Instructional Facilitator’s Training Day One Arkansas Department of Education, Instructional Coaching Group, and University of Kansas Center for Research on Learning

Essential Questions What is an instructional coach? What does research say about the personal experience of change? What are the various activities coaches do What is the theoretical foundation behind instructional coaching?

What else are we learning about in the three days of professional development? How can coaching programs address barriers to change in schools? What specific communication strategies can coaches use to build learning relationships? Which leadership skills enable coaches to lead reform efforts in schools? What can coaches do to stay motivated and energized?

Your first learning experience: Team up with a partner (someone you don’t know who is in the room) Take a few minutes to interview your partner and let them interview you Find out the following:  Where they’ve come from  What their position is  Why they came to this institute  Some interesting tidbit about them (something that is interesting and perhaps surprising)

A Little Background Information

What is KU-CRL? Mission: KU-CRL’s work centers on solving the problems that limit individuals' quality of life and their ability to learn and perform in school, work, home, or the community.

What is KU-CRL? Founded in 1978 $80+ million dollars of contracted R&D has led to the development of Learning Strategies to empower independent student learning Content Enhancement to help teachers promote greater understanding, remembering, and use of critical content International Professional Development Network has led to over 1,500 educational leaders 275,000 teachers in 3,500 school districts have participated in CRL professional development

What is The Instructional Coaching Group? Mission: ICG is committed to enabling unmistakable positive improvements in children's lives

What is ICG? Provides professional development on instructional coaching and coaching classroom management Develops and publishes materials that support professional learning for coaches Has provided professional development for coaches in more than 30 states

Our first idea… It’s not easy to lead change

Change? Think of a change you’ve gone through that was successful and another that was unsuccessful. What accounts for the difference? Share your thoughts with your partner.

Stages of Change (Prochaska, 1994) Pre-contemplation Contemplation Preparation Activation Maintenance Termination

An Instructional Facilitator/Coach Is on site Is a professional developer Partners Shares proven teaching practices (research- based)

Question? What does this athletic coach do that you think is similar to what an Instructional Facilitator/Coach should do?

What Does An Instructional Facilitator/Coach Do?

Instructional Coaching Enroll Identify Explain Model (You watch me) Observe (I watch you) Explore (Collaborative Exploration of Data) Support Reflect

Your learning experience: After hearing about each individual practice, check to ensure everyone understands it With your group, identify strategies, tactics, methods or other ideas that a coach might use to be more effective when implementing this practice Write down what you have learned on a “post-it” note and add the “post-it” to the appropriate flip chart

Enroll teachers Large-group presentation pg.96 Small-group presentation pg.95 Informal conversations (one to one) pg. 98 Principal (or other) referral pg. 98 Interview

Why Use Interviews? Three Goals: 1.To gather specific information 2.To educate participants about the philosophy, methods and opportunities of coaching 3.To develop one- to –one relationships with teachers

How to set up interviews: Send out a memo or newsletter informing teachers of their goal to meet and learn from everyone Meet then in hallway and schedule appointment Schedule 30 minute interviews

Interview Questions: What do you like best about being a teacher? As you strive to achieve your goals, what obstacles stand in your way? What are the strengths and weaknesses of the children you teach? How do you learn best?

Your learning experience: With your group, identify strategies, tactics, methods or other ideas that a coach might use to be more effective when enrolling teachers Write down what you have learned on a “post-it” note and add the “post-it” to the appropriate flip chart

Identify What to Do : Through  Interviews or other conversations  Coach observation  Referral  Teacher initiative

Big Four: A Framework for identifying what to do Classroom Management Content Instruction Formative Assessment

Your learning experience: With your group, generate a list of effective teaching practices that you or coaches you know share with teachers. Note each item on a “post-it” note and add the “post- it” to the appropriate flip chart

Explaining interventions: Instructional Coach  Breaks down the instructor’s materials  Lays out the step-by-step procedures  Suggests what teacher should watch for during the model lessons  Does everything possible to make it easier for teachers to implement  Asks about and addresses collaborating teacher’s concerns  Co-constructs Observation Form with teachers

FIVE TACTICS FOR TRANSLATING RESEARCH INTO PRACTICE: 1.CLARIFY: READ WRITE TALK 2.SYNTHESIZE 3.BREAK IT DOWN 4.SEE IT THROUGH TEACHERS’ (AND STUDENTS’) EYES 5.SIMPLIFY

Model Lessons: You watch me ! Goal : To show a teacher exactly how to implement a particular intervention Be fully aware of critical teaching practices you need to model Ensure that teacher knows the purpose of the model lesson Provide concrete description of what you’ll be doing Clarify roles for behavioral management Co-construct an observation form Ensure your collaborating teacher knows how to use the form

Your learning experience: With your group, generate a list of effective teaching practices that you or coaches you know share with teachers. Note each item on a “post-it” note and add the “post- it” to the appropriate flip chart

Tricia’s suggestions: 1.Talk with the students when they first enter the class so they are comfortable with the transition to you teaching a model lesson. 2.Review content thoroughly so that students are clear that they have enough background knowledge to grasp the model lesson. 3.Explain the expectation for the lesson explicitly and check to ensure students understand them.

