Digging into Details during Post-Modeling Coaching Conversations

Modeling is the most-supportive coaching move in the GIR Model, one that creates opportunities for reflection and growth. The 3-part process of effective modeling includes;
1) A pre-observation discussion to set the stage and determine a focus;
2) The coach teaching a lesson while the teacher observes and takes notes related to that focus; and
3) A post-modeling conversation.
 
Let’s dig into the details of that post-modeling conversation.
 
What happens after an observed lesson is critical for making modeling worthwhile. In post-modeling conversations, staying focused on a single dimension of instruction will increase the impact of your modeling. The focus that was determined in a conversation with the teacher before the lesson should be the primary topic. Modeling that is preceded and followed by conversations that draw attention to a specific aspect of instruction make this coaching move more effective. Both teacher and coach should avoid tempting tangents.
 
As a coach, your job is to keep the conversation specific. if the teacher makes comments that are vague, ask a probing question like, “What makes you say so?” Instead of saying, “I liked how twelve students asked questions,” encourage the sharing of judgement-free data, such as, “I counted twelve students who asked questions.” Non-judgmental data that is grounded in what was seen and heard will lead to rich discussions.
 
Encourage teachers to give specifics about what they saw and heard. Offering the sentence frame, “I noticed that when you _______, students ________” can support specific statements that lead to cause-and-effect thinking and generalizable best practices. Making links between instruction and student learning can lead to ongoing improvement.
 
As a coach, you can maintain a clear focus when you respond to teachers’ comments by making connections to the learning target they identified as the focus for their observation. For example, if the teacher selected higher-order thinking questions as their focus, keep this topic central to the conversation, perhaps labeling a question you asked as evaluation or analysis.
 
Coaches can encourage teachers to observe closely and look for patterns, noticing and naming what they see. This practice invites teachers to make sense of what they saw during the observation.
 
As the teachers you are supporting use language that is focused, name what they see, and recognizes patterns, their learning will be sharpened and they’ll gain insights they can put into practice. 
 
This week, you might want to take a look at:

Coaching veteran teachers with respect:
 
https://www.edutopia.org/article/coaching-veteran-teacher
 
 
Teaching students to be skeptical but not dismissive of media:
 
http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/nov17/vol75/num03/The-Real-Problem-with-Fake-News.aspx
 
 
Graphic novels are real reading:
 
https://choiceliteracy.com/article/a-case-for-graphic-novels-as-real-reading/
 
 
Teaching Writers Craft with micro-mentor texts:
 
https://www.edutopia.org/article/micro-mentor-texts-to-teach-writing/
 
 
An administrator’s view on why coaches are important:
 
https://dennissparks.wordpress.com/2018/09/19/using-instructional-coaches-effectively/
 
 
That’s it for this week. Happy Coaching!
 
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