Virtual Instructional Coaching: Observations & Accountability
If you missed it, check back to my last post, My Journey as a Virtual Coach, to read more about how I got into virtual coaching and some of my early experiences.
Virtual instructional coaching utilizes the same key elements of strong in-person instructional coaching: targeted classroom observations, focused coaching meetings with clear data and practice opportunities and structures for accountability. In this first part of two on virtual coaching, I’ll focus on virtual classroom observations and navigating accountability remotely.
The goal of coaching is to support teacher’s effectiveness in the classroom for the sake of students: so that we see an increase in student engagement, content mastery and sense of belonging in the classroom. Virtual coaching is no different. It’s about kids thriving in school, period. Coaching that fails to center students, whether virtual or otherwise, is ineffective at best.
Many of the “tricks of the trade” of virtual instructional coaching can be used effectively by building and district coaches. Whether you are considering (or in) a role as a virtual coach, or are just looking for tools to expand your in-person coaching toolbox, here I’ll share some of the strategies that I have found to work most effectively in virtual coaching.
Virtual Classroom Observations
Virtual coaches typically observe classes through recorded observations rather than live streaming. Before sharing recordings, make sure you are clear on your school or district’s policy for sharing recordings with students in them. Most schools have a clause built into the photo/video releases that allows for recording for the sake of professional development.
Just like when you visit a class in person, when you watch the recorded lesson, make sure to collect data not just on the teacher’s actions but also what the students are saying and doing. Then analyze your data to determine the highest-leverage teacher action and next step to have the greatest impact on student engagement and learning.
Tips for full virtual coaches:
Camera placement: Make sure teachers place the recording device in the back or back corner of the classroom to ensure that they capture not just the teacher on camera, but also the majority of students.
Recording platforms: Align with the tools your school and district are already using. For example, if every teacher has a Zoom account, teachers can easily open a Zoom meeting to record their class to the cloud. Swivl is also an interesting tool to check out, with cameras that move to follow the teacher around the room.
Seeing student work: Make a plan for how you will be able to see student work. Ideally, have the teacher scan or photograph the student exit ticket or independent practice work (either the whole class, or a sub-set of students) and send them to you. Now that many more schools are 1:1 with technology, many more teachers are using electronic practice and exit tickets which they can more easily share with you.
Ideas for in-building coaches:
Recording missed observations: Use recorded classroom observations when you get pulled in too many different directions. For example, if you were supposed to visit Ms. Jones’ second period class to see here try out the strategy you discussed in coaching yesterday, but get pulled into a last minute leadership team meeting, just ask her to record the lesson.
Teacher video reflection: Using recorded observations is a helpful tool to engage teachers in watching and reflecting on their own lessons before engaging in coaching meetings.
Virtual Teacher Accountability
One of the trickiest and most nuanced parts of coaching is how to follow-up with teachers after an observation and coaching meeting. An important part of how coaching is different from traditional PD is that it involves holding teachers accountable to actually implement the new strategies they are learning.
As with all coaching partnerships, accountability works best in the context of trust and rapport. Coaches should work hard to build rapport with your teachers consistently throughout the partnership. Teachers are more motivated to show up to meetings and get things back to you when they trust your expertise and have a good relationship with you. It’s also much easier to call a teacher out for something that was missed (which we all need sometimes, myself included!) when there’s a positive foundation of trust.
Accountability tips for all coaches:
Deliverables: At the end of each coaching meeting, make sure there is a clear, actionable way for the teacher to demonstrate their implementation of their new skills. Here are a few ideas of what this could look like:
Submitting their lesson plan with a particular part highlighted (for example, if you are working on writing rigorous objectives, they could highlight the component that shows rigor)
Recording a brief 3 - 5 minute clip of their lesson where they try the new skill
Send you a 1 - 3 sentence reflection in an email at the end of the next day about how the strategy went
Provide an article or resource and ask the teacher to send a brief reflection by text or email
Ask the teacher to visit a colleague’s lesson to look for a particular strategy and prepare their 3 biggest takeaways to share with you in the next meeting
Confirm next observation and meeting. Always leave each coaching meeting with a committed date and time for the next observation and coaching meeting. Ideally, coaching meetings occur on regular intervals, such as every other Tuesday at 1 pm. It is much easier to look at calendars for the last two minutes of a meeting to nail down the next meeting time then to try to follow up with the teacher by email.
Calendar invites. Send calendar invites for all observations, meetings, and deliverables. While it's a little less intuitive to send invites for deliverables, making sure there is a clear deadline for tasks on a teacher’s calendar (and yours!) is invaluable. When you see that the deadline has passed, it also helps to remind you to kindly, but directly, follow-up with the teacher about the missed action.
In order to support teachers effectively, especially in holding them accountable to implementation, cultivating clear communication with the school’s leadership is important. Administrators who are invented in the coaching process go a long way in supporting teacher accountability.
In Part 2, we’ll dig into the similarities and differences between in-person and virtual coaching as well as some tips for facilitating virtual coaching meetings.