Using Rubrics for Feedback with Gretchen Bridgers, Ep. 82 Buzzing with Ms. B: The Coaching Podcast

Teachers don’t always know what instructional coaches are looking for during visits. This can be overwhelming and frustrating for teachers.

A rubric can take away some uncertainty and provides a framework for coaching.

Using rubrics for feedback helps instructional coaches have more authentic conversations with teachers about what they saw during the lesson.

My guest on this episode of The Coaching Podcast is Gretchen Bridgers from Always a Lesson. She’s here to talk about all things rubrics!

Using Rubrics for Feedback

Giving feedback after a classroom visit can be stressful for coaches and teachers. Not having a framework for what you’re working on increases tension for everyone.

On this episode, Gretchen shares how using a rubric can help set up structures for coaching. With clear guidelines, it’s much easier to give feedback to teachers and have them reflect on their work.

One mistake that many coaches make when debriefing is doing all the legwork for the teachers. Gretchen admits she used to do this but started inserting a teacher reflection between when she saw them last and when they would meet.

This one change helped shift the conversation and how teachers showed up to talk with her. Teachers would use the rubric to reflect on what they did and where to improve. They would come prepared to the meeting and that leads to more authentic discussions.

Benefits of Teacher Rubrics

There are many advantages to using a rubric with teachers. Gretchen explains how rubrics provide a common language to talk about the work done in the building. They can help the staff have a clearer understanding of the expectations.

Using a rubric as an evaluation tool contributes to a feeling of clarity and reduces teacher overwhelm. It empowers the teachers and gives them more control to tweak their teaching to move up levels. With a rubric in place, it’s clear what you are doing or what you aren’t doing, and the degree to which you’re doing it well.

How and When to Use Rubrics with Teachers

Rubrics may be needs-based or focus on a specific subject area or skill. Teachers should be encouraged to give input on rubrics because this collaboration will lead to less resistance and better student outcomes.

During the episode, we talked about how setting clear and measurable benchmarks makes teachers feel safer. Gretchen also explains how she structures the debriefing and uses guiding questions.

This episode is full of information about using rubrics, introducing them to teachers, and how to use them effectively. Rubrics may be the missing piece that empowers your coaching work and the teachers’ work as well.

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