Instructional Coaching Research

Today I have moved on to watch the Keynote by Jim Knight about what he has learned from three decades of research into instructional coaching. Jim went through his own story and how he started in special education with a coach who introduced him to strategies that made an enormous difference to students’ lives. He described how students went from learned helplessness to learned optimism, and this inspired him to share ideas and to explore how to share in a way that really works. Jim also explained how we worked with Michael Fullan at the University of Kansas and how this got him thinking about what change would look like.

He explained that initially he saw a coach as a translator, someone who would translate the research into classroom practice.  He said this was a very ambitious goal aimed at students flourishing in every class, everywhere.  His initial thinking has changed and this is what he has learned through 30 years of research into instructional coaching:

• Coaching is a partnership - initially Jim wanted teachers to follow quite a prescribed, directive approach, but saw this was not effective.  He also spoke about how facilitative coaching, such as cognitive coaching, was based on the research about what made the most impact. With this approach, the coach rarely shares his/her own ideas and believes that the teacher already has knowledge that needs to be drawn out. However he later moved to more of a partnership approach - and noticed that it was much more likely that people would implement coaching. A partnership approach is more equal with people sharing ideas. It’s a dialogical approach where both parties are equal, you share ideas as a coach but honour the fact that the teacher can also think for themselves. You give up the idea that you have the “right” answer as a coach. He also spoke about how at times coaches and leaders do need a directive approach, but only when something absolutely has to change. With this approach you will get compliance, but if people don’t see the value of what they are asked to do, the likelihood they will implement it is low. Ultimately the message is that we need to treat teachers like professionals.
• Start with kids - the original idea of coaching was that research would inform a consultant who would then share it with a teacher, who would implement it and the students would perform better.  He noticed that it was not sustainable to start with the research without involving the teacher in the process. You have to start with students asking what is the change you want to see, then the coach and teacher get together and consider what research can support this change. The teacher is then focused on something that really matters to them. You have to start with a student focused goal before thinking about the strategy.
• Use an adaptive coaching model - we need a coaching cycle which a process for change. We need to think where we are, where we want students to go, and how to get there. We have to measure whether we are meeting the goal, and if not we need to modify the strategy until you reach the goal.
• Get a clearer picture of reality - video is very valuable and also motivating if you want to bring about change.
• Set PEERS goals - Jim started with SMART goals but there were problems with these (mostly teacher buy-in) - so he now uses a new model PEERS (Powerful, Easy, Emotionally compelling, Reachable, Student-focused).
• Create an instructional playbook - this is a document that is a simple clear explanation of the strategy. It includes a one pager with a description of the strategy, the purpose of the strategy and what teachers and students are doing.  It includes checklists to help the teachers implement these strategies effectively. He explained that the playbook is a living document - always being updated, and that teachers should make adaptations until the goal is met.

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Coaching from the teacher's agenda

Today I’ve been watching the recording of another keynote from last month’s AAICIS virtual conference. I decided to watch Steve Barkley discussing coaching from the teacher’s agenda. Steve started by stating that the ability to identify the thinking process of the people you are working with is crucial. The purpose of coaching is increased student learning and success, and this requires a change in student learning behaviours. Therefore teachers have to adjust their practices to intentionally produce the student behaviours that lead to increased learning.

However all too often coaches work from their own priorities, or those of the school admin. In this situation coaches may gain compliance, but this often does not lead to sustained change. Therefore it’s important to have coaching conversations that allow the teacher’s own agenda to develop, and to create trust so that the teacher feels able to take professional risks to bring about change.

Steve spoke about how he uses a backward planning process, starting with the learning outcomes, standards and goals and then having the teacher identify what the student will do to make the learning happen. Only after this can the conversation switch to what the teacher is going to do to produce the student behaviours that will enable the students reach the learning outcomes.

Steve also spoke about how in order to get continuous teacher growth you need conversation plus reflection plus conscious practice. The role of the coach is to generate the reflection, either through being a thinking partner or perhaps by bringing in extra information or data that the teacher does not have. Ultimately it is the teacher’s decision to do something. This sets up the coaching cycle which is made up of a pre-observation conversation, followed by an observation, and then a post observation which turns into the next pre-observation conference. Steve pointed out that the most important part of the cycle is the pre-conference. A good pre-conference leads to the rest of the process flowing. The pre-conference will likely change the teacher’s lesson because of the reflection the teacher has already done, so that the teacher is now more focused on something during the lesson. It is this focus that is important.

So basically the coaching conversation identifies the teacher’s agenda, and then establishes a focus for the lesson. During the pre-observation the coach is seeking to understand the teacher’s thinking, or as Steve said to “observe through the teacher’s eyes first, rather than through the coach’s eye”. At this point, if the teacher brings up a concern, it’s best to avoid getting into solution-making suggestions - just work on understanding the problem.

It is this focus that separates coaching from evaluation. During the observation the coach will actually disregards the majority of what is going on in the lesson in order to zero in on the piece identified by the teacher.

