Peer coaching is a strategy Peer coaching is a strategy where one or more teachers where one or more teachers form a partnership with one form a partnership with one another for the purpose of another for the purpose of observing, recording, and observing, recording, and providing feedback of providing feedback of teaching behaviors.teaching behaviors.

(Hasbrouck and Christen, 1997)(Hasbrouck and Christen, 1997)

• It is professional, not It is professional, not social dialogue social dialogue

• It is observation based It is observation based

• It is It is notnot an evaluation an evaluation tooltool

• It is developmental It is developmental

• It is It is notnot a competition a competition

• • It is supportiveIt is supportive

• • It is confidentialIt is confidential

• • It is based on It is based on individual growth and individual growth and the teacher’s wants the teacher’s wants and needs and needs

• • It is voluntaryIt is voluntary

• • It is founded on trust It is founded on trust

Top-Down FeedbackTop-Down FeedbackSupervis

or

Uses data to shape

Teacher

Partnership Partnership FeedbackFeedback

Data

PartnerTeacherDialogue

Teachers sharing Teachers sharing ideasideas

Learning from one Learning from one anotheranother

Building relationshipsBuilding relationships

Deliberately Deliberately collaborating about collaborating about teaching and learningteaching and learning

• Begins with an open and Begins with an open and trusting relationship trusting relationship between teaching pairsbetween teaching pairs

• Pre-conferencePre-conference• Identify clear, concise, Identify clear, concise,

measureable, targeted measureable, targeted behaviorsbehaviors

• Data collectionData collection• Post-conferencePost-conference

Teachers confer to:Teachers confer to:

• Clarify learning goals Clarify learning goals (teacher and student)(teacher and student)

• Collaboratively plan Collaboratively plan tasks or work that the tasks or work that the students will complete students will complete to achieve the to achieve the intended outcomesintended outcomes

• Determine evidence Determine evidence of of proficient student proficient student achievementachievement

• Identify student or Identify student or teacher behaviors teacher behaviors the the visiting teacher should visiting teacher should observeobserve

• Agree on the role(s) Agree on the role(s) each teacher will each teacher will perform during the perform during the lessonlesson

• Must be aligned to Instructional Must be aligned to Instructional FrameworkFramework

• Must align to the Danielson FrameworkMust align to the Danielson Framework

• Should be supported by SMART goalsShould be supported by SMART goals

• Should be narrow; focused on a single Should be narrow; focused on a single instructional issue or techniqueinstructional issue or technique

• Begin with Begin with A SINGLE A SINGLE instructional focus.instructional focus.

• Keep the request for data limited.Keep the request for data limited.

• Align the data collection to the goal.Align the data collection to the goal.

DON’TDON’T

• Don’t say, “I’d like Don’t say, “I’d like you to watch for my you to watch for my use of positive use of positive feedback, and I’d feedback, and I’d also like you to also like you to monitor the active monitor the active engagement of four engagement of four boys in the back of boys in the back of the room and I . . . “the room and I . . . “

DODO

• Instead say, Instead say, “Please script only “Please script only my questions and my questions and student responses. student responses. I’d like to reflect I’d like to reflect later on levels of later on levels of Bloom I scaffold Bloom I scaffold through a lesson.”through a lesson.”

• How Long? ………………………………How Long? ………………………………At least 30 minutesAt least 30 minutes

• Look For? ………………………………..Look For? ………………………………..keep it simple keep it simple (higher (higher order questioning or level of engagement, etc)order questioning or level of engagement, etc)

• Where in the room? …………………Where in the room? …………………back of room? back of room?

• Find materials? ……………………….Find materials? ………………………..inviting teacher should .inviting teacher should provideprovide

• • Provide the visitation data?......Provide the visitation data?....... (email, hard copy? (should be . (email, hard copy? (should be

immediate)immediate)

The teachers meet to reflect on and discuss the data

gathered using reflective questioning and discussion.

• Aim to analyze Aim to analyze the datathe data

• Mutually draw Mutually draw conclusions conclusions about about effectiveness of effectiveness of teaching teaching strategiesstrategies

• (implementation/(implementation/results)results)

• Effect student Effect student achievementachievement

• Promote rehearsal Promote rehearsal and reflectionand reflection

• Descriptive rather than evaluative (visible)

• Specific instead of general

• Given only when requested

• Provided as soon as possible

• Realistic

• Positive

WARMWARM

• SupportiveSupportive• Strength orientedStrength oriented• Focuses on Focuses on

solutionssolutions• Promotes positive Promotes positive

learninglearning

• ImpersonalImpersonal• Needs Needs

orientedoriented• Focuses on Focuses on

problemsproblems• Provides Provides

constructive constructive criticismcriticism

COOL

Set a Goal

Grasp the

reality

Consider the

Options

Make a Choice

•What do you want?•What is happening now?•What could you do?•What will you do?

• Too much time Too much time between observation between observation and debriefingand debriefing

• Prescribing solutions Prescribing solutions and giving opinions and giving opinions instead of listeninginstead of listening

• Expecting quick results Expecting quick results rather than sustained rather than sustained behavioral changebehavioral change

• Lack of commitment to Lack of commitment to changechange

• Participants appear Participants appear receptive, but do not receptive, but do not alter practices, so goals alter practices, so goals are never achieved.are never achieved.

• Both parties enjoy Both parties enjoy discussions, but in discussions, but in reality, nothing changes reality, nothing changes and nothing is achieved.and nothing is achieved.

“Experience itself is actually NOT the ‘greatest teacher,” . . .

“we do not learn as much from experience as we learn from reflecting on that experience.”

- Thomas S.C. Farrellfrom Reflective Practice in Action: 80 Reflection Breaks for Busy

Teachers

As we try to improve, we are drawn to the large,

dramatic, and splashy programs for change, but we are

impacted more by the small and simple changes in our

daily routines. We don’t change the world through

epiphanies, but by doing lots of little things that add up

to sustained transformation. Simple things are not

always easy to change, but by improving one thing at a

time, we make progress toward great things”

From Bill Jensen, What is your life’s work?

Reflect

with

your

partner..

To

conclude……Hold onto the 6 principles of Peer Coaching…..

•Common Language

•Focus

•Hard Evidence

•Interaction

•Reciprocity

•Confidentiality

““Thou shalt Thou shalt promote rehearsal promote rehearsal and reflection.”and reflection.”

Critical

Commandme

nt for P

eer

Partners…

1.Review Proposal Checklist and make any necessary changes.

2.With your partner(s), discuss what you have learned today about the supervisory option you’ve selected. How will this new learning impact your work?

3.Complete your Peer Coaching Action.

See handout for checklist……….

4. Create a practical organization for your Peer Coaching Learning Log. (This will be maintained throughout year and brought to mid and end of year conference)

5. Clarify your dates and venues for classroom visitations and complete your plans for pre/obs/post experiences.

6. Define your norms for interaction.