We want to give you a peek inside our Coach Certificate & Mentorship Program. Coaches taking part in this academic-year-long journey have graciously given us permission to post some of their learning and reflections from the private coursework they are undertaking during this program. Where possible, we have shared the course and the action task to give context for the guest post.

The Topic: Coaching Challenges

The Task: Share how you are currently collecting and reflecting on the data you collect

How often do you collect feedback? What form does it take?

There are multiple ways that we collect feedback. We started with the third way that Kim mentioned in her video, which is through a Needs Assessment. We gave one at the end of last year to guide our work heading into this year, and another one in November to guide our work and PD planning for the remainder of the year. I also use a survey to collect feedback after a small group PD that I run. I usually use an online form where I can see what the key take-aways are for the teachers and how they might want to partner with a coach for additional support on the topic. After being a part of coaching conversations with Kim this year, I started asking teachers for feedback after a coaching conversation and recording the answer in our coaching notes.

What are the patterns that are emerging?

Teachers are looking for support that will directly impact their classroom and usually around initiatives of the district where they feel like they could use more support. I was new here in the district, but seeing the different trends the past two years will allow me to be more intentional in the rollout of something new. Teachers also appreciate PD that is On Demand so they can watch it on their time. We have tried to find a balance. In small group PD the feedback has been an appreciation of being able to take something and apply it immediately. We are not seeing teachers share that they are interested in coaching after a session and sharing more specifically how coaching to take something to the next level could be helpful.

How are you acting on the results of this data?

This year we wanted to make sure that teachers could see all the ways were acting on their feedback, so we created a infographic that highlighted their feedback and the steps the coaching team had taken to address them. There is so much we put in place this year. Teachers wanted more choice in regards to PD, so we highlighted the PLC choices and started holding mini-conferences on PD days. They wanted PD On Demand, so we are creating a bank or short videos around topics they shared they were interested in. They wanted PD on engagement, so we highlighted engagement in a monthly coaching newsletter. Finally we pointed out that when they shared the PD topic that would help their professional growth, that they have access to Instructional Coaches to partner with around individual goals.

In what way has collecting feedback improved your coaching practice?

It has made us more intentional and targeted with the work that we do. Prior to collecting this feedback it felt like we were trying everything to see what would stick. Now we are focused and aligning our work with what the teachers want.

Read more from The Coach participants as they share their learning from the certificate & mentorship program…

Tracy: My Coaching Philosophy

Nicola: Taking a Targeted Risk as an Instructional Coach

Kelly: Focus on Equity

Ashley: Working with Adults

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Level Up Your Coaching with The Coach!

If you are ready to dive deep into your coaching practice, to help you #coachbetter and build a thriving coaching culture in your school, please join us for our next cohort of The Coach!

Wherever you are in building a coaching culture in your school, The Coach will give you the strategies, skills and tools you need to make coaching a success and will empower you to confidently apply instructional coaching strategies in any situation – from building a coaching program, to having coaching conversations, to being a leader in your school community. We facilitate only one cohort each academic year so we can offer individualized support for each participant.

Coaches of all levels are welcome: you’ll start the program with a self-assessment to determine exactly what the next steps are for you!