Coaching Notebooks during Modeling

Did you gift your teachers a coaching notebook at the start of the year? An impactful time for a teacher to use the notebook is when you’re modeling a lesson. Modeling can sharpen teachers’ attention to student learning and broaden their instructional repertoire.
 
Taking note. Before the lesson, meet with the teacher and talk with her about what she’s interested in noticing. If you haven’t co-planned the lesson, give her a lesson plan and time to look over it. What will she want to pay attention to during the lesson?
 
A simple T-chart in the coaching notebook, with steps of the lesson listed on the left (before the entering the classroom), and observations (what is seen and heard) added on the right during the lesson can be an effective structure to keep notes organized. Some teachers like to use 2-column notes when observing: What the teacher says/does in one column and what the students say/do in another. Others just write as fast as they can, trying to get exact words and notice actions. You might share with the teacher how you take notes during an observation.
 
The note-taking structure could be tied to a pre-determined focus for observation: A blank sheet of paper could be sufficient for jotting down higher-level questions; two column notes could capture students’ behaviors and teachers’ responses; a class roster could be used to check off participation. Having a note-taking method decided in advance makes observations more effective. The details matter, and careful notes will provide evidence for productive reflection and follow-up conversations.
 
Taking a non-evaluative stance. A note of caution: Modeling that could be a springboard for change can validate or even justify a teacher’s current practice if the teacher takes an evaluative stance. The best learning happens when observers write down what they see and hear during an observation, devoid of evaluative statements. When you meet with the teacher beforehand to review what she’ll see, encourage this kind of note-taking.
 
After an observation, one teacher said, “I noticed that you had smooth transitions.”  Although she used the language of noticing, this was, in reality, an evaluative statement that did little to enhance her understanding. So I pushed a bit. “What was it that made the transitions smooth?” After a thoughtful pause while she reviewed her notes, she said, “I noticed that you used student comments to transition from one part of the activity to another.” Now there was an observation she could grow from!
 
Comments like these are possible because of careful notetaking. Encourage the teacher to lean in to listen and capture what she sees and hears. Remind her to frequently shift her focus – between teachers and students and among different students. These careful notes will offer opportunities for an impactful debrief.
 
Watch for next week’s post, where we’ll consider ideas for using these noticings in follow-up conversations. (See previous posts about using coaching notebooks to reflect on teaching, record celebrations, consider challenges, plan next steps, and jot down resources.)
 
This week, you might want to take a look at:

I often use the book, I Have a Little Problem to remind coaches to listen before recommending.  I love the suggestions here for using the book to remind students to listen:
 
http://csefel.vanderbilt.edu/booknook/bn_problem.pdf
 
 
Cheerleading each other to build classroom culture:
 
https://www.teachingchannel.com/free-videos
 
 
Relevant classroom libraries:
 
https://choiceliteracy.com/article/adding-energy-to-the-classroom-library/
 
 
Ideas for holding Mock Newberry Awards:
 
http://www.alsc.ala.org/blog/2016/08/hosting-mock-newbery-book-club/
 
 
Play is important – and mixing up the kinds of play kids do is important, too:
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-4kgJSypoCI
 
That’s it for this week. Happy Coaching!
 
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! You can use the code: SEPT2024 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!
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Follow on Instagram @Vicki_Collet_Educator, on Facebook at: facebook.com/mycoachescouch and Twitter @vscollet for more coaching and teaching tips!  You can also find me at VickiCollet.com.
 

Coaching: Who’s the Focus?

The ultimate goal of instructional coaching is to improve student learning. Coaching literature often suggests that there are two approaches to achieving this goal: teacher-centered coaching or student-centered coaching. However, such dichotomous, this-or-that thinking is problematic. Coaching is not a “would you rather” game; we don’t have to choose between a focus on the students and a focus on the teacher. We can, and should, have both.
 
In Russian, there’s a single word, obuchenie, that describes the teaching/learning process, emphasizing the collective and collaborative efforts of teachers and learners together. If we had such a word in the English language, maybe we wouldn’t have gotten to a place where coaching processes are presented in a dichotomous, “focus on the teacher” or “focus on the students” fashion. We need to focus on both. It doesn’t have to feel like an “about face” when including both emphases. Rather, the perspectives of teacher and students, and the interactions among them, should be woven through our coaching work.
 
When we look at student work, what does it say about the teaching? If we model an instructional practice, how do students take it up? These coaching moves intertwine teacher and learner, teaching and learning. The three strands of coach, teach, and student weave a strong fabric that moves the work forward.
 
When I say, “Let’s watch…” or “Let’s listen,” I’m constructing a relational triangle that includes me as coach, the teacher, and the students who are our focus. When I offer a resource or an instructional strategy as we design a lesson together, all three are included. We partner with teachers in their role. Coaching is more than an ILP or PLC meeting. It is relational work, and each person in this relational triangle matters.
 
