building to new ideas.


Sounding Board -
Teachers often came to me with ideas they had. Many times it was just to talk and flesh out their plans -- not all of which came to fruition right away, and many needed more time. There were some good ideas that couldn't happen last year, but will form a starting point for this year.

Sometimes teachers would talk to me about personal issues when there was seemingly no one else around. I think that shows how important it is for coaches to be non-judgemental. That stance builds trust.


Caffeine -
I don't really know what to call this on, but I found the coaching role help teachers feel more comfortable to try to implement tech on their own -- even when I was not in the room with them. Teachers seemed more confident having someone in the school who they knew they could count on. This is only referring to technology, and I need to say that we have an awesome technology department. Knowing that someone would be available probably helped give teachers the confidence to try to push their own practice [possibly. this is speculation].

Why is trust-building important in coaching?

• Why is trust critical to coaches?

Most teachers won't move out of their comfort zone and try new ideas if they feel they are being judged. Innovation / moving forward happens in a safe, non-judgemental environment. Coaches play an especially important role in that they work with teachers to create new lessons. Working with someone who is non-judgemental allows you to free your inhibitions and have the confidence to work with the unknown.

• What can coaches do to engender trust? 

As I thought about this answer, I kept coming back to the safety of information. Coaches can engender trust by demonstrating to teachers that the information shared with them will not be shared with others. Once teachers know [negative] information will not be spread by a coach, it is easier to trust and work with them.

Coaching Roles and Responsibilities-4 Part D: Examine Coaching Roles

First Example
ROLES COACH ADOPTED

• Co-planning technology-rich, active, engaging learning activities with collaborating teachers.
• Helping teachers adapt and adopt innovative examples of standards-based, technology-rich projects that are relevant to participating teachers.
  

STAGES OF THE COACHING CYCLE USED

• Prepare
• Reflect (students assess, but by whom?)

IMPACT ON STUDENT LEARNING

reactions:

• Tom said, “Pat has helped me move into 21st Century Teaching!”
• Students learned about multiple authors instead of one.
• After the project, Pat surveyed students and they responded that they were more engaged in their learning during this task than previous assignments.

stated objectives:

Reading

3b. Organize information from resource materials and communicate findings effectively

Writing

1. The student writes clearly and effectively.
1.1 Develop concept and design
c. Focuses text clearly to hold reader’s attention to make a point, tell a story, or describe a process or phenomenon

National Educational Technology Standards for Students

4b. Students use a variety of media and formats to communicate information and ideas effectively to multiple audiences. 

student learning:

For the most part, this project was focused on effective communication through organizing, writing, and orally presenting. 

I found it difficult to evaluate a lesson based on a text account. Up to now, my own reflections look much like the one provided, so I want to incorporate more video and student samples in the lesson examples I make next year. 

Define Coaching Roles and Responsibilities

Image via The ISTE Coaching Academy

Review the possible roles and responsibilities and think about which would make the most sense for you to adopt.

ROLES

• Providing just-in-time, just enough advice or training on teaching strategies, or integrating technology.
• Co-planning technology-rich, active, engaging learning activities with collaborating teachers.
• Helping teachers adapt and adopt innovative examples of standards-based, technology-rich projects that are relevant to participating teachers.
• Modeling or team teaching and reflection
• Observing teachers and encouraging reflection on learning activities

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Working with fellow teachers and administrators to determine the most appropriate use of coaching resources.
• Aligning coaching with the existing school professional development initiatives.
• Coaching one or more teachers consistently over an entire school year.
• Tracking coaching work using appropriate tools, for example, a log or record of collaboration; and providing coaching program updates as appropriate to peers in the coaching program and to school staff.
• Engaging administration to support the coaching program as a multi-year investment in teaching and learning improvement.

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Which of the above roles and responsibilities would make sense in my situation? I think they could all work. 

For the roles, I am currently doing all of them [until now on a limited scale with certain teachers] but I really need to emphasize reflection next school year. Those reflections will allow teachers to show other teachers what works as well as what doesn't work.

Responsibilities too is an area that I am almost doing all of -- if even on a small scale during the first year. Looking at the responsibilities, the weakest of them has been the communication with administration. This school year, that will be a focus.

As a side note, this year I will put more of an emphasis on collecting data about the coaching program.

What roles and responsibilities do peer coaches assume?

Part A: Coach Attributes 

The characteristics or qualities a coach brings to the job are critical to a coach’s success and will shape the roles a coach plays.

1. Jot down your ideas on the qualities that would be desirable for a coach to possess.  You may also want to ask a peer to define a few desirable coach qualities.

• positive / approachable
• You will not ask someone for help whom you don't like or trust (I suppose trustworthy should be another characteristic), so a good coach should be approachable. When I think of the people I approach for advice, one commonality they all have is that they are positive people and creative problem solvers. (I suppose I could have added curious, or problem solver to this list as well).

