Strategies for Coaching Teachers: #NewtoCoaching Livestream Replay

Have you ever been told that if you’re not doing a six-week coaching cycle, you’re not really coaching?

Allison Petersen and I both have opinions about that! I joined Allison for a #NewtoCoaching livestream all about strategies for coaching teachers, and you can watch the full replay right here.

Three Types of Coaching Strategies

Every teacher is different, so our coaching should be too. In my coaching strategy toolbox, I group strategies by purpose:

• Strategies to build a coaching relationship for those doors that are a little harder to open
• Strategies to build knowledge and alignment like collaborative planning, data review, and analyzing student work together
• Strategies to build classroom skill like modeling, co-teaching, observations, learning walks, in-the-moment coaching, and video coaching

Mini Coaching Cycles You Can Stack

As a public school coach wearing 15 hats, I never knew exactly how long a cycle would need to last. So I started using mini coaching cycles: a pre-conference, the classroom work, and a post-conference. Then I stack them, as many as a teacher needs. It’s flexible, manageable, and responsive.

Why Learning Walks Open So Many Doors

Visiting a colleague is one of my favorite high-impact strategies, especially for teachers who aren’t excited to have a coach in their room. They may not want you in their space yet, but they’re usually happy to go see what Mr. So-and-So down the hall is doing! Afterward, a few simple questions turn it into a mini coaching conversation: What did you notice? What was most useful? What’s one thing you want to try?

Turn Everyday Moments Into Coaching Moments

A tech-support call or a chat in the hallway can be an entry point to coaching. Fix the board, and then ask, “What are you working on right now?” Being intentional about those small moments is a mindset shift, and it’s one you can start tomorrow.

Want more on this topic? Check out Practical Coaching: Mini Coaching Cycles & High-Impact Strategies, ep. 296.

Watch the Full Replay

Watch the full livestream replay on YouTube, and be sure to check out Allison’s #NewtoCoaching community for new instructional coaches.

Tools for Your Coaching Toolbox

Ready to try mini coaching cycles? The Editable Coaching Cycle Forms give you everything you need for the pre-conference, classroom work, and debrief. Planning learning walks? Grab my Observation & Walk-Through Forms.

Keep Reading

• Why You Might Be Struggling with the Traditional Coaching Cycle
• Differentiating Instructional Coaching

Want More Coaching Strategies Like These?

Everything I shared in this conversation connects to my new book, Expand Your Coaching Toolbox (ASCD + ISTE). It’s packed with practical, differentiated coaching strategies for building relationships, building knowledge and alignment, and building classroom skill, so you can meet every teacher right where they are.