There’s some truth to the statement, “If mama ain’t happy, nobody’s happy”* and it’s mirrored application to the teacher in the classroom. But the overarching goal of instructional coaches is not to improve the teacher’s wellness. Instructional coaches should have some understanding of human interactions. We should listen with empathy, but we are not therapists. Every coaching conversation should have a through-line to student learning.
 
Please pardon my soapbox stance, but to achieve the coaching goal of improving student learning, we can (and must) avoid dichotomous thinking and working. Coaching is most effective when we consider both students and teachers while also attending to the relational interactions between teacher and coach.
 
 
*In addition to being a t-shirt slogan, “If Mama Ain’t Happy, Nobody’s Happy” is the title of a 2014 documentary by Mea Dois-de Jong that received critical acclaim.
 
This week, you might want to take a look at:

Getting to know your multilingual learners:
 
https://choiceliteracy.com/article/getting-to-know-english-language-learners-at-the-start-of-the-year/
 
 
Connecting classics to students’ lives:
 
https://www.middleweb.com/50673/relating-classic-texts-to-kids-lives-today/
 
 
Pinterest board with classroom storage ideas:
 
https://www.pinterest.com/choiceliteracy/classroom-storage-ideas/
 
 
Moving to an “all in” coaching model:
 
https://dianesweeney.com/moving-from-an-opt-in-to-all-in-coaching-model/
 
 
A good description of the “Stop & Think” comprehension strategy:
 
https://www.edutopia.org/article/promoting-active-reading-skills
 
That’s it for this week. Happy Coaching!
 
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! You can use the code: SEPT2024 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!
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Want to know about new posts? Click “Follow” (bottom right)
Follow on Instagram @Vicki_Collet_Educator, on Facebook at: facebook.com/mycoachescouch and Twitter @vscollet for more coaching and teaching tips!  You can also find me at VickiCollet.com.

Creating Clarity with Coaching Notebooks

Previous posts have talked about gifting a coaching notebook to teachers and using notebooks to reflect on what works. This week, let’s think about ideas to keep the notebooking practice going.
 
When you meet for a coaching conversation, you can set the stage by commenting on the notebook: “I’m glad you’ve got your coaching notebook. I’ve got mine, too. While we talk today, I’m going to use my notebook to capture our key ideas and next steps; that might work for you, too.” A comment like this is an invitation, and when the teacher notices you jotting something down, it can cue her to do the same, taking agency for her own learning.
 
Writing is a tool for thinking and remembering. The act of writing down ideas will make them more available for recall, even without looking back at the notebook. Etching words on paper etches them in the mind, too. I loved it during a recent coaching conversation when Emma asked, “Pause for just a second while I jot that down.”
 
Ideas might include next steps that the teacher wants to take toward her coaching goal. When I was working with Sarah, a first grade teacher, on her goal of improving student discussion, the next step she chose to write in her notebook was to plan questions for read alouds in advance, write them on sticky notes, and put them in the book right where she’d ask them. The notebook gave her a reference during our next conversation, when we talked about progress.
 
A coaching notebook can be a good place to jot down resources that are mentioned. In our conversation about classroom discussion, I reminded Sarah of the depth-of-knowledge question chart we’d gotten at a recent PD session, and she made a note to pull that up as she planned questions.
 
I love having a celebrations page in my notebook. I usually put this at the very back and work forward – that makes it easy to find when I need a pick-me-up or when a teacher does. Reflecting on successes makes them more likely to be repeated. And noting small celebrations tracks progress toward big goals.
 
The coaching notebook is great for a quick write. Pose a question and take a minute or two where you both write a response. Writing in response to questions like, “How have you worked through this kind of situation in the past?” or “What might be going on here?” takes the thinking deeper. (For a printable poster, ‘A Dozen Coaching Questions,’ click here.)  Responding in writing to questions can guide planning, focus attention, and build the teacher’s capacity as a reflective practitioner.
 
Writing encourages remembering that supports future decision making. As teachers think about their own experiences, they refine instructional plans. Writing gives the teacher the opportunity to gain her own insights through sustained reflection. A writing notebook can empower teachers’ practice. As they clarify their thinking through writing, teachers recognize the agency they have to exercise their own expertise.
 
This week, you might want to take a look at:

3 elements of a safe learning environment in high school:
 
https://choiceliteracy.com/article/keeping-unity/  
 
 
A guide for faculty meetings that couldn’t have been an email:
 
https://www.edweek.org/leadership/opinion-a-guide-for-faculty-meetings-that-couldnt-have-been-an-email/2024/08
 
 
Supporting teachers through mentoring and coaching:
 
https://www.teachingchannel.com/k12-hub/blog/coaching-and-mentoring-networks-for-teacher-support/
 
 
Making a classroom library special:
 
https://choiceliteracy.com/article/when-a-library-whispers/
 
 
Video advice to share with first-year teachers:
 
https://www.edweek.org/teaching-learning/video-second-year-teachers-share-some-advice-for-rookies-1/2017/09
 
That’s it for this week. Happy Coaching!
 
