Small Steps, Big Shifts: Redefining Coaching with Sherry St. Clair

Episode Notes:

-Teacher, H.S. Administrator, worked for the State Department in Kentucky, and a middle and high school expert, and worked nationally with schools on instructional improvement and instructional leadership.

-Coaching Redefined Book- instructional leaders can have a guide book of how to set it up effectively and all of the components that go into it: growing yourself to growing your school and thinking of the culture of the school. It came from a desire to make it work and from real experience in a coaching and admin role.

-Intentional Instructional Moves Book- it sets up what classroom instruction should look like based on research and the intentional steps to get there. The audience is to teachers because they are the ones who will make these shifts. It is also powerful for admins or coaches, but it starts with the teacher shifts.

-Actions speak louder than words, teachers see what we are doing as coaches. We need to be humble in our position, and know we are all learners. We are not the people who know it all. Coaches can show that they are still learning too.

-Ask reflective questions. Have a listening tour prior to meeting with a teacher. Constantly ask questions, ask for feedback, and all the nuances in between. See the best in people as coaches.

-We need to believe in the teachers’ ability to grow constantly! 

-Listening Tour - when schools try it, they think it is the best thing. It shapes the coaching within our school. A respectful approach to how we lead. It can change your trajectory in how teachers in your school see coaching. 

-Get clarity around your role as a coach. See the website for questions to ask and the admin when entering that role. They understand the parameters and protocols within that role.

-Recognize the positive part of the instructional methods. There is a lot of research as to how individuals are recognized for their positive work,  engaged deeper in the work, and is connected to retention. All is important for us in education right now. We need to recognize the positive things teachers do. 

-Provide timely, honest, and consistent feedback.

-Honest conversations can go a long way. Critical conversations grounded in the third point of data can also be powerful.

-When we look back, we can remember which teachers believed in us, respected us, and loved us - and we know the ones who didn't. And for those who did, we would do anything in the world they asked us to improve. 

-We need to have collaborative goals set with our teachers.  Research shows  that goals can bump our productivity from 11 to 25 percent. Think about that per classroom. A clear goal set with that teacher could make a huge impact. That has to be a collaborative goal.

-We need to differentiate as coaches for educators. If we expect teachers to model differentiation for our students, we also have to model that differentiated learning. 

-Research shows that our walk-throughs should take between 3- 10 minutes. If the goal is right you will be able to see it in that amount of time. Sometimes we can spend too much time. Then they miss out on other classrooms. If we can get in more often but for less time we will see greater growth in those educators we are coaching. 

-We have to be very intentional with our time and our feedback. We have to think about the small steps. 

We have to be mindful of their next step, not necessarily where we want them to be. Those can at times be two very different places, but focus on the small steps. Think about not the end mark, but the next small step in that learning progression. 

-Intentional Instructional Moves - it outlines those big concepts of effective instruction, and breaks it down to intentional steps, and a virtual guide to have all the resources for each strategy. 

-Human growth and psychology research and podcasts can be helpful. Listen to the pod