Starting a Coaching Relationship With Teachers OSPI Workshop December 8, 2008

Guiding Principles of Content Coaching The long term goal: To develop teachers’ capacity to improve instruction and ultimately increase students’ learning. Content coaching focuses on guiding the teachers to examine: the student work, the mathematics, and the pedagogy related to mathematics

Fundamental Requirements for Successful Coaching A trusting, honest, respectful relationship between coach and teacher. Time for preparation and reflection Clearly defined roles, responsibilities and expectations Effective listening skills Strategic questions that promote thinking Data collection (teacher/student behavior) and thoughtful feedback

The key to successful coaching is to tie all ideas back to student work. There is power in examining student thinking, students ’ understandings and misconceptions. Asking teachers to articulate the mathematical concepts students ’ lack and develop strategies to address those needs is fundamental to teaching and learning.

Building Trust A safe, confidential space is built gradually Focus on student thinking and student products Trust is built from small “things” Hold coached teachers responsible Teachers and coaches are trustworthy  The belief that teachers are capable and resourceful  The coach is NOT an evaluator in terms of employment status.

The Ideal Coaching Situation Coach and teachers attend the SVMI Coaching Institute and the SVMI Professional Development Meetings More than one teacher at a school site and at a specific grade level Limited number of sites at which the coach is coaching Opportunity to be coached for two or more years Principal-teacher-coach partnership

Logistics 20 or more coaching sessions with a teacher over a year target teachers Target Teacher: experienced and successful Support of Principal Partnership with Principal Other Duties

Logistics of Coaching Majority of our time is spent supporting in- class coaching –Observe lessons, team teach, provide demo lessons Pre-conference, Lesson, Post-conference Lesson planning, examining student work, content training, formative assessment evaluation

Building the Relationship Phases of Coaching Year 1 Year 2 August Sept. to Dec.Jan. to June September to June Coaching Summer Institute (relationship building-teaching rubric-planning) Coach as a Model (Demo Lessons Then Teacher Practice) Coach as a Collaborator (Coach often collaborates & observes) Coach as Leader (Guide/ Collaborate/ Observe/Model)

Role of Demonstration Lessons (Model Lessons) Lessons conducted by coach during early coaching sessions – set the stage for relationship building Based upon student achievement and learning needs 1 – 2 lessons that give a picture of a different learning environment or technique Well-planned: the teacher is given specific duties or areas to focus on Post-conference supports goals and purpose of lesson Teacher follow-up with teaching lesson of their own.

Coaching Conferences Ideal Situation –Pre-conference set after last post conference or during lesson planning session –Lesson given (Student Work Collected) –Post Conference at the end of the lesson day after school with lots of time for discussion regarding student work and student understanding.

The Conference is the Key Staff development without talk time is ineffective The talk time is non- negotiable If only enough time for one – post- conference!

Finding Time… During lesson planning time Roving Sub Resource person/principal takes class Inter-district mail

Role of Principal Meeting at the very start of process - share philosophies Ground rules - (protect coaching role, partner for improved instruction) Consistency on what is valued in the classroom (often principal PD may be needed) Creating a long-term plan (to reach all teachers). Selecting teachers - (no quick fix, building capacity) Tracking progress (careful not to get involved in evaluation)

Initial Meetings Long Term Goal: All students learn at high levels Exploration – getting to know –Strengths and styles –Professional dreams and goals –Philosophies and beliefs –Self-Evaluation (Math Teaching Rubric) Define work together –Work relationship –Framework of your work together

Initial Meeting – Discussion Prompts How long have you been teaching? What are your favorite subjects to teach? How often do you teach mathematics? What are your feelings toward mathematics? Share an anecdote from your personal mathematics history. Tell me about your students. What are your goals as a learner? What are you curious about in relation to teaching and learning? What specifically are you interested in working on together?

The Mathematics Teaching Rubric Worthwhile Tasks The Learning Environment Teachers Role in Discourse Students Role in Discourse Tools for Enhancing Discourse Teaching and Learning Analysis The Silicon Valley Mathematics Initiative

