Mentoring Matters: Coaching for Excellence

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Mentoring Matters Coaching for Excellence

• Alabama Teacher Mentoring Program, Training 2

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Objectives

• Participants will
• Strengthen the network of mentor colleagues
• Review two parts of the Framework for the
  Alabama Teacher Mentor (ATM) program
• Understand three different mentor stances
• Review effective communication strategies
• Explore specific strategies available to mentors

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Objectives, contd

• Participants will
• Understand and apply the cycle of observation
  pre-conference establishment of focus
  observation feedback conference
• Begin to create a plan of activities for the
  school year
• Commit to documentation of activities/time

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Agenda Mentoring Matters

• Overview Goals, Agenda, Norms, Warm-up
• Reflections on Mentor Work to Date Sharing With
  Colleagues
• Specific Strategies for Mentoring
• Three Mentor Stances Further Defining My Role
  and Relationship with Beginning Teacher
• Planning for a Year-long Mentor Relationship

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Group Norms

• Be a learnerbe open to new ideas.
• Respect otherslisten to understand.
• Ask questionsseek clarification.
• Keep things confidential within the group.
• Have fun!

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Reflecting on Mentor Activities

• Think back on your experiences as a mentor this
  year.
• In the right column, write about the issues,
  problems, and concerns faced by your beginning
  teacher.
• In the left column, record the kinds of
  activities you have done in your role as mentor
  to address any of these issues.

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Alabama Teacher Mentoring Program Spheres of
Activity
Classroom
Personal
School
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Find a Partner

• Find someone differentwho is not sitting at your
  tableto sign the classroom circle on your
  handout.
• When they sign your classroom circle, you should
  sign the classroom circle on their paper.
• After you have found a partner, listen for
  directions.

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With Your Classroom Partner
Classroom

• Read through the reminders in the first column of
  your Communication Tips tool about listening.
• With your partner, talk about how well you have
  used these in interactions with your beginning
  teacher.
• How have they helped?
• What could you do to improve?

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With Your Classroom Partner
Classroom

• Look through your written list of issues facing
  the beginning teacher. Find at least one that
  fits into the classroom domain to share with
  your partner.
• As you share, talk about (1) how it came to your
  attention and (2) what you have done to address
  itor ideas that you have about addressing it in
  the future.
• Listen as your partner shares one of his or her
  issues with you.
• Use this opportunity to practice your listening
  skills.

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Find a Partner

• Find someone differentwho is not sitting at your
  tableto sign the personal circle.
• When your partner signs your personal circle, you
  should sign his or her personal circle.

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With Your Personal Partner
Personal

• Read through the reminders in the third column of
  your Communication Tips about probing
  questions.
• With your partner, talk about how well you have
  used these in interactions with your beginning
  teacher.
• Why are they important?
• What might you do to improve?

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With Your Personal Partner
Personal

• Look through your written list of issues facing
  the beginning teacher. Find at least one that
  fits into the personal domain to share with
  your partner.
• As you share, talk about (1) how it came to your
  attention and (2) what you have done to address
  itor ideas that you have about addressing it in
  the future.
• Listen as your partner shares one of his or her
  issues with you.
• Use this opportunity to practice your skills in
  questioning to extend thinking.

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Find a Partner

• Find someone differentwho is not sitting at your
  tableto sign the school circle on your handout.
• Again, you should sign each others handouts in
  the same space.

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With Your School Partner
School

• Read through the reminders in the middle column
  of your Communication Tips tool about feedback.
• With your partner, talk about how well you have
  used these in interactions with your beginning
  teacher.
• If you have used them, how have they helped?
• If you havent, how might they help?

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With Your School Partner
School

• Look through your written list of issues that
  have faced the beginning teacher. Find at least
  one of these that fits into the school domain
  to share with your partner.
• As you share, talk about (1) how it came to your
  attention and (2) what you have done to address
  itor ideas that you have about addressing it in
  the future.
• Listen as your partner shares one of his or her
  issues with you.
• Use this opportunity to practice your skills in
  giving feedback.

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What Can We Learn?

• Think back about this experience of sharing with
  your partners.
• What did you learn about the experience of
  mentoring beginning teachers?