Steve left us with the thought that coaches need to care about the people they are working with being successful. They should not get hung up on their own plan as a coach or they think the teacher should be doing. Always remember it’s the teacher’s agenda that is important.

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Ensuring Coaching Impacts Teaching and Learning

Last month was the first AAICIS virtual conference. Unfortunately I was travelling to a school visit the whole day, but thankfully I have got the session recordings, and I'm going to reflect on these over the coming days, starting with the first keynote by Joellen Killion.

My big take away is that the most important thing is for coaching to impact learning - and impact means that it needs to change behaviour and thinking.

Joellen shared 5 essential elements for this impact and she asked us to consider which is the most present in our current situation and which one most needs "tuning up":

• Clear purpose
• Equitable access
• Sustained duration
• Effective measurement
• Continuous improvement

Purpose - according to Joellen this is the most important element of a coaching process.  When asked about their purpose, many coaches say their job is to support teachers - but Joellen said that in fact the most important element is to ensure that every student has an equitable and fair opportunity to succeed and to achieve their potential.  She also pointed out that coaching needs to align with strategic parameters in the school, so through coaching each teacher aligns with the strategic priorities in the school, and all are working towards the same end. Every coaching conversation and every co-teaching or classroom visit should contribute to enhancing the school’s priorities.

Equitable access - We need to consider which teachers the coaches interact with.  In fact she tells us that each staff member should have an appropriate amount of coaching - from the head of school to the support staff. School leaders need to advocate for and engage in coaching. Joellen recommends setting a schedule for coaching so there are opportunities for every teacher to work with a coach.

Sustained duration - some coaches do “drop in” coaching - a one-and-done approach - but this is insufficient to change thinking and behaviour. Change takes times - so coaching needs to be sustained over several days or weeks to support a teacher's competence and courage to change practices. It’s important for coaches to follow up and look back to see if additional support would be helpful. It’s also important to monitor changes over time - teachers can collect data to demonstrate successes and to reflect on this.

Effective measurement - a coaching programme should be measured and evaluated in order to make constant “upgrades”. We need data about changes in classrooms, as well as in the coaching programme. Data needs to span different types of evidence eg: talking with teachers as well as collecting student data. We want data about the type of support offered to teachers, the timeframe and how long coaches are working with teachers,  and the types of topics that are being addressed (in a general way so that it can feed into grade or subject professional learning). If there is no evidence about the impact of coaching, schools may decide they cannot afford the financial investment in coaching. We need to report the impact to the faculty, to the community and beyond this across the world as other schools will also want to see the evidence in order to start of expand a coaching programme.

Continuous improvement - using data to examine the coaching programme and to make adaptations to increase the effectiveness of coaching. We want to use the data to impact the quality of coaching and we need to think about who will be responsible for analysing this data.

When I reflect on the coaching programme in my last school I think we were strong on purpose, on access and on duration.  A big challenge I think was measuring the impact on learning - and on this I know we are not alone.  We did collect a huge amount of qualitative and quantitative data, and could definitely see approaches to teaching, in particular using technology, changing over time.

As I'm home over the holidays I'm looking forward to catching up with more of these AAICIS recordings.

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Why skills matter

I've just returned from a school evaluation visit.  One of the things I most enjoy about these visits is having time with schools to discuss their programme development plans.  In the case of my recent visit, the plan was about the ATL skills.

Many schools recognise that learning skills is essential - but the question remains WHAT skills - in a recent article I read that 35% of current key skills are projected to change.  This implies to me that the most important skills are those that transfer to what is needed outside of school - in life and work.

The Future of Jobs Report 2025 considers skills that will be needed by 2030 given projected changes in global employment, rapid technological advances, and economic instability.  The forecast is that 170 million new jobs will be created, but 92 million will disappear - as a result almost 60% of workers will require reskilling over the next 5 years - and this of course has a huge impact on what schools need to teach.

Jobs that require routine skills are declining, whereas jobs that involve digital, analytical and design thinking skills are on the increase.  A lot of this is being driven by technology such as automation and AI.  Another area of rapid expansion is the "green economy" with a focus on sustainability.  These jobs are linked to environmental science, clean energy and sustainable design, requiring skills of systems thinking and ethical reasoning.  And in this world of shifting economics and geopolitics, collaboration, strategic thinking and resilience are all called for.

There are demographic shifts driving these changes too - as the world's population is aging there are more demands for healthcare and caregiving - these require more interpersonal skills such as empathy.  

In IB schools we have long recognised that it is not enough to master content - skills need to be explicitly taught and practiced, and woven into learning experiences.  Pedagogical approaches such as project-based learning and teaching through transdisciplinary and interdisciplinary units will help students develop transferable skills.  And perhaps most important of all, teachers also need to engage in continuous professional learning to keep pace with all these changes.

