Why Modeling Works in Instructional Coaching

Modeling is a differentiated coaching activity, often focused on working with individual teachers to address their specific goals and needs. In addition to demonstrating potential practices, modeling creates opportunities to evaluate and talk about instruction in a non-threatening situation. Modeling provides content for teacher-coach conversations and can generate other coaching activities. Modeling can also build teachers’ confidence and efficacy. Since the end goal of coaching is to improve students’ learning, it’s important to note that research demonstrates coaches’ modeling can improve student achievement. When you stop and think about al these benefits, it’s easy to see why modeling is a popular coaching activity!

 
When coaches model in another teacher’s classroom, they make themselves vulnerable. They show that they are risk-takers, just like they hope the teachers they are working with will be. Vulnerability strengthens relationships. Risk-taking invites change. Another benefit of modeling, when it happens in the teacher’s own classroom, is that the teacher sees that the practices she observed (hopefully!) were worthwhile for her students. There is no gap to be overcome in translating the practices, and thoughts that “this wouldn’t work for my kids” are avoided.
 
Being an observer gives teachers a valuable new perspective. Observation supports inquiry and provides opportunities to further-develop teaching craft. When observing, teachers are freed from the ongoing, intensive brainwork of on-the-spot decision-making. As an observer, they don’t have to worry about what the student on the other side of the room is doing or get materials ready for what will come next in the lesson. They can give their energy to watching and listening. They get to decide what they will pay attention to and when.
 
When teachers are learning new instructional practices, they may request that a coach model these practices. For example, a teacher concerned about implementing close reading asked her coach to model. Modeling in the classroom allowed the teacher to see a close reading activity in action with her own students. This authentic situation illustrated the nuances of close reading, allowing the teacher the freedom to consider both teacher and student responses in a way that would have been difficult had she been doing the teaching.
 
As learners, teachers aren’t so different from the students they work with. Everyone benefits from a good model!
 
This week, you might want to take a look at:
This podcast episode on forming better habits:
 
https://simonsinek.com/podcast/episodes/atomic-habits-with-author-james-clear/
 
Transcripts as a coaching tool:
 
https://choiceliteracy.com/article/transcripts-to-study-practice/
 
 
Research skills for 1^st graders:
 
https://www.edutopia.org/article/teaching-research-skills-first-grade/
 
 
The knowing-doing gap as it applies to teacher change:
 
https://snacks.pepsmccrea.com/p/the-knowing-doing-gap
 
 
“Concept attainment” is a widely-applicable instructional strategy. Check out a description and example here:
 
https://www.middleweb.com/33825/why-i-love-this-strategy-to-introduce-concepts/
 
 
That’s it for this week – Happy Coaching!
 
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Want more coaching tips? Check out my book, Differentiated Mentoring & Coaching in Education: From Preservice Teacher to Expert Practitioner, available from Teachers College Press!  I’m so excited to share it with you! TODAY you can still use the code: FEB2024 for 20% off. Click  here  and I’ll email you the free Book Group Study Guide that includes questions, prompts, and activities you can use as you share the book with colleagues.  I hope you’ll love this book as much as I loved making it for you!