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Alabama Quality Teaching Standards

• Standard 1 Content Knowledge
• Standard 2 Teaching and Learning
• Standard 3 Literacy
• Standard 4 Diversity
• Standard 5 Professionalism

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Alabama Quality Teaching Standards

• Standard 1 Content Knowledge

Teachers have deep knowledge of the academic
discipline they are teaching, facilitate
students understanding of the subject, and know
the state standards and district curriculum for
subjects taught.
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Alabama Quality Teaching Standards

• Standard 1 Content Knowledge
• Academic Discipline(s)
• Curriculum

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Alabama Quality Teaching Standards

• Standard 2 Teaching and Learning

In a classroom environment conducive to learning,
teachers use best practice instructional and
assessment strategies appropriate to the students.
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Alabama Quality Teaching Standards

• Standard 2 Teaching and Learning
• Human Development
• Organization and Management
• Learning Environment
• Instructional Strategies
• Assessment

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Alabama Quality Teaching Standards

• Standard 3 Literacy

Teachers model and teach effective oral and
written communication, integrating basic reading,
math and technology as appropriate.
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Alabama Quality Teaching Standards

• Standard 3 Literacy
• Oral and Written Communication
• Reading
• Mathematics
• Technology

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Alabama Quality Teaching Standards

• Standard 4 Diversity

Teachers differentiate instruction in ways that
exhibit a deep understanding of cultural, ethnic,
and social backgrounds second language learning
special needs and learning styles.
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Alabama Quality Teaching Standards

• Standard 4 Diversity
• Cultural, Ethnic and Social Diversity
• Language Diversity
• Special Needs
• Learning Styles
• General

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Alabama Quality Teaching Standards

• Standard 5 Professionalism

Teachers engage in continuous learning and
self-improvement through collaboration with
colleagues.
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Alabama Quality Teaching Standards

• Standard 5 Professionalism
• Collaboration
• Continuous, Lifelong Professional Learning
• Alabama-Specific Improvement Initiatives
• School Improvement
• Ethics
• Local, State, Federal Laws and Policies

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In Your Table Groups

• Share-around issues faced by beginning teachers
  that related to the classroom.
• As each classroom concern or problem is reported
  out, work as a team to decide to which standard
  the issue belongs.

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Strategies Available to Mentors

• What are some of the strategies that you have
  used in mentoring your beginning teachers?
• Did you hear of anything from your partners that
  were unique? Something you would like to try?

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Mentoring Strategies

• Observing in the beginning teachers classroom
• Setting up opportunities for the new teacher to
  observe
• Reviewing, planning, and designing lessons
  collaboratively
• Weekly conferences
• Informal check-ins
• Review or design of assessments
• Directing to helpful resources
• Writing through journaling or email
• Documenting activities

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Think Back to Times You Have Been Observed

• Refer to the questions on the handout, Someones
  Watching Over Me
• Quickly record answers to the questions
• Stand and find your classroom partner to share
  responses

• How did it feel?
• Be prepared to share one or two insights based on
  your discussion.

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Classroom Observations

• Positives

• Negatives

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Successful Observations

• Successful classroom observations include three
  essential elements
• A pre-determined focus
• A specific method of gathering evidence
• A structured conversation for feedback

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The Observation Cycle
Pre-Observation Conference Establish the focus
Teach/Observe lesson
Follow-up Conference Debrief lesson
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Steps In Observation

• Pre-Observation Conference
• Identify focus question
• Determine method of data collection
• Establish a schedule for observation(s)
• Observation
• Post-observation ConferencePQP
• What went well? (Praise)
• What questions do you have? (Question)
• What might be improved? (Polish)

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Steps In Observation

• Pre-Observation Conference
• Identify the focus
• Determine method of data collection
• Establish a schedule for observation(s)
• Observation
• Post-observation ConferencePQP
• What went well? (Praise)
• What questions do you have? (Question)
• What might be improved? (Polish)

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Identify the Focus

• We see what we are looking for.

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Identify the Focus

• When appropriate, work collaboratively to
  establish the focus for an upcoming observation.
  
• Let the beginning teacher take the lead in this
  decision.

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Identify the Focus Role Play

• Form groups of three.
• Each group needs to have one member playing the
  role of mentor teacher, beginning teacher, and
  observer.
• Select the card that describes your situation.
  Read through it and take a minute to prepare for
  the role play in which the mentor and beginning
  teacher will select a focus area for an upcoming
  observation.

