Transcript Mentoring-and-Coaching

Mentoring and Coaching:
Feedback for Better Teaching
PRESENTED BY SCHAUNA FINDLAY, PH.D.
Mentoring and Coaching:
Session Overview
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In this session we will address ways of providing feedback to
teachers through conferences, reflection journals, and walkthrough debriefs all with the goal of helping teachers improve
their practice in one or more domains. Samples of practice
will be examined and discussed.
Let’s begin with a definition
What
is
coaching?
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Coaching is:
 Individualized
 Job-embedded
 Timely
 Supportive
 Stimulating
 Challenging
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What is the Impact of
Coaching?
Research has identified many benefits of
for teachers. Some of them are
a
reduced sense of isolation,
an ability to implement new teaching
strategies effectively,
a positive school climate, and
a revitalized faculty
Characteristics of Effective
Coaching
Supportive of others
 Listens and responds with honesty while being
empathetic
 Provides feedback with specific rationale
 Maintains self-esteem
 Withholds judgment by presenting facts
 Requires strong communication skills
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Communication Skills for Coaching
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Questioning (5 deep)
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Silence (curious listening and wait time)
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Paraphrasing
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Summarizing
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Non judgmental/factual
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Positive non-verbal communication
What is Effective Questioning?
Asking the right question is at the heart of
effective communication. By using the right
questions, you can improve a range of
communications skills: for example, you can
collect more specific information, build
stronger relationships, support people more
effectively and lead others to become more
self-reflective.
Examples of Effective Questions
Tell me how you think the lesson went.
 Why do you think a (particular element) was effective?
 Explain to me what you were looking for in student work.
 Describe for me how you chose (a particular element) for this
lesson?
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Questioning 5 Deep
Choose a topic to coach
 It typically takes at least 5 questions on that same topic to
get to the REAL issues with that topic.
 You should prepare at least 5 questions, but you have to
LISTEN to the “coachee’s” responses. Their responses often
give you the next question.
 Just asking the questions you have prepared and not
listening INVALIDATES everything the person is saying. You
MUST listen!
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Curious Listener
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A curious listener listens with a purpose and with an inquisitive mind
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Why is curious listening important? It allows the coach to:
 Scaffold
 Provide
questions
feedback
 Paraphrase
 Summarize
 Read
the coachee’s responses
the discussion
body language
Tip: If you find it difficult to focus on what someone is saying, try repeating their words
mentally as they say them - this will reinforce their words in your memory and help you
control mind drift. You may also need to keep notes of the coachee’s responses.
Why would this be important?
Paraphrasing
Paraphrasing is restating what the other person said in an objective manner even when
emotions may be interfering. It can also provide the coach time to process the
teacher's response and develop the next question.
Sample phrases that can be used in the paraphrasing process:
 “You are saying…”
 “In other words…”
 “I gather that…”
 “If I understand what you are saying…”
 “You’re suggesting…”
 “So, you…”
 “Recapping…”
 “What I heard you say…”
Summarizing
Summarizing information ensures that both participants in the
conference are clear about what has been discussed and any
decisions that have been made. Like paraphrasing, it also provides
opportunities for the coach to provide academic feedback to the
coachee.
Examples of starter phrases that lead to a summarizing statement:
 “Some key ideas we have discussed are…”
 “If I understand you, you feel this way about [describe]…”
 “I think we agree on this. What we are saying is …”
 “In talking about this area, we have come up with three main ideas…”
Non-verbal communication
Nonverbal communication is facial expressions, such as, smiles,
gestures, eye contact, and even one’s posture.
 When
used in a positive manner it shows the person with whom
you are talking that you are indeed actively listening. It can
make the teacher comfortable and confident that their opinion
is valued.
 When used in a judgmental manner, it can make a teacher feel
uncomfortable and unwilling to share their opinions and
thoughts.
Components of non-verbal
communication
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Eye contact – Look directly at the individual and
maintain eye contact
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Body posture – Maintain body posture that signifies
openness to others’ ideas
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Physical distance – Position yourself next to the teacher
as opposed to across a table. This leaves you open to a
conversation as opposed to a more formal situation.
Application
Activity—Video Analysis
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We will watch portions of a pre- and post-conference that
occurred before and after classroom observations

The slide in your presentation contains questions for you to
reflect on and answer after you watch the video. You will
share with a partner.
Skills of Effective Coaching in
Pre-Conference
5th Grade Math Quadrilateral Pre-conference
Skills of Effective Questioning/Coaching in
Pre-Conference
Sample Pre-Conference Questions
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Tell me about this lesson.
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Where does this lesson fall within the unit?
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What do you expect the student to know and be able to do as a result of this lesson?
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How will you know if students have mastered the objective?
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What changes or adjustments will you need to make if students do not show evidence they
have mastered the objective/sub-objectives?
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How will you communicate your expectations?
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What procedures and routines do you have in place?
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Is there anything you would like for me to pay special attention to?
Sample Pre-Conference Questions
If students will be in groups…
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How do you decide on the instructional grouping?
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How do you hold each group accountable?
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How do hold individuals accountable?
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How do you assess the performance of each group?
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How do you assess the performance of individuals?
Strength/Improvement focus…
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Is there an indicator on the rubric you are especially working on?
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Is there anything in particular related to the rubric that you would like for me to watch for?
Sample Pre-Conference Questions
Conclusion…
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How can I support you in your goals for this lesson?
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Is there anything else that I need to know?
Reflection
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For 30 seconds reflect on what we have discussed during this session.
Turn to a partner and explain for two minutes each what aha’s and
questions you have regarding coaching and questioning.
What are the skills that you will need to continue to strengthen as a
mentor for your teachers. What actions will you need to take for this to
occur?
Partners should:
 listen for “golden nuggets” that can be shared with the entire group
 practice listening, asking follow-up/probing questions, and
paraphrasing
Skills of Effective Coaching in
Post-Conference
Skills of Effective Coaching Clip 3
Skills of Effective Coaching in PostConference
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How did the conference leader lead the teacher to self-reflect on the lesson?
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How did the conference leader support the teacher in identifying the area of
relative strength?
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How did the conference leader support the teacher in identifying the area for
growth?
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How did the conference leader justify the improvement area selected?
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How did the conference leader support the teacher in strengthening the area of
strength?
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What is your evidence that the teacher obtained new learning as a result of the
post-conference? Were the conference leader’s objectives for the teacher met?
Reflection
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For 30 seconds reflect on what we have discussed during this session.
Turn to a partner and explain for two minutes each what aha’s and
questions you have regarding coaching and questioning during the preand post-conference.
What are the skills that you will need to continue to strengthen as a
mentor/coach for your teachers. What actions will you need to take for
this to occur?
Partners should:
 listen for “golden nuggets” that can be shared with the entire group
 practice listening, asking follow-up/probing questions, and
paraphrasing
Stand Up, Hand
Up, Pair Up
HOW DO YOU OR CAN
YOU USE REFLECTION
JOURNALS AS A WAY TO
COACH TEACHERS?
IN WHAT WAYS DO YOU
USE WALK-THROUGH
DEBRIEFS TO COACH
TEACHERS?