Using a Coaching Menu with Raymi Royo, Ep. 117 Instructional Coaching with Ms. B

A coaching menu is a fantastic way to introduce your role to teachers and help them understand the support you can provide in the classroom. On this episode of The Coaching Podcast, I’m chatting with instructional coach Raymi Royo about how she uses coaching menus to frame her work with teachers.

Last summer Raymi found my coaching menu on Pinterest. Since then, she has used it with her teaching team and has seen a lot of benefits. During the show, she walks us through how she uses a coaching menu, what’s included on her menu, and how it helps her teachers.

If you’re looking for a way to help teachers understand your role and the support you can provide, this episode is for you!

Topics and Questions Discussed in Episode 117 – Using a Coaching Menu with Raymi Royo

• What is a coaching menu and how to use one with teachers
• Challenges when coaching
• The benefits of using a coaching menu
• How using an instructional coaching choice board helps teachers understand their students better and how it changes their approach to learning
• How she created her first coaching menu
• The six categories she includes on her instructional coaching choice board
• Why she offers a free choice option
• How she introduces the menu to teachers
• The coaching cycle and micro-coaching
• How using a coaching menu helped her teachers share their challenges and have more open conversations about their work
• Differentiating support by differentiating the coaching menu
• Why it’s important to be thoughtful about what you offer on your menu
• How to focus the menu on what’s essential, so it’s not overwhelming for teachers

Ready to listen? You can listen below with the media player, or search for Buzzing with MS. B: The Coaching Podcast anywhere you listen to podcasts!

Frequently Asked Questions about Instructional Coaching Menus 

What is a Coaching Menu?

An instructional coaching menu offers a list of support options coaches can provide for teachers. Each teacher picks the type of help they want from the coach. This customizable approach caters to teachers’ individual needs for professional development. Things you can include on your instructional coaching menu are planning together, co-teaching, finding resources for teachers, and looking at student work together.

Benefits of Using an Instructional Coaching Choice Board

Why should you use a coaching menu? One of the biggest reasons I use an instructional coaching choice board is because it offers personalized support to teachers. Another reason they’re so impactful is that they empower teachers by giving them choices. They get to choose the professional support they need and want from the instructional coach. Coaching menus are great for enhancing collaboration and feedback too. They help create a structure for coaching and encourage conversations about what teachers need help with right now.

How Do I Use an Instructional Coaching Menu with Teachers?

It’s important to introduce the coaching menu to teachers before jumping in. Most will not be familiar with using a menu for coaching support, especially if you’re their first coach! Some teachers may have used choice boards with their students or heard of them. You can explain that it’s the same type of thing, but this one is an instructional coaching choice board for teachers.

If possible introduce it at the beginning of the year in a group PD. That way when you show it to them later they know what you’re talking about. Maybe if you’re lucky, they’ve even thought about what support they’d like from you from the list!

You can also introduce it to individual teachers or grade-level teams whenever you want to use it with them. You don’t need to wait for everything to be perfect before using an instructional coaching menu. Just start whenever you’re ready to give it a try.

The first time you show it to them one-on-one, go over the choices and ask if they have any questions about any of them. Then ask them if there’s one option they’re excited about and start there.

How Do I Create a Coaching Menu?

The easiest way to get a sample coaching menu is by signing up for a free one below. You can also grab all the coaching forms you need to get started in my resource: First 20 Days of Instructional Coaching Start Up Kit and Forms. It includes an instructional coaching menu template and a sample menu. If you want to go the DIY route, you can create one by brainstorming a list of things your teacher team needs help with and creating a one-page PDF with those items.