• risk taker - willing to try new ideas
• A coach will encounter a wide range of lesson ideas -- not all will be in one's comfort zone. Teachers want to work with someone who is willing to try their ideas as well as give them ideas.

• knowledgeable of tools as well as pedagogy
• A coach will be up to date on the best tools for the job, and be aware of new tools that could be used. More than the technology, however, student learning should take precedent. A good coach will know this and always place student learning at the forefront.

• patient
• Another characteristic of a coach is patience. A coach understands that plans do not always turn out as expected. Coaches should be able to adjust as needed.
• The skills and experience integrating technology can vary greatly between teachers. Coaches require patience with those who need it.

• proactive
• Coaches seek out ways to help others by making observations and offering suggestions. Often this will be without being asked. This can be in the form of looking at the curriculum map and gathering resources and ideas ahead of time.

• good listener
• Coaches are good listeners. 

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1. Review the qualities teachers who collaborated with coaches say strong coaches should possess.  Teachers say a successful peer coach:

• Is able to build trust with peers.
• Builds on what a teacher needs.
• Is a team player.
• Communicates well and listens to teachers.
• Knows what teachers are doing in their classrooms.
• Can show teachers how to replace what they are doing with something better, not just present technology as an add-on.
• Is highly organized and plans well in advance with teachers.
• Provides a safe, risk-taking environment and is non-threatening, non-judgmental, and accepting.
• Is flexible.
• Has enough depth and breadth of knowledge to help teachers who are at various stages of technology integration, including knowledge of appropriate instructional strategies.
• Knows how to organize and structure a technology-rich classroom.
• Is recognized by staff as a strong/outstanding teacher.

1. After reviewing your list, and the ideas of coaches’ collaborating teachers identify one or two most important qualities of a strong coach.
1. Communicates well and listens to teachers
2. Knows what teachers are doing in their classrooms
2. Keep your list of attributes handy as you define your roles as a coach and develop your coaching plan.

Slide Animation for Computational Thinking

Computational Thinking (CT) is a problem solving process that includes a number of characteristics and dispositions. CT is essential to the development of computer applications, but it can also be used to support problem solving across all disciplines, including the humanities, math, and science. Students who learn CT across the curriculum can begin to see a relationship between academic subjects, as well as between life inside and outside of the classroom. 

From the Google Computational Thinking for Educators Course 

When I think of computational thinking, I lean towards this definition. Nowhere in this definition does it talk about coding. While I think coding is an important skill, it is not for everyone. However, being able to problem solve is a skill for everyone.

Last year I was teaching the third-grade different aspects of Google Slides. I brought them through many aspects of how to use Slides and finally got to animation.

Google Slides, and I am sure PowerPoint has this function as well, allows you to choose to animate on click, after previous, or with previous object. It is a good way to introduce or practice, if ... then ... thinking.

Animations within Slides can get very complex, but they can also be simple enough for any student to do. Animations in Google Slides is a practical way to integrate computational thinking into any subject.

Characteristics of Effective Professional Development

The following are this course's Characteristics of Effective PD:

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I had a few of these down in my own reflection, but I did not think of a few.

On the job or job-embedded

The GLT Center has a long definition in this report, but in summary (p. 2):

• grounded in day-to-day practice
• deals with authentic and immediate problems
• part of a continuous cycle
• aligned to standards and school goals

Looking through these, even the most influential PD I say I have had cannot be described as this. But a few I can think of have been adoptions of initiatives such as the PYP, MYP, Singapore Math, and different reading and writing programs. 

I think coaching also falls into this category.

Connected to classroom practice, pedagogy, and content

Most all of the PD I have taken has, thankfully, been directly related to what I am doing in the classroom. 

Shaped by data

This is something I do not know whether the PD I have taken (as well as the PD chosen for me).

Intensive, ongoing, and long-term

Again, the initiatives are those ongoing PDs I have experienced. By being long-term and embedded, or intensive, they were always on my mind while planning and teaching.

Connects peers with purpose, focuses on innovation

I think this is the most important of all the characteristics listed. In my experience, the connections with my peers has helped me think differently about what I do, and has helped me think more deeply about what I do. 

I originally started using Twitter professionally about 5 years ago based on a recommendation from a colleague. The colleague was transformational for me, but left the school soon after he arrived, but the connections I made on Twitter never leave (and now we are connected on Twitter).

Collaborative and structured to offer educators chances to learn from others

I have had limited exposure to this type of PD, but it increased with a change of schools. It is this type of PD that we began last year on a small scale using our tech ambassadors program. Twice a month we meet for 20 minutes, take turns sharing what we are doing in class, and give feedback to each other.

For further thought:

How can I better incorporate these characteristics into the PD we deliver at school?