Table+6+HATs+Page



I have created this page so you can all contribute, share and discuss your progress with Peer Coaching in your school. I will also use it to add any resources that may be useful to you. Please feel free to add any resources that you find useful. Click **Edit** on this page to enter information.

This is an outline of what you need to complete by December 2011:

The assessment schedule set out the following: // The peer coach will be required to negotiate a **pilot** program with their principal and at least two participating teachers. The program should involve completing a number of coaching cycles over semester 2. They will be required to provide the following evidence that you have implemented peer coaching: //
 * The school based practicum **
 * // A coaching log signed by a principal (or delegate) and participating teachers. //
 * // A brief coaching report from one teacher. //
 * // A record of a lesson improvement process including notes re observation and feedback. //
 * // A coaching chronicle or narrative description of what you actually achieved. //
 * // A peer coaching implementation plan for **a full program** in 2012. //

This OneNote file, kindly developed by Pip, may help you build your coaching portfolio. Remember your coaching portfolio will continue the resources that you are using in your coaching plan. It can also contain articles and links to websites etc. []

**Update!!** //Leading Peer Coaching//, the on-line component mentioned during the training, is not a formal requirement of peer coaching training and so will not be required to be completed by HATs this year. It has been decided to allow HATs to focus on their peer coaching this year. The online course can be completed next year on a voluntary basis. //Leading Peer Coaching// would be an ideal way to continue the learning, support and reflection into 2012

In school activity guide: I have created a table with the activities that you will be working on over the next few months. Could you please add to this table. This will allow you to keep focused on the completion of your training. I will email you to remind you of the activity you should be working on. Remember, I am here to help you through the process! Please have fun!!


 * Note**: The **Coaching Resources** page on this wiki has the cue cards and protocols you will be using in your coaching.

2. Identified some possible teachers to coach 3. Set up a coaching log 4. Revisit the cue cards you can use to refine your questioning skills ||  || Yes Yes Yes Yes || Yes Yes Yes Yes ||  || Yes Yes Yes ||  || Yes Yes Yes Yes ||  || 1. Begin working with a teacher 2. Share your progress with the group. Can someone please tell us where to share? 3. Build a coaching toolkit/portfolio of tools you will use in your coaching 4. Reflect on your coaching and progress ||  || Yes
 * **Activity 1** || ===//**Julie**//=== || ===//**Kristy**//=== || ===//**Suzanne**//=== || ===//**Ellie**//=== || ===//**Connie**//=== || ===//**Sophie**//=== || ===//**Safija**//=== || ===//**Kelly**//=== ||
 * 1. Meet with your principals to discuss peer coaching and implementation strategies.
 * **Activity 2**
 * **Activity 2**

Dev || Yes Yes Developing Yes ||  || Yes Yes ||  || Yes ||   || You coaching should be underway. You may be having your first **conversations**. It can be hard to think of the question that can help a teacher to move forward. You have seen the common questions in the training. Here are some additional ones. I use some of these. Others don’t suit how I coach. We all have our own style. Have a look at the list. Could you use any of these? What questions can you add here? Sample questions You will remember that at the training the facilitator group continually met and reworked the program as we got to know you better. Experienced leaders know that actually getting started and doing something is critical. Having taken action they reflect, learn and adapt as they go. In 1982, Peters and Waterman offered the metaphor “ready-fire-aim” to capture the way in which real change often happens. The most successful leaders of change don’t make a plan and then stick to it. Instead they tend to plan, act and refine their plan regularly as a result of what they learn from implementing their action. Michael Fullan quotes Peters and Waterman in a terrific and practical change resource that you will find at @http://www.michaelfullan.ca/resource_assets/handouts/10_Motion_Leadership_Handout_US.pdf. I think it is well worth reading. Perhaps you could be having a look at your plan and see whether it needs to be tweaked. Here are some peer coaching questions that may be useful: 1. What did you set out to do this term? 2. What have you done so far? 3. What will you keep doing? What will you stop doing? What else could you do that you aren’t doing now? 4. What have you learnt about yourself? about leading change? 5. What is your next step? (ie your revised plan for next term) Remember that it is important that you are not too hard on yourself. The best coaches are great learners…always trying things out and not prepared to fail. ||  ||   ||   ||   ||   ||   ||   ||   || Have you started to think about giving