Annie Forest, coaching and math coordinator in Illinois, walks through the stages of a successful coaching cycle<\/a>, sharing how clear goals and continuous reflection help power them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n
As instructional coaches, we\u2019re often tasked with doing lots of things: planning with teams of teachers, leading committees, giving professional development<\/a>, and so on. But one of our most important tasks is working with individual teachers during a coaching cycle. By co-planning, co-teaching, modeling lessons, and more, coaches can help develop teachers\u2019 skills.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Three Core Steps of Any Coaching Cycle<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nNo matter the coaching model you follow, most present a coaching cycle as three parts: before, during, and after<\/a>. Perhaps it\u2019s \u201cplanning-development-growth,\u201d or \u201cidentify-earn-improve,\u201d or even \u201cassess-coach-reflection\/revise.\u201d In all of these models, three processes remain consistent:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n- Planning: identify and make goals to define the work that you are going to engage in with your coaching client.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Doing the work: plan with a client\/teacher or observe in the classroom during lessons. This part is probably the bulk of the time in a cycle by diving into the work of your coachee.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Reflection: revise and improve practice in the work that makes up the real growth. Without this last step, you can be left feeling like you did something, but just not sure what.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
Before: Settings Goals<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nWhen I first became a coach, I found myself thinking: What am I doing? How is the teacher growing? How do I know when it\u2019s time to wrap things up? As I\u2019ve coached longer, I realized a mistake in coaching that first year was that I wasn\u2019t structured enough during the first phase to set clear goals<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Without clear goals defined with a teacher, a coaching conversation is truly just that: a conversation<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n
\n<\/div>\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t![\"How](\"https:\/\/www.schoolstatus.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/educator-growth-process-ebook-cover-500x634.png\")
\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tStreamline the Educator Growth Process<\/h2>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
Create a system that centralizes observation data and notes, making them real-time, accurate, and efficient.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t Download Now<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\nDuring: Doing the Work<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nThe second phase of the coaching cycle is where you\u2019ll spend most of your time. This is where the \u201cwork\u201d truly begins to happen. You\u2019ll collect a lot of data through this stage to give yourself a clear sense of what\u2019s going on in the classroom. From this, you can shape your coaching efforts to support the goal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Whether it\u2019s co-teaching with a teacher, data collection through observation, or a lesson you model, it\u2019s important to simultaneously promote opportunities for reflection along the way. Taking time to reflect on the mini achievements throughout the process not only ensures that the goal is being worked on and creates opportunities for the teacher to \u201csee\u201d their improvement, it clearly sets up the next reflection stage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After: Reflection<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nIn addition to on-the-go reflection opportunities, another way to set up this third phase for success is to simply schedule it. Putting reflection meetings on the calendar with my coaching client helped us stay on track. The \u201cappointment\u201d for reflection can always be pushed back or bumped up, based on need, but having the expectation that we will meet to reflect helps make sure it happens.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Make sure reflections are authentic for both you and the coaching client. It can be easy to meet and have a superficial conversation that might sound like, \u201cthat was great! I love working with you. We did so much and I saw so much growth in the students!\u201d Although positive and complimentary, this type of reflection leaves little for a teacher or coaching client to dig into as next steps. Instead, it might be helpful to go in with questions that help you get at \u201cwhat went well,\u201d \u201cwhat was a struggle,\u201d and \u201cwhere to go from here.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Before: Settings Goals<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nWhen I first became a coach, I found myself thinking: What am I doing? How is the teacher growing? How do I know when it\u2019s time to wrap things up? As I\u2019ve coached longer, I realized a mistake in coaching that first year was that I wasn\u2019t structured enough during the first phase to set clear goals<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Without clear goals defined with a teacher, a coaching conversation is truly just that: a conversation<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n
\n<\/div>\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tStreamline the Educator Growth Process<\/h2>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
