Special Episode: Coaching Conversations – Microteaching and Meaningful Reflection

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This week, we’re doing something a little different! In this special episode of Class-Act Coaching, we take you behind the scenes of a real coaching conversation between SREB Coach Jason Adair and Jen Zelena, a reading specialist and literacy coach at Broughal Middle School in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.

Jen has been leading an initiative called microteaching, where teachers film and reflect on their own lessons to make small but impactful instructional changes. In this episode, she shares her experience teaching and analyzing a lesson, and Jason helps her unpack key takeaways, including how to structure lessons for deeper student engagement and ownership of learning.

Whether you’re a teacher looking to refine your practice or a coach seeking strategies for leading meaningful reflection, this conversation is packed with insights!

Key Topics Covered:

• What is microteaching? How video reflection helps teachers make small changes with big impact.
• Lesson structures that work—when to use gradual release vs. exploration before formalization.
• How small tweaks in lesson planning can lead to greater student ownership and deeper thinking.
• The power of coaching conversations in shifting instructional practices.

Resources Mentioned:

• John Hattie’s research on teacher clarity and collective teacher efficacy
• ATLAS lesson framework—an alternative to gradual release that builds engagement from the start
• Weston Kieschnick’s book, The New Classroom Instruction That Works

Don’t Miss:

• Jen’s lesson on Cleopatra—what worked, what didn’t and how she’d teach it differently next time.
• Jason’s coaching insight: How to help teachers shift from “holding students’ hands” to giving them true ownership.
• How microteaching builds trust and helps schools create a culture of continuous improvement.

🔔 Want more coaching conversations? Let us know what topics you’d like to hear in future special episodes!

The Southern Regional Education Board is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that works with states and schools to improve education at every level, from early childhood through doctoral education and the workforce.

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