Supervision & Evaluation: Formative Stage Phase 2

The Coaching Stage

During the coaching stage, the information gathered and discussed during the investigatory stage's post observation meeting is translated into one of two tracks of supervision [support] for a teacher.

1. A teacher is assigned for additional coaching at a frequency of two visits per month
2. A teacher is identified as being a model teacher and is assigned follow up coaching at a frequency of one visit every other month

Coaching is scheduled as either announced or unannounced visits and can be initiated by the supervisor, an instructional coach, or the teacher.  Announced visits provide teachers an opportunity to prepare for the coaching visit.  Preparation may include:

• Additional practice of the lesson that the coach will see
• Identification of certain aspects of a lesson that the teacher would like modeled by the coach
• Identification of critical behaviors that the teacher has been working on within the classroom that they would like to showcase during the visit

Unannounced visits provide an opportunity for the supervisor or coach to provide support in classes representative of a lesson taught during a typical day.  The unannounced visit also reinforces the importance for teachers to be prepared daily.

Coaching visits last between 20 to 40 minutes, depending on the critical behaviors and type of coaching that occurs in the classroom.  Types of coaching include:

• Observation with written and oral feedback
• Modeling
• Co-teaching
• Side-by-side coaching

The forms used for coaching are the same forms used during the initial observation, as the critical behaviors do not change.  The form provides the opportunity for the supervisor to document support provided in the classroom during each coaching.  The professional development support that is provided through coaching is therefore individualized as teachers will be working on different critical behaviors throughout a school year based on individual levels of proficiency.

The follow-up meetings that occur during the coaching stage include affirmations of growth and mastery of critical behaviors observed as glows, and provide an indication for the need for additional work on critical behaviors identified as grows.  The coaching strategies modeled, coached, or observed during a coaching visit are documented and provided to the teacher.  The collection of support forms provide teachers an opportunity to self-reflect on their progress toward the goal of being identified as a model teacher in each of the respective teaching domains.