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! You can use the code: SEP2024 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!
---------------------------------
Was this helpful?  Please share!
Want to know about new posts? Click “Follow” (bottom right)
Follow on Instagram @Vicki_Collet_Educator, on Facebook at: facebook.com/mycoachescouch and Twitter @vscollet for more coaching and teaching tips!  You can also find me at VickiCollet.com.
 

Patience: A Mindset for Coaching

“Patience is a virtue” – we’ve heard that often enough, but why is it an important mindset for coaching?
 
The value of patience came to mind this week when I observed a teacher’s class for the first time. Although I’d known Karen for over a year, this was my first real interaction with her in a coaching role. I’d been told by her coach from last year that it was hard to get in to observe – that something always seemed to come up at the last minute, and that the coach didn’t feel like she’d really gotten anywhere with Karen.
 
Knowing how important trust is, I was intentional about these first steps: I emailed saying that it would be helpful for me to get to know her students and her context better. Could I come and observe part of a class? I gave a specific date that I was going to be in the building and asked if there was a time that day that would work. She initially responded with a quick, “Sure!”  - but she followed up with an email about times that she would rather I didn’t come; she said those two were rather rowdy classes. Even though I thought to myself that those classes might be where I could be the most help, I responded with a different time that I could stop by. Patience.
 
I assured Karen that I didn’t want to interrupt her teaching. She could give any intro to her students that she felt was needed – or not. I said I’d try to slip quietly in and have a seat after class was underway.
 
As I thought about the observation, I determined that I wouldn’t stay too long. I thought 20 minutes was about how long she could endure my presence without getting too stressed out. I wouldn’t stay any longer than that, and maybe shorter. I’d just observe long enough to get something positive that I could write on a sticky note and leave on her desk. Although it would have been convenient to stay and have a post-observation conversation with her, because I was already there and her prep-period was shortly after the time I planned to observe, I decided against it. I didn’t want to introduce any opportunity for her to be intimidated. All positives. Patience.
 
When I arrived, I found that the class Karen had preferred I observe was very small, and some of the students had been pulled for special services. Well, it should likely be easy to find something for my sticky note! It didn’t take long before I knew what I could share, but I decided to stay a bit longer. By the 20-minute mark, I had written 4 positives on the sticky note, which I left behind.
 
Later that day, I emailed to thank Karen for letting me observe. I told her I had been so intrigued by the short story they were discussing, I went home and Googled it, found a copy, and cried while I read it. I asked about her students’ emotional response. I didn’t recommend that she ask questions to help students connect the story to their personal experiences. I didn’t  even ask why the lesson was so focused on filling in the workbook pages, or what the principal’s expectations were regarding her use of that resource. Patience.
 
There will be times for me to stay longer, times for careful note-taking during observations, times for debriefs, and times for recommendations and questions. But this week was the time for patience. The longer I’ve coached, the more I’ve recognized the value of a soft touch and a welcoming tone; the more I’ve realized that I gain more trust by waiting than by impressive intelligence or assertive authority.
 
When I enter Karen’s class the next time, I’ll still close the door quietly and make sure to tread lightly across her room before I slide into a seat. I’ll stay a bit longer and pull out a small notebook instead of just a sticky note. I’ll make sure we can have a brief chat afterward and ask her about a successful moment that stood out from the lesson. As trust is built, I’ll slowly accelerate toward the productive conversations I hope will be commonplace throughout the year.
 
This week, you might want to take a look at:

This video about creating a comfortable classroom environment:
 
https://www.teachingchannel.com/free-videos/
 
 
Picture books for start-of-school community-building:
 
https://choiceliteracy.com/article/what-i-am-reading-the-first-week-of-school/
 
 
Bringing empathy to coaching:
 
https://www.schoolstatus.com/blog/bringing-empathy-to-coaching
 
 
“Naughty” behaviors that are developmentally appropriate:
 
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/joyful-parenting/201705/not-naughty-10-ways-kids-appear-be-acting-bad-arent
 
 
Short writing assignments to help students become better thinkers (in all disciplines):
 
https://www.edutopia.org/article/power-short-writing-assignments
 
That’s it for this week. Happy Coaching!
 
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! You can use the code: SEP2024 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!
---------------------------------
Was this helpful?  Please share!
Want to know about new posts? Click “Follow” (bottom right)
Follow on Instagram @Vicki_Collet_Educator, on Facebook at: facebook.com/mycoachescouch and Twitter @vscollet for more coaching and teaching tips!  You can also find me at VickiCollet.com.