When I coach other teachers I am a firm believer in capturing exact moment-by-moment behaviors. Without them, discussion after lessons is scattered and imprecise. Few teachers could accurately recall precisely what was said and done—by themselves and twenty students—over an entire class period. As a coach, I jot down whatever is said by teacher or students during the lesson.
Realistically I cannot get it all, but I can capture a lot by using the same sort of shorthand that got us through college lectures. I also put student responses inside brackets to help me keep things straight. Then I go through the scripted version to highlight significant points and label teaching behaviors for our discussion. By reading the script together, the teacher and I are able to analyze the effectiveness of the teaching and think about possible interpretations of student reactions.
Another useful tool is videotaping a lesson by simply setting a camera in the corner and letting it run. Such videos can be analyzed in depth to assist teachers in owning their strengths more completely and seeing more clearly where improvement is called for. When a coach cannot be present in the classroom, the teacher can still access help by sharing a video in later meetings. Videos also have the advantage of being available for multiple viewings in which we look for different issues during each playing.
The purpose of any post–lesson discussion of script or video is to help teacher build their analytical skills. In this regard, Edward de Bono’s Six Thinking Hats is a great resource. By asking each teacher I coach to assess facts, feelings, critiques, potentialities, creativity and process before making decisions, the resulting plans are strengthened dramatically.
A coach must trigger change, not by threats, but by persuasion. In my experience, a good place to begin is to identify strengths of individual teachers, then emphasize those strengths and enrich them further. Concurrently, I mentally prioritize any gaps and weaknesses that I see. Alongside the first discussion of strengths, I discuss only one, or possibly two, areas that need improvement. A teacher is not likely to be able to make multiple changes simultaneously, so I point out the most significant issue first, work with him/her to create strategies, provide time for practice and give helpful feedback in order to help the teacher assimilate new habits. Often, if a major problem is solved, other smaller issues improve as a side benefit. If not, less critical issues will be addressed as they reach the top of the priority list which the coach carries in mind.
No coach should suggest improvements based solely on their own hunches or preferences. It is important to stay informed about what research shows will work. For instance, I might ask teachers to work on developing mutually supportive relationships with others on the faculty, not simply because it is my preference, but because research shows that is an important part of building an effective school. This power of this particular approach is assessed in Trust in Schools: A Core Resource for School Improvement. All suggestions made by coaches should also be supported by information about best practices. Why? Because a coach needs to be an informed, objective assistant in the growth process that characterizes good teaching.
