Two weeks ago, the PIIC mentors met for their two-day statewide mentor meeting. They collaborated and designed a variety of professional development sessions that would be implemented throughout the year at their local, regional, and statewide professional learning conferences. This year, the focus is on “The BDA cycle in practice.”

You may remember reading about the BDA cycle of consultation in previous blogs: the “B” or before session is where the coach and teacher or group of teachers discuss and co-construct the agreed upon “look fors” as well as decide what the teacher’s and coach’s roles are when the visit takes place; the date and time for the debriefing are also scheduled at this time. The “D” or during session is the actual visit; this is the data collection stage with a list that was generated in the before session. The “A” or after session is the time for debriefing. This is where the coach and teacher reflect on what they saw or did (during) and align it to what they planned (before). Depending on the roles, both the teacher and the coach give/get feedback. This is where beliefs are discussed and ultimately where professional practice is changed.

In reality, not every teacher has the luxury of meeting his/her coach for each of the three sessions every time they work together. Every effort, however, should be made to meet for a complete cycle at least once or twice a quarter. When the full cycle occurs, the coach and teacher engage in a 3-pronged cycle that is collaborative, confidential, collective, and communal. Many part time coaches have blended their approach to the BDA cycle. They plan using an electronic tool, e.g., google docs, Crocodoc, NineHub, Wallwisher, or other collaborative tools when they do not have the opportunity to meet F2F. Unfortunately, there is no substitution for the “D.” A coach and teacher need to see each other in the classroom. That visit is the basis for the debriefing in the “A.” The conversation in the “A” can sometimes be virtual using Skype, google hangouts, GoToMeeting or similar tools.

Don’t let the shortage of time prevent you from meeting with teachers in planned and intentional ways.

How do you blend your approach and follow the BDA cycle of consultation in your coaching?

In the August 2015 issue of JSD, Learning Forward’s Director of Communications, Tracy Crow, reminds us that learning from one’s colleagues makes quite a difference in the “take aways” from those conversations. Whether formally or informally, the professional dialogue that emerges from conversations with one another helps to collectively problem-solve and to think “out loud” about problems of practice. These conversations are truly learning moments when colleagues share ideas, ask questions, reflect on practice, and focus on learning… one’s own learning.

When talking to my colleagues about what they value the most in a coaching relationship, the opportunity to talk to colleagues without fear of admitting their own weaknesses surfaces as the most valuable asset in the partnership. They readily acknowledge that their teaching peers have a wealth of information and are incredible resources in the learning environment. They recognize that gathering the collective wisdom from a group of experienced practitioners scaffolds their own learning and improves their practice by virtue of listening, sharing, collaborating, and discovering new ideas.

Instructional coaches are instrumental in creating environments that foster collaboration and long-term professional learning.  They help create a culture of change in learning communities and reinforce the notion that professional development is critical for school wide improvement and must be sustained. While not experts, coaches bring colleagues together so they can form partnerships, establish a critical friends’ learning group, and reflect on effective practices. They help their colleagues internalize what they learn and build on those ideas so that the learning becomes cumulative.

As a coach, what are some of the ways you can help your teaching colleagues take advantage of the greatest learning environment around… your building?

For almost two years, the South African Department of Higher Education and Training along with their partner organizations have been communicating with us about instructional coaching as a job-embedded professional development model for their teachers. They want to provide a vehicle for supporting the teachers who work with students who are post-high school graduates but not quite ready for a 4 year college or university. These students attend TVET colleges which are similar to our community colleges. The government wants to provide the teachers of these students with every opportunity to improve their craft and address the needs of this student population.

So, four of us went to Johannesburg, South Africa, to provide a 5-day intensive professional development training to educate individuals who were selected to become coaches and mentors. As a “train the trainers” model, we worked with a small group of individuals who will now provide turnaround training for more potential coaches and mentors to the other TVET sites.

Our participants were receptive and responsive, absorbing all the lessons we have learned about working with adult learners, designing an instructional coaching model, building teacher capacity, and improving student engagement. They shared pieces of their culture with us and focused on our similarities rather than our differences. We modeled our 4-quadrant framework and our BDA cycle of consultation, helping them to understand why collaboration, communication, collective problem-solving, and critical friends groups are essential for change and school wide improvement. We talked about working one-on-one and in small groups to support teachers and school leaders; engaged in focused discussions about data collection and use; shared evidence-based literacy practices across all content areas; and conveyed the importance of reflection and non-evaluative practice for making sustainable change.

It is our hope that a team from South Africa will join us for our October PIIC Professional Learning Opportunity so they can see firsthand how instructional coaches collaborate and create safe environments. We want them to see how coaches are on the side of helping teachers implement effective instructional practices regardless of the student population or needs. We want them to see how the transparency and shared vision for helping students transcends culture and geography.

A survey recently conducted by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation suggests that most teachers who regularly use digital tools in their instructional preparation are unhappy with the quality of the data collected or with the tools they use to collect the data.

Interesting… data are important to collect but not if these data are not used. A teacher and coach can certainly decide in the “before” conference which data to collect and then use a tool in the “during” to collect the agreed upon data. But, the real conversations take place in determining how that data are used with a follow up conversation in the “after” to debrief and review the initial goals and the purpose for collecting those data.