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Steps In Observation

• Pre-Observation Conference
• Identify the focus
• Determine method of data collection
• Establish a schedule for observation(s)
• Observation
• Post-observation ConferencePQP
• What went well? (Praise)
• What questions do you have? (Question)
• What might be improved? (Polish)

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Data Collection Format

• The mentor teacher should decide on a specific
  procedure for collecting evidence related to the
  focus of the observations

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Evidence vs. Opinion

• What is Evidence?
• Actions, by teacher or students
• Statements or questions, by teacher or students
• Appearance of the classroom

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Types of Evidence to Collect During Observations

• Verbatim scripting of teacher or student
  comments
• Could one person from each table collect
  materials?

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Types of Evidence to Collect During Observations

• Non-evaluative statements of observed teacher or
  student behavior
• The teacher stands by the door, greeting
  students as they enter.

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Types of Evidence to Collect During Observations

• 3. Numeric information about time, student
  participation, resource use, etc.
• Three of the 18 students offer most of the
  comments during discussion.

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Types of Evidence to Collect During Observations

• An observed aspect of the environment
• The assignment is on the board for students to
  do while roll is taken.

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Evidence or Opinion?

• Find your personal partner.
• With your partner, read the example on your
  handout. Ss students T teacher
• Decide if it is an example of evidence (E) or
  opinion (O).
• If it is an opinion, rewrite it as evidence.

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Evidence or Opinion?

• Two Ss off task disrupt others. Mr. P. goes
  over, stands. Behavior stops.

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Evidence or Opinion?

• Mr. H hands back biology test students didnt do
  very well.

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Evidence or Opinion?

• Ms. A. tells Ss she is disappointed with
  performance on test. New unit begins tomorrow.

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Evidence or Opinion?

• T has difficulty managing several instructional
  groups at once.

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Review of AQTS

• With your partner, identify which of the
  standards is best represented by each example.
• Select a standard (numbered 1-5) and an Indicator
  (phrases in bold print, A-F) under the standard.

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Steps In Observation

• Pre-Observation Conference
• Identify the focus
• Determine method of data collection
• Establish a schedule for observation(s)
• Observation
• Post-observation ConferencePQP
• What went well? (Praise)
• What questions do you have? (Question)
• What might be improved? (Polish)

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If your focus is

• Are all students engaged? Are they all
  participating during class?
• .What data might you collect? In what format?

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If your focus is

• Am I differentiating successfullyso that my
  lower-achieving students are getting the
  lesson?
• .What data might you collect while observing?
  What other data might you want to look at with
  your beginning teacher?

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If your focus is

• Am I having any success improving the behavior
  of certain students in the classroom? What else
  might I do? Are they disrupting other students?
• .What data might you want to collect while
  observing? What would you want to know before
  you observe? What other data might you want to
  look at with the beginning teacher?

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Steps In Observation

• Pre-Observation Conference
• Identify the focus
• Determine method of data collection
• Establish a schedule for observation(s)
• Observation
• Post-observation ConferencePQP
• What went well? (Praise)
• What questions do you have? (Question)
• What might be improved? (Polish)

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Scheduling Observations

• Observations are well-planned they are not
  surprise visits
• Schedule when the beginning teacher feels most
  comfortable
• Schedule when the observing teacher has available
  time enlist the support of your principal to
  make these arrangements

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How Long is an Observation?

• It dependson the focus, on the class, on the
  teacher.
• Allow at least 20 minutes for an observation
• Five minutes to get settled into the classroom
• Fifteen minutes to collect data

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Steps In Observation

• Pre-Observation Conference
• Identify the focus
• Determine method of data collection
• Establish a schedule for observation(s)
• Observation
• Post-observation ConferencePQP
• What went well? (Praise)
• What questions do you have? (Question)
• What might be improved? (Polish)

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Observation

• The emphasis is not on judgment but on providing
  a record of what happened in order for this data
  to be worked on by the mentor and the beginning
  teacher.
• Adapted from Randall and Thornton, Advising and
  Supporting Teachers, 2001.