Think about and select a teacher you are currently coaching Think about how the teacher thinks and assume their persona. Go through each dimension of the Math Teaching Rubric. Use a highlighter to mark the rubrics as that teacher would mark it in preparation for a self- evaluation conference. 4 – Exemplary Teaching3 – Successful Teaching2 – Improving Teaching1 – Limited Teaching The teacher orchestrates discourse in the class. The teacher poses questions and tasks that elicit, engage, and challenge each student ’ s thinking. The teacher listens carefully to the students ’ ideas and discerns mathematical meaning and relevancy from student responses. Students are asked to clarify and justify their ideas orally and in writing. The teacher decides what to pursue in depth from among the ideas that students bring up during a discussion. Care is given by the teacher to develop concepts thoroughly and insure students ’ ownership and understanding. The teacher decides when and how to attach mathematical notation and language to students ’ ideas. The teacher has full understanding of the mathematical goals of the lesson and decides when to provide information, when to clarify an issue, when to model, when to lead, and when to let a student struggle with difficulty. These decisions are consistent with the goal and pace of the lesson. The teacher monitors students ’ participation in discussions and decides when and how to encourage each student to participate. These decisions are predicated on insuring all students will learn and be successful in mathematics. The teacher often orchestrates discourse in the class. The teacher often poses questions and tasks that elicit, engage, and challenge each student ’ s thinking. Often the teacher listens to the students ’ ideas and makes sense of their responses. Often students are asked to clarify and justify their ideas orally and in writing. The teacher may decide what to pursue in depth from ideas that students bring up during a discussion. Some care is given by the teacher to develop concepts and to encourage students ’ ownership and understanding. The teacher attempts to attach mathematical notation and language to students ’ ideas. The teacher has good understanding of the mathematical goals of the lesson and is often successful in determining when to provide information, when to clarify an issue, when to model, when to lead, and when to let a student struggle with difficulty. These decisions are often consistent with the goal and pace of the lesson. The teacher attempts to monitor students ’ participation in discussions and decides when and how to encourage students to participate. Attempts are made to reach all students. The teacher directs the class and attempts to foster discourse. Sometimes the teacher poses questions and tasks that elicit, engage, and challenge students ’ thinking. The teacher listens to some of the students ’ ideas. The teacher may have difficulty following students ’ math thinking. Sometimes students are asked to clarify and justify their ideas orally and in writing. The teacher rarely deviates from lesson plan to pursue ideas that students bring up during a discussion. Some care is given by the teacher to develop concepts and to encourage students ’ ownership. The teacher follows the textbook in deciding when and how to introduce mathematical notation and language. The teacher follows the curricula math goals of the lesson. The teacher is improving their questioning strategies. The teacher is developing the pacing and generating good questioning. The instructional decisions may be aligned with lesson goals. The teacher attempts include all students. The teacher directs the class. The teacher poses questions and tasks that focus students ’ work. The teacher may listen to some of the students ’ responses. The teacher may have difficulty following students ’ math thinking and usually ignores those responses. Rarely are students asked to clarify and justify their ideas orally and in writing. The teacher rarely deviates from the textbook to pursue ideas that students bring up during a discussion. The teacher usually follows the textbook in deciding when and how to attach mathematical notation and language to students ’ ideas. The teacher follows the curricula math goals of the lesson. The instructional decisions may be aligned with state standards and with the goal of covering the topics on state test. The teacher modifies expectation from student to student. Teacher’s Role in Discourse Silicon Valley Mathematics Initiative Mathematics Teaching Rubric

As a whole group count off A, B.

Seek someone out you don ’ t know such that A and B pair up with A being the Teacher and B being the Coach Engage in a conversation where the teacher explains how and why they selected certain sentences/phrases on the rubric in their self assessments of their teaching. The coach may ask clarifying or probing questions to learn more about teachers’ beliefs, assumptions and expectations for teaching mathematics.

Quick Write What did you experience in the role of the teacher? What did you experience in the role of the coach? Is this a valuable exercise to do with the teachers you coach? If so why? If no what are the issues?

Now, re-group into a different pair, yet still having an A and B participant in each group. The role of coach and teacher are reversed A being the Coach and B being the Teacher. Please engage in another conversation using the same format.

Small Group Discussion How was your experience different in the opposite role? What are your thoughts at this time about engaging in a self-assessment process with the teachers you coach?

Student’s and Teacher’s Role in Discourse

Coaching Observation Guides SVMI/Noyce Foundation Focus on StudentLearningFocus on Teacher Moves Math ContentContent Knowledge LearningPedagogy Learning EnvironmentCreating a Culture

Make sense of 1 ÷ 2/3

Students’/Teacher’s Role in Discourse Use the Math Teaching Rubric to discuss the students’ and teacher’s role in discourse. Match excerpts from the video (transcript) to descriptors in the Math Teaching Rubric. Discuss attributes of effective classroom discourse.

Middle School Video Cases Connecting Mathematical Ideas: Middle School Cases of Teaching and Learning By Jo Boaler and Cathy Humphreys Published by Heinemann Available January 2005

Students’/Teacher’s Role in Discourse Use the Math Teaching Rubric to discuss the students’ and teacher’s role in discourse. Match excerpts from the video (transcript) to descriptors in the Math Teaching Rubric. Discuss attributes of effective classroom discourse.