The report (Education Week Teacher, June 5, 2015) indicates that teachers completing the survey feel very uncomfortable and at a loss about data collection. They cite three reasons why: 1)teachers feel inundated with the data collection process vs. instructional preparation; 2) they want suggestions about using the data, i.e., so now what; and 3) they want more than just numbers in helping them guide the learning process for both themselves and their students. They want to know more about how students learn and what they can do to improve their practices.

Digital tools are really important. And, schools have a social responsibility to help prepare their students for 21^st century learning by using a plethora of innovative tools. They also have a responsibility to help teachers understand which digital tools are appropriate for learning to take place without overwhelming the teachers with collection vs. usage.

How can instructional coaching support teachers and help them understand more about data collection, its use, and making learning more relevant, productive, and collaborative?

Last week, one of the PIIC coaches started an IU Instructional Coaching Chat on Twitter.  We were trying this communication thread to see how we can engage more coaches in conversations about their practices. This particular chat was about the coach’s reflection of the past year and strategies for summer engagement for coaches to initiate with teachers.

I must admit… I am a real neophyte (or dinosaur) when it comes to virtual communication. I am okay with email and text messages but not so much with Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram! I do know, however, that I could ask any tween or teenager to help me navigate social media and s/he could do it easily!

The first question of the chat (https://storify.com/LitCoachJackieW/piiciu10-chat-may-18th-2015) asked coaches to think about the “year in review” and reflect about the coaching role. This is so similar to how I felt when I reflected on my teaching for the year. Were my goals realistic and attainable? Did I have short range, mid-range, and long range goals? Did I accomplish what I set out to do? If not, what were the obstacles that stood in my way? If I accomplished my goals, did I accomplish them in the ways I thought I would or to the extent that I projected I would? What should I have done differently or not at all? What changes can I make for the next year both in content and process? What have I learned about myself as a learner and about my students as learners? As a coach, what have I learned about my teaching colleagues as well?

To me, reflection equals change. And that change requires some action. Sometimes, minor changes are needed and sometimes, a major overhaul is needed. Either way, the important “note to self” is that every action takes planning, delivering, and debriefing. As a coach, this process can be accomplished with your own coach, the IU mentor, or with another trusted colleague. Make sure you take this step in reviewing your coaching work and preparing for your own professional growth. Remember, no change takes place without reflection and modification.

What are some of the things you have learned about your coaching work this year? 

Two weeks ago, PIIC provided a wonderful three-day professional learning experience to coaches, mentors, administrators and other school/IU staff members. After great discussions about practice and the evolution of instructional coaching in their respective buildings, participants were asked to reflect and think about how coaching has helped move teachers from “information sharing” to “professional learning.”  You know the song, “It’s all about the bass?” Our PLO was “all about the practice!”

One coach remarked, “I have seen a shift from teachers just talking to each other to a major change in conversation being about strategies and ideas to use in the classroom.  This is a welcomed change in my building.” 

Professional development refers to the “staff development” that is typically offered to teachers. Been there; done that… we all know what happens when professional development in isolation is offered.  That’s not enough; providing PD means just sharing information and if the information is not relevant, that’s another issue.

The content offered in professional development may inform practice but it doesn’t change the practice. Practice changes when teachers talk together, plan together, and debrief together about what works well in classrooms; change occurs when the professional development is followed up with coaches and becomes professional learning that is consistent, ongoing, tied to teacher practice, standards, and research.

When coaches create a culture of collaboration and conversation, change occurs. And it is the coaches who are the first practitioners to notice those changes.

In what ways have you seen teachers move from information sharing to implementation of new information?

When talking about instructional coaching, very often the first thing mentioned is the cost to the district to hire a coach, especially in districts where the student population is plummeting and teachers may be furloughed. After all, how can a district justify hiring a coach who isn’t teaching his/her own students when the teaching staff is reduced and class size might increase as a result?

That’s a tough question and takes some very deliberate time to think about the needs of the school, talk through some options, and discuss the existing programs that are supported by the school and district leadership.

Instructional coaching is not an intervention or an “add-on.” Implemented well and effectively, it’s one of the only ways to ensure that “collaboration, inquiry, and reflection” (JSD, Apr 2015 vol. 36, No. 2.) are regularly integrated into the fabric of the school culture. Where else can teachers be honored for what they know and encouraged to work together for the purpose of improved learning for each other and their students? Where else can teachers’ learning be visible, meditative, and non-evaluative?

How to do coaching, however, is always the question.

Restructuring a school day and revising teachers’ schedules are ways to offer opportunities for schools to have instructional coaches on staff. The teachers are already there. Looking at schedules and a variety of responsibilities may yield some options. Yes, this is peer coaching… every instructional coaching model is a peer coaching model because colleagues work together and share their learning. A critical difference in coaching models, however, is the training, preparation, and support. Many peer coaches are not trained to be coaches; they offer to participate in a “peer coaching” initiative because they understand the benefits of working with their teacher partners. They want to support their colleagues as much as they want to be supported by them.

And, as we know, making time to meet with colleagues is critical for any coaching to be successful. That is one of the most challenging obstacles to overcome for colleagues working together without having daily release time devoted to working with each other. Without the identified time to do so, life intervenes and collaboration is not a priority.

What does your coaching schedule look like in your school?