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Well-being in IB schools: connecting the IB mission, the learner profile and the ATL skills

One of the things I have always loved about the IB mission statement is that it goes beyond the academics.  The aim of all IB programmes is to develop internationally-minded people who help to create a better and more peaceful world.  IB schools realize this mission through the learner profile, which provides students and teachers with personal attributes and goals: qualities that are worth fostering and developing for both personal and intellectual growth.

At the same time, an essential component of all IB programmes is the approaches to learning - a set of skills that help students learn how to learn.  Developing these skills (thinking, communication, social, self-management and research skills) also help develop the learner profile.  These skills also contribute to well-being.

Skills that are necessary for social and emotional well-being can be taught and practiced.  For example, the thinking skills emphasise analysing and evaluating issues and ideas, as well as considering new perspectives, research skills help students to find and interpret information, and communication skills help students to express their ideas and views.  The ATL skills also recognise that learning is an active and social process, so collaboration and working effectively with others is important.  Self-management skills also help students to take responsibility for their own behaviour and well-being.

Personal well-being can also be fostered through the development of character strengths.  The Positivity Project considers 24 character strengths that can also be grown.  They are connected to a person's thoughts, feelings and behaviours.  We can make students aware of these strengths and that everyone has them.  Developing these strengths will enhance students' self-awareness and confidence as well as their understanding and appreciation of others - which will strengthen their relationships.  See the graphic below and visit the link to find out more about these strengths.

Focusing on character strengths as well as developing the learner profile attributes and the ATL skills, can help students to become happier, healthier and more social connected, which in turn can help them do better at school.

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Well-being: the importance of autonomy, competence and community.

So I was talking to an educator today about the fact that it is impossible to have student well-being if we don't first consider teacher-wellbeing.  All too often in schools the focus is on supporting the students, but this can be at the expense of teacher well-being.  In fact the two need to go hand in hand - with well-being being built into our relationships within the groups that we belong to (for example in the classroom, division of the school, or school as a whole).  We need to consider what are the norms and rules (written and unwritten) of the groups to which we belong - it is connected with how we experience the culture of these groups and our place within them and how our needs are being supported.

First of all we need to consider a sense of belonging and engagement in the way we related to others - which is fostered by the authentic connections we make so that we feel safe and accepted for who we are, and it's also to do with how competent we feel and whether we feel we can move forwards.  Safety is also about whether people feel they can speak up and advocate for their own needs, whether they have autonomy, and whether they have peer support, or support from leadership.  All too often, teachers can feel unsure or anxious about their performance, especially if they feel they are not keeping up with an overcrowded curriculum.  It's also to do with a sense of equity.

A good starting place for schools is to consider what they are doing well, and even to consider what an ideal school looks like.  In most schools there are pockets of great things happening, but often they are not given priority or seen across the school as a whole.  Rather than considering all the barriers or challenges there might be to well-being in terms of problems to be solved, it could be better to consider what is working to meet the needs of students and staff and how to broaden this.

One advocaate for well-being in schools is Dr. Helen Street, who has written extensively about positive schools.  Helen describes wellbeing as "something to do with embracing life proactively, but we are aware too that it is also about the acceptance of things we can’t control.”  In her book Contextual Wellbeing, Helen explains that no well-being programme can be implemented without healthy and engaged staff.  She also discusses the importance of parents being "fellow educators", collaborating in the students' lives.  The relationship with parents is an important one to consider.

Well-being should not rely on extrinsic motivation (rewards, praise).  These are prevalent in many schools but it is more important to foster intrinsic motivation.  Schools should not be promoting competition - which focuses on outcomes - as this simply breeds obedience and conformity.  We cannot base our wellbeing on external rewards because at the other end of the spectrum is depression and anxiety that results from a never-ending pursuit of improvement and the feeling that you are never good enough.  Celebration is important, but so is equality and inclusion.

There is an excellent TEDtalk about this by Dr. Helen Street, which I am linking to below (click on the image to go to the video)

Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

Leadership when times are difficult

Being present for all is probably the key for school leaders when their school is facing a time of crisis.  This can include a number of different challenges such as natural disasters, pandemic, political upheaval and war, which can lead to trauma throughout the community resulting from stress and a loss of security.  All these events can lead to feelings of helplessness, upsetting emotions and memories, and anxiety.  Trauma can also lead to people feeling disconnected, isolated, overwhelmed and unable to trust others.  This interferes with learning, engagement and academic performance.

Schools that offer safe and supportive environments may be able to buffer some of the negative impacts of trauma and to foster resilience.

School leaders can do the following:

• Anticipate that staff, students and parents are struggling as they deal with stress and anxiety. Be aware that this will manifest in behaviours in school.
• Ensure that the school has a process in place to support everyone impacted by the crisis.
• Be flexible in exploring individual needs and support for those who are struggling.
• Provide training to teachers on how to support students - while at the same time recognise that teachers may also have mental health issues.
• Act collaboratively will all members of the school community.

Leading well-being in difficult times requires leaders to be mindful, creative and compassionate in recognizing and serving the needs of the community.

Image by Joachim Schnürle from Pixabay. Image free for use under the Pixabay Content License