More suggestions: 4. Have a lot of interaction with the kids during the model lesson. 5.Ensure the students know that I’m a partner with their teacher. 6.Expect to learn from your collaborating teacher.

Table one: Teachers’ perceptions of the value of observing Instructional Coaches modeling practices (n = 107) Do teachers think watching a coach model practices made it easier to implement? 6.51 Do teachers think watching a coach model practices increased their fidelity to instructional practices? 6.4 Do teachers think watching a coach model practices made them more confident about implementing? 6.22 Do teachers think they learned other teaching strategies while watching a coach model? 6.13 Do teachers think coaches have enough content knowledge to model all the instruction in teachers ’ classes. 3.18

Tacit Knowledge “We can know more than we can say ” Michel Polanyi

Venn Diagram From Scanlon, D, Deshler, Schumaker, J. (1999). The Order Routine. Lawrence, KS: Edge Enterprises

A Teaching Routine Cue  Name the graphic organizer  Explain how it will help them learn  Specify what they need to do Do  Walk through the device  Involve the students  Shape student responses (Connect & Redirect)  Evaluate student understanding  Re-instruct if necessary Review  Ask questions about the information  Ask questions about how the graphic organizer works

Your learning experience: With your group, identify strategies, tactics, methods or other ideas that a coach might use to be more effective when modeling lessons with teachers Write down what you have learned on a “post-it” note and add the “post-it” to the appropriate flip chart

Observe: “I watch you ” Coach uses the observation form to watch for data related to:  Critical teaching behaviors  Fidelity to scientifically proven practices  Student behavior and performance  Additional specific teacher concerns

EXPLORE Collaborative Exploration of Data Based on the partnership principles Involves observations to open up dialogue, rather than to state a single truth Should be  constructive, but provisional  empathetic and respectful Coach and teacher identify what data will be gathered

Top-down Feedback

Partnership Feedback (C.E.D.) Reinke, (2005)

Fostering a language of “ongoing regard” Kegan & Lahey (2001) How the way we talk can change the way we work Authentic, appreciative feedback needs to be: Direct Specific Non-attributive

What do you think of these comments? “ I’d like to especially recognize Tricia’s contributions this year.” “Lynn, you did a great job with that class yesterday. You’re great!” “Ric, you’re a patient man. I appreciate how patient you are.”

Your learning experience: 1.Think about the wonderful partner you’ve worked with 2.Write down some authentic, positive feedback for her or him 3.Make sure your comments are 1.direct, 2.specific, 3.and non-attributive--tell them how they’ve affected you 4.Look your partner in the eye and tell them the compliment

SUPPORT: On-going Collaboration More modeling, observation, collaborative exploration of data, and dialogue Each relationship is differentiated to fit the unique needs of each teacher

SUPPORT: What matters is that the teacher and the facilitator/coach keep learning together, working as partners to ensure that students receive excellent instruction.

Reflect: After-action Review What was supposed to happen? What happened? What accounts for the difference? What will I do differently next time ?

After-action Review On your own  (coaching form, notebook, computer journal, tape or ipod oral history) With your team With collaborating teacher

Your learning experience: With your group, identify other strategies, tactics, methods or other ideas that a coach might use to be more effective for reflection Write down what you have learned on a “post-it” note and add the “post-it” to the appropriate flip chart

Time to reflect: Identify one idea you want to act on: What do you feel? What do you think? What are you going to do?

Partnership Principles: The theory behind Instructional Facilitating/Coaching

Principles “The principles you live by create the world you live in; if you change the principles you live by, you will change your world.” Blaine Lee, The Power Principle

Partnership Principles Equality Praxis Dialogue Choice Voice Reflection Reciprocity

Your “jigsaw” learning experience Step one: Settle in with your new group of learning partners Step two: Read the section you’ve been given from the Partnership Learning manual Step three: Together with your group, create a graphic organizer on a poster that captures the essential characteristics of the principle Step four: Attach your poster to the wall, and wait for further instructions

Equality A belief that everyone counts Doesn’t mean we all agree Doesn’t mean we’re all the same We all have equal value Each opinion counts

Praxis Reflection and Creative inquiry Not banking education But creative inquiry

Dialogue Respectful, energizing conversation The developing conversation is more important than being right Involves suspending opinions & authentic listening Thinking together

Choice Command and control fosters resistance or external commitment Choice fosters internal commitment

Voice Build trust Make it easy for people to say what they think Give people words, concepts, and tools that help them express who they are--help them find their voice!

Reflection On action In action For action

Reciprocity Everyone benefits when one person learns Teachers learn from students as much as students learn from teachers Every learning situation is a chance for learning

Essential Questions What is an instructional coach? What does research say about the personal experience of change? What are the various activities coaches do What is the theoretical foundation behind instructional coaching?