This week we learned the benefits of using pineapple charts in your organization to increase collaboration among staff, five steps for planning and developing a PD session, how effective questioning skills can help an IC coach outside their comfort zone, and more!

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5 Steps for Planning and Designing Professional Development

Are you struggling with where to begin as you prep your next professional development session? Latoya Reed walks through her step-by-step guide for creating targeted PD and how to avoid roadblocks that may come your way.

" Self-reflection about your preparation and delivery will aid in your continuous improvement in your coaching work. . . . After your successful PD session, it's reflection time! Ensure that you make time for your participants to reflect and provide feedback on the session, which gives you some solid data on how the presentation went and how you can improve it in the future."

Data Rules

Jim Knight believes there are six foundational rules ICs and teachers should adhere to when collecting and working with data.

"Teachers are best motivated, and consequently learn the most, when they choose data gathered during coaching. This doesn't mean that a coach can't suggest types of data to be collected. But in some cases teachers won't know what data to gather and, therefore, need suggestions from their coach. Effective coaches master the art of suggesting types of data while still positioning the teacher as the decision maker in the conversation."

Lean In To Question

Vicki Collet shares a story of an IC who stepped up to the plate coach a teacher in a subject area he was not comfortable with and how his questions skills helped knock the session out of the park.

"During their planning conference, he prompted with questions like, 'How will this lesson connect with what students did yesterday? 'How will you grab students' attention in a purposeful way?' and 'What support might students need to be successful?' Elias knew that asking these questions would be productive; he didn't have to be an expert in the content to be able to support the planning of an effective lesson."

Learning From Your Peers

Lori Gracey overviews the benefits of using pineapple charts to open the door for school-wide collaboration. 🍍

"With a pineapple chart and teachers willing to learn from each other, your campus can experience a greater breadth of knowledge and outstanding teaching, as well as collaborative growth. And it provides a much-needed opportunity for amazing educators to shine. . . . Your peers can regularly check and see topics or techniques that they are interested in learning more about that fit their conference period and then stop by."

A Job Description for Instructional Coaches?

Steve Barkley explains why ICs need a partnership with their admin team to define their role and expectations to meet the school's needs and goals.

"In many ways, this job description issue is like a problem that I often find in school improvement plans. The plan is more of a list of activities that will be carried out rather than defining outcomes of the improvement in student success. . . . . The coach needs to step into the role needed by the school staff and students. The role emerges rather than being pre-set in the job description."

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