Cohort B Spring
Leadership Meeting
Principal Session
March 3, 2008
1
Small Group Discussion
Questions 1 and 2
2
Resistance: People Reasons
Fear of the unknown
Individuals are not sure what they are to do and it creates anxiety.
Lack of power
When individuals feel powerless, they resist whatever it is that makes them feel that way.
Types of power:
• Legitimate power: Derived from an individual position in the hierarchical structure
• Reward power: Control over and administration of records, promotions, raises
• Coercive power: Ability to punish
• Expert power: Based upon a special ability, expertise, or knowledge base
• Referent power: Based upon a person’s attractiveness, appeal, or charisma
• Information power: Ability for an individual to gain information about particular issues
Inertia
People do not want to change.
Lack of self-interest
Not inclined to see group benefit if innovation is not personalized or unless it supports their view.
Avoidance of conflict
Conflict, which creates anxiety/frustration/resentment, is avoided at all costs.
Failure to communicate
Information is ambiguous, receiver has selective perception; language is too technical, perception of confusing undertones.
Escalation of commitment
Defensiveness arises as the individual might learn he is incorrect and the longer we wait to intervene, the farther the reach of discomfort.
That’s Just the Way They Are
Fear of what others might think
3
Resistance: People Reasons
Resisters
Reason/Factors
How I Can Help
4
“When leaders speak with “clarity, possibility, and
accountability, and when they interact with others in
respectful and mutually satisfying ways, they empower
themselves and those with whom they work to produce
extraordinary results...adding purpose, joy and energy to
their community.”
Dennis Sparks
http://www.nsdc.org/library/publications/results/res3-05spar.cfm
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Setting the Conversation Agenda
• Be candid and discuss the “non-discussables”
• Talk about issues directly with everyone involved to
avoid “parking lot discussions”
• Listen with empathy and determine the “loss”
involved with the situation and acknowledge the loss
directly
• When you make a promise, be prepared to follow
through immediately, modeling personal
accountability
• Use language that expresses commitment, integrity
and accountability to sustain productive actions
6
Necessary Conversations:
Practice!
1. Find a partner.
2. Each person will choose a practice
scenario to role play.
3. Take turns role playing your scenarios -one person role plays as the principal
while the other person role plays as the
teacher.
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Small Group Discussion
Questions 3 and 4
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The following slides are based upon an earlier
presentation to Reading Coaches by:
Amanda Sanford
Oregon Reading First Center
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Methods for Providing Feedback
• Written Feedback
• Verbal Feedback (immediate)
• Verbal Feedback (delayed)
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General Format for Providing
Feedback
• 3 “Keepers” (Student Focused)
– The students ______ because you _______
• 1 “Polisher” (Student Focused)
– It’s important that students
__________;
in order to do that, try ________
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Providing Feedback: 3 Keepers
• What: 3 Keepers (Student Focused)
– The students ______ because you _______
• Why:
– 3:1 ratio is critical to promoting positive and
responsive school culture
– Increases the likelihood that teachers
will sustain effective practices
– Builds rapport
– Increases likelihood teacher
will hear and respond to “polisher”
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Providing Feedback: 1 Polisher
• What: 1 Polisher (Student Focused)
– It’s important that students __________;
in order to do that, try ________
• Why:
– Limits focus for growth to manageable
number of tasks
– Provides clear teacher practice to
improve instruction
– Provides rationale for implementing
recommendation
– Links rationale to student outcomes
(keeps focus on students)
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Providing Feedback:
Special Considerations
• When providing feedback in writing:
– May limit written feedback to only “Keepers”
– Try to provide feedback as immediately as possible
– Only provide polishers in writing after they have been
discussed verbally
• Why:
– Immediate feedback reduces anxiety
– Writing is a more permanent record of
feedback; ensures that the teacher
can reflect on a positive coaching
interaction
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Providing Feedback:
Special Considerations
• When providing feedback Verbally (Immediately):
– This option is helpful when doing coach & principal walkthroughs
– Check for understanding: ask teacher to repeat back positive
feedback before giving growth statement
– Make sure to describe the desired behavior and have coach or
principal model it (while other person
provides whisper coaching)
• Why:
– Gives an immediate model of effective teaching
– Ensures the teacher “hears” positive feedback
– Increases the likelihood that the teacher clearly
understands how to implement the more
effective teaching practice.
