The #educoach hashtag is used by instructional coaches around the world. We chat each Wednesday at 8pm CST on Twitter and use the hashtag throughout the week to share resources, ask questions and collaborate with instructional coaches.
Hi! Hannah Studemeyer from Berkeley County School District here. I am Curriculum Coordinator for Special Services. Pending suitable replacement...Lead Instructional Coach. #educoach
A success from this week... Getting to be a part of our coach cohort experience tomorrow. The deep learning in BCSD is awesome. #educoach#bcsdcoachesDeepLearning
I love seeing teachers and students growing as learners. Celebrating amazing progress this week stemming from lots of hard work and collaboration! #EDUCoach
A1: Learning targets are significant when they are written for students, focus on learning (not the task) and can be measured. They help make thinking and learning visible. #educoach#visiblelesrning
A1: When coaching around a unit plan, I find that clear learning targets drive every decision: what to teach, how to teach, and how to assess. We have even made learning maps to connect ideas within a unit before it starts and to build our understanding
#educoach
A1 Teachers must be clear on learning targets to determine if students are making progress, but students also need to be aware of learning targets in order to own their learning. Transparent learning targets are key. #educoach
Good evening #educoach. I'm Kathy, a co-moderator. Sorry I'm a little late. I was doing some "behind the scenes work." Thanks to @realAllisonW for getting us off to a great start! TEAMWORK!
A1 Student Learning Targets shift the coaching from changing something about the teacher to keeping the focus on the students. What is working and what is not. What do you do about it? #EduCoach
Q2 Unpacking standards with a PLC can open great conversation and collaboration among teachers, especially around DOK and rigor. I love when teachers unpack standards with students as well to ensure they know what they need to know and be able to do. #educoach
Great point! As a coach, focusing on the verb is key because we are not content experts in every grade/subject we coach in, but we can all coach with a focus on the verb! #educoach
A1 learning targets provide focus and increase understanding of the purpose and learning goals, making learning more attainable -a win for everyone #EDUCoach
A3: Once learning targets are clearly identified, teachers can begin to analyze authentic student work in order to inform instruction. These formative assessments throughout the learning process are crucial to ensure student needs are met. #educoach
Yes - I totally agree. We unpack by the verbs. Many times there is more than one action/skill in a standard. We need to unpack and determine the sequence of learning to reach the standard. #educoach What do students need 1st, 2nd, etc...
A3: If you know the target, you know proficiency. You can then support learners on the way there. Learning targets can drive our interventions as well
#educoach
Q4. The authors state (p. 38) that it takes some time for teachers to get used to using learning targets as part of a coaching cycle. What can we do, as coaches, to help move to this goal? #educoach
A4: During one observation, I interviewed students. I asked them, “what is the point of what you’re doing?” And their answers made it clear if the students were understanding the learning target. It gave the teacher some motivation to to focus on the LT #educoach
A3: Having clearly identified targets helps us know what to look for and what evidence to expect when in the classroom and when looking at student work. #educoach
A4 Helping teachers to remember it all goes back to students. This helps the conversation start concerning what type of data can/should be collected in the classroom to meet student learning goals. #educoach
I love the "If you hear" "then use the following language" chart. I see that it comes up again in the book. Effective way to get points across - as we all probably hear the "If you hear" type statements. Our job is to refocus that energy. #EduCoach
A4: We need to let the teachers see that clear targets allow us to better plan for and measure student success. We can really target student needs! #educoach
It was a great reminder to me as I consider the people I've coached through the years and how I can navigate successfully some of these waters we find ourselves in. #educoach
You can also do a search and you'll find handouts from @SweeneyDiane sessions. They help get started with the concept of student centered coaching. #EduCoach
In reply to
@jkjohnsonbell, @specialtechie, @realAllisonW, @MrsMeverden, @mrsjohnson_ela, @mstudemeyer, @JennShuffler, @JenniferLoSo, @SweeneyDiane
Q5 Chapter 3 is all about getting ready for coaching in the classroom. What are ways you’ve helped teachers feel comfortable with having you (a partner) in their classroom? #educoach
A5: The teacher is always in charge of the type of data I collect. And actually, before I even start collecting data, the first time I observe is for about 10 minutes and I leave an all-positive note #educoach
Q5 Chapter 3 is all about getting ready for coaching in the classroom. What are ways you’ve helped teachers feel comfortable with having you (a partner) in their classroom? #educoach
A5 A teacher's classroom is so personal. The aspect of coaching can be so foreign. We have to honor their space. Learn from their space. Join together with agreements in working together. #EduCoach
A5: Build relationships - attend PD with teachers, eat lunch/work in staff rooms, just visit before coaching. Get to know them and their students. #educoach
Q6 The authors encourage us to increase co-teaching and decrease modeling and observation (p. 47). What have you tried in this area or what is this causing you to think about? #educoach
A5: For me, it's all about choice and voice. From the goal to how we work together, the teacher must have choice and voice! The second you approach with an agenda, having a coaching partnership will be difficult
#educoach
I try to be in classrooms as much as possible. If I’m working closely with a teacher, I definitely try to observe them. If nothing else, just to get a feel for their teaching style #educoach
A5 When I coached I was employed by an outside agency, not the school. I worked hard to be a part of the school. I volunteered for their events, I helped with assemblies, I was a support during some very tragic situations (a shoulder to cry on). It about the space. #EduCoach
A6: Co-teaching instead of modeling or observing shows respect for the classroom community and gives true support to the teacher in real time. #educoach
A6: My 2nd year as a coach, I cotaght with every single 6-12 math teacher. It built my capital with the team and I learned so much. Coteaching became my "go to" coaching move. This book just gave me more tools for my toolbox
#educoach
Q7 The authors share a peek at the Coaching Moves (that we will be looking at in greater detail in the weeks to come) on p. 46. Have you had any experience with them already? Share your experiences. #EduCoach
A7: The new one I've been trying is the think aloud coaching. I like the idea of coaching in the moment but found I could not go very deep. This time round, I'm adding a weekly check in outside class to go deeper
#educoach
Q8 The authors conclude chapter 3 stating that teachers are scientists using an inquiry method. In student-centered coaching we are partnering in this inquiry. How is this similar to your work right now? How is it different? #EduCoach
A7: Even though it would take longer, I had a teacher ask me to co-confer with students. We learned from each other and had a great debrief because we were together through it all. #eduwin#educoach