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Readying the Students

• Dont forget to prepare the students!
• Explain the role of the visiting teacher
• Explain the role of the students during the
  observation

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Steps In Observation

• Pre-Observation Conference
• Identify the focus
• Determine method of data collection
• Establish a schedule for observation(s)
• Observation
• Post-observation ConferencePQP
• What went well? (Praise)
• What questions do you have? (Question)
• What might be improved? (Polish)

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• Coaching is not telling people what to do its
  giving them a chance to examine what they are
  doing in the light of their intentions.

James Flaherty, Coaching Evoking Excellence in
Others.
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• When you start giving people the solutions,
  its easy to take away their power. You take
  away their accountability.It is better to ask
  questions and to listen.

Robert Hargrove, Masterful Coaching
Extraordinary Results by Impacting People and the
Way They Think and Work Together, p. 56
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• A committed listener helps people think more
  clearly, work through unresolved issues, and
  discover the solutions they have inside them.
  This often involves listening beyond what people
  are saying to the deeply held beliefs and
  assumptions that are shaping their actions.

• Robert Hargrove, Masterful Coaching
  Extraordinary Results by Impacting People and the
  Way They Think and Work Together, p. 57

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Praise, Question, Polish (PQP)

• PQP is a tool for the structured conversation
  following the observation. Two essential
  components
• Inclusion of affirmations
• Provision of non-directive feedback through
  questions, which give teachers opportunities to
  reflect on practice

Gloria Neubert, Improving Teaching Through
Coaching, PDK Fastback 277.
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Effective Feedback

• is non-directive

Tell them what to do differently
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Praise

• Identify what went well in the observed lesson.
• Remember the focus of the observation and relate
  the positive comments to that focus.
• Ask the beginning teacher, What did you think
  went well?

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Praise

• Contingent
• Specific
• Sincere
• Varied
• Credible

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Questions

• Clarifying Questions are used to
• Gather additional information
• Help understand something you observed
• Express reservations in a non-directive way

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Questions

• Eliciting Questions
• Help teacher hypothesize or speculate
• Extend teacher thinking

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Polish

• Remember, your main job is to LISTEN.
• Ask questions that will help the observed teacher
  reflect and make decisions for POLISHing a lesson.

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Give Polish Feedback in the Form of Questions

• Leading Questions
• Encourages reflection on specific methodology
• Ask, dont tell
• Gives teacher final decision about classroom
  strategies

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Classroom Observations

• What questions do you have about the strategy of
  observing?
• Around which kinds of issues would observation be
  a good strategy for mentors to use?

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Setting up Opportunities for the New Teacher to
Observe

• When might this be a good strategy?
• What would need to be in place in order for this
  strategy to be successful?

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Collaboratively Reviewing or Designing Lessons

• Lesson design is hard work it helps to have a
  partner!
• Many new teachers dont expect this level of work
  outside the classroom.

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Collaboratively Reviewing or Designing Lessons

• Refer to Alabama Course of Study and associated
  resources (lessons, for example) on Alabama
  Learning Exchange.
• Network the beginning teacher with other teachers
  at his or her grade level or content area.

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Weekly Conferences

• Aim to meet with the beginning teacher weekly for
  discussion of a target issue.
• Meetings allow teachers to construct knowledge
  through social interaction and dialogue
  (Vygotsky, 1978)
• Mentors can scaffold learningnot by
  tellingbut by helping beginning teachers
  construct their own knowledge through talk.
• Identify skills and concepts related to effective
  teaching which fall with the beginning teachers
  ZPD.

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Address skills that are within Beginning
TeachersZone of Proximal Development

• For each individual, there are concepts and
  skills which are on the edge of their
  knowledge. They are said to be in the
  individuals Zone of Proximal Development
  (ZPD). These concepts/skills are activities
  which the individual can manage with help from
  another more expert individual, but cannot manage
  by themselves.
• Randall and Thornton, Advising and Supporting
  Teachers. Cambridge, UK Cambridge University
  Press. 2001. p. 52

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Zone of Proximal Development
Skills in the ZPD are those that the teacher is
ready to acquire with outside assistance.
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Weekly Conferences

• Initially, the mentor may need to identify the
  topics to discuss.
• Gradually, this decision on a focus topic, will
  become a shared decision.
• The goal is to help the beginning teacher be open
  to reflection and to identify their own needsand
  ways to solve their own problems.