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Providing Feedback:
Special Considerations
• When providing feedback Verbally (Delayed):
– Give feedback as soon after the observation as possible
– Check for understanding: ask teacher to repeat back positive
feedback before giving growth statement
– Make sure to describe the desired behavior and offer to
model it
– May create a checklist or key features for teacher
to observe so they attend to the relevant features
of the model
• Why:
– Still provides a model of effective teaching
– Ensures the teacher “hears” positive feedback
– Increases the likelihood that the teacher clearly
understands how to implement the more
effective teaching practice.
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Providing Feedback:
Special Considerations
• When providing feedback Verbally (Delayed):
– May have teacher first reflect on her “keepers” and
“polishers”
• Why:
– Promotes self reflection
– May open the door to coaching without
you providing any feedback
– Builds rapport and demonstrates respect
for the teachers appraisal of his/her
own teaching
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Providing Feedback:
Special Considerations
• When providing feedback Verbally
(Delayed):
– Coaches may not provide polisher
(must be done by principals if coaches
don’t identify polishers)
• Why:
– Ensures that coach maintains a “helper”
role instead of “evaluator”
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Providing Feedback:
Principal Specifics
• What: Expectation
– Set instructional target: “I want to see…”
– “On my next observation I’ll be looking for…”
• Why:
– Sets clear expectation that staff
will implement best practice
– Lets staff know it is important that
recommendation is implemented
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Providing Feedback:
Principal Specifics
• What: Offer support
– You can talk to the coach to help you… or I’d
like you to talk with the coach to help you
• Why:
– Opens door for coaching
– Increases support and likelihood
teacher will be successful in
improving instruction
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Providing Feedback:
Principal Specifics
• What: Follow-up
– Complete next observation and
– Provide keeper and polisher focusing on previously
set target
• Why:
– Increases the likelihood that good
instructional practice will be
implemented
– Provides opportunity to provide
positive feedback to teacher for
implementation
– Increases rapport and positive school
climate
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Impact of Coaching on Teacher Skill
Joyce and Showers, Student Achievement through Staff Development
Training Outcomes
Training Components and Combinations
Knowledge
Skill
Transfer of Training
Information
.63
.35
.00
Theory
.15
.50
.00
Demonstration
1.65
.26
.00
Theory Demonstration
.66
.86
.00
Theory Practice
1.15
Theory Demonstration Practice
.00
.72
.00
Theory Demonstration Practice Feedback
1.31
1.18
.39
Theory Demonstration Practice Feedback
Coaching
2.71
1.25
1.68
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Protect the Coaching Role!
When a coach becomes directive, the
teacher may feel that his needs or
concerns are not the focus of attention!
Flaherty, 1998
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Critical Factors for Coaching
Jill Jackson
1. Sufficient time to work with teachers
2. Proven research-based interventions
3. Professional development of instructional
coaches
4. Protecting the coaching relationship
5. Ensuring principals and coaches work
together
6. Hiring the right instructional coaches
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Coaching Feedback Checklist
_______ Coach creates a physical atmosphere of collaboration
_______ Coach asks teacher to reflect on lesson immediately
_______ Coach uses various questions to prompt reflection as necessary
during the conversation
_______ Coach utilizes written lesson/curriculum as a tool to modify and correct
teacher behavior
_______ Coach omits “I like”-type comments from coaching situation
_______ Coach models routine/procedure for teacher, if necessary
_______ Coach asks teacher to practice routine/procedure for teacher, if
modeling has occurred
_______ Coaching exchange results in clear “next steps” for follow up
_______ Coach completes coaching exchange by prompting reflection on the
coaching process
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