Create a system that centralizes observation data and notes, making them real-time, accurate, and efficient.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t Download Now<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\nDuring: Doing the Work<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nThe second phase of the coaching cycle is where you\u2019ll spend most of your time. This is where the \u201cwork\u201d truly begins to happen. You\u2019ll collect a lot of data through this stage to give yourself a clear sense of what\u2019s going on in the classroom. From this, you can shape your coaching efforts to support the goal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Whether it\u2019s co-teaching with a teacher, data collection through observation, or a lesson you model, it\u2019s important to simultaneously promote opportunities for reflection along the way. Taking time to reflect on the mini achievements throughout the process not only ensures that the goal is being worked on and creates opportunities for the teacher to \u201csee\u201d their improvement, it clearly sets up the next reflection stage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After: Reflection<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nIn addition to on-the-go reflection opportunities, another way to set up this third phase for success is to simply schedule it. Putting reflection meetings on the calendar with my coaching client helped us stay on track. The \u201cappointment\u201d for reflection can always be pushed back or bumped up, based on need, but having the expectation that we will meet to reflect helps make sure it happens.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Make sure reflections are authentic for both you and the coaching client. It can be easy to meet and have a superficial conversation that might sound like, \u201cthat was great! I love working with you. We did so much and I saw so much growth in the students!\u201d Although positive and complimentary, this type of reflection leaves little for a teacher or coaching client to dig into as next steps. Instead, it might be helpful to go in with questions that help you get at \u201cwhat went well,\u201d \u201cwhat was a struggle,\u201d and \u201cwhere to go from here.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\tStreamline the Educator Growth Process<\/h2>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
Create a system that centralizes observation data and notes, making them real-time, accurate, and efficient.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t Download Now<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\n
During: Doing the Work<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nThe second phase of the coaching cycle is where you\u2019ll spend most of your time. This is where the \u201cwork\u201d truly begins to happen. You\u2019ll collect a lot of data through this stage to give yourself a clear sense of what\u2019s going on in the classroom. From this, you can shape your coaching efforts to support the goal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Whether it\u2019s co-teaching with a teacher, data collection through observation, or a lesson you model, it\u2019s important to simultaneously promote opportunities for reflection along the way. Taking time to reflect on the mini achievements throughout the process not only ensures that the goal is being worked on and creates opportunities for the teacher to \u201csee\u201d their improvement, it clearly sets up the next reflection stage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After: Reflection<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nIn addition to on-the-go reflection opportunities, another way to set up this third phase for success is to simply schedule it. Putting reflection meetings on the calendar with my coaching client helped us stay on track. The \u201cappointment\u201d for reflection can always be pushed back or bumped up, based on need, but having the expectation that we will meet to reflect helps make sure it happens.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Make sure reflections are authentic for both you and the coaching client. It can be easy to meet and have a superficial conversation that might sound like, \u201cthat was great! I love working with you. We did so much and I saw so much growth in the students!\u201d Although positive and complimentary, this type of reflection leaves little for a teacher or coaching client to dig into as next steps. Instead, it might be helpful to go in with questions that help you get at \u201cwhat went well,\u201d \u201cwhat was a struggle,\u201d and \u201cwhere to go from here.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In addition to on-the-go reflection opportunities, another way to set up this third phase for success is to simply schedule it. Putting reflection meetings on the calendar with my coaching client helped us stay on track. The \u201cappointment\u201d for reflection can always be pushed back or bumped up, based on need, but having the expectation that we will meet to reflect helps make sure it happens.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Make sure reflections are authentic for both you and the coaching client. It can be easy to meet and have a superficial conversation that might sound like, \u201cthat was great! I love working with you. We did so much and I saw so much growth in the students!\u201d Although positive and complimentary, this type of reflection leaves little for a teacher or coaching client to dig into as next steps. Instead, it might be helpful to go in with questions that help you get at \u201cwhat went well,\u201d \u201cwhat was a struggle,\u201d and \u201cwhere to go from here.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n