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The Third Part of the ATM Framework Mentor
Stance
Collaborate
Initiate
Respond
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The Third Part of the ATM Framework Mentor
Stance
Collaborate
Initiate
Respond
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Apply the Mentor Stance Framework

• Turn to a partner at your table.
• Use the handout, Which Mentor Stance Did I Use?
• Look back at your initial reflections on
  mentoring this year.
• Identify the mentor stance you used for several
  of your interactions with the beginning teacher.

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Informal Check-ins

• Stop by the classroom to ask how its going
• Join the beginning teacher for lunch
• Ask if you can help with anything
• Listen to their stories

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Informal Check-insFour Supportive Interventions

• Validation
• Sharing and self-disclosure
• Apologizing
• Expressing care by doing things and giving things
• Randall and Thornton, Advising and Supporting
  Teachers. Cambridge, UK Cambridge University
  Press. 2001. p. 96

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Informal Check-insWhat If They Wont Share?

• AMPPPower Tools
• Ask
• Mirror
• Paraphrase
• Prime
• Patterson, K., Grenny, J., McMillan, R.,
  Switzler, A. Crucial Conversations Tools for
  Talkinmg When Stakes Are High. McGraw-Hill.
  2002.

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Informal Check-ins AMPPPower Tools

• Ask to get things rolling.
• Howd fourth period go?
• Id really like to hear what you think about
  what happened.
• Dont worry about hurting my feelings. Im
  interested in what you think.
• Patterson, K., Grenny, J., McMillan, R.,
  Switzler, A. Crucial Conversations Tools for
  Talkinmg When Stakes Are High. McGraw-Hill.
  2002.

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Informal Check-ins AMPPPower Tools

• Mirror to confirm feelings.
• You look like you could use a shoulder to cry
  on.
• You say youre okay, but I think you look
  worried.
• Id say the way youre tearing up that paper,
  youre pretty angry about something.
• Patterson, K., Grenny, J., McMillan, R.,
  Switzler, A. Crucial Conversations Tools for
  Talkinmg When Stakes Are High. McGraw-Hill.
  2002.

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Informal Check-ins AMPPPower Tools

• Paraphrase to acknowledge the story.
• So, you worked really hard on this lesson and it
  flopped youre feeling beat down and
  frustrated.
• Your evaluation is next week and youre feeling
  anxious about it.
• You asked Ms. Martin to share some of her
  resources and she gave you a flip responseit
  felt like a real put-down.
• Patterson, K., Grenny, J., McMillan, R.,
  Switzler, A. Crucial Conversations Tools for
  Talkinmg When Stakes Are High. McGraw-Hill.
  2002.

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Informal Check-ins AMPPPower Tools

• Prime when youre getting nowhere.
• Are you thinking that Im going to judge you
  harshly when I come in to observe?
• Sometimes this job of teaching is so hard that
  it feels like we want to give it all up and try
  working at WalMart.
• I know you worked extra hard on that lessonand
  you may not have seen any pay-off.
• Patterson, K., Grenny, J., McMillan, R.,
  Switzler, A. Crucial Conversations Tools for
  Talkinmg When Stakes Are High. McGraw-Hill.
  2002.

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Review or design of assessments

• You may need to work elbow-to-elbow with your
  beginning teacher to design tests.
• Take an existing test that he or she created and
  ask to review it collaboratively, i.e. work to
  improve
• Create rubrics that can be used with student work
  projects
• Look at student standardized tests do they
  understand how to interpret the results?

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Directing to helpful resources

• Sometimes, you can just direct them to people,
  books, or internet sites that can help them with
  an issue.
• This might be a way that the rest of the faculty
  could help. Send out an SOS by email to the
  staff. Let them respond with resources that are
  appropriate.

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Writing through journaling or email

• Consider the possibility of journaling with your
  menteeeither in an actual notebook or
  electronically. As mentor, you would initiate the
  process.
• Mentees would respond to your comments, and
  return the journal to you.

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Documenting activities

• Mentor Log Record of Time and Activity was
  created as a way for mentors to log the time they
  spend in this role.

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Planning for the Mentor Year

• The job of mentor can not be prescribed. But it
  should be planned.
• Take some time to think about the school year,
  your beginning teacher, and where you believe the
  two of you want to focus your efforts across the
  year.
• Use the planning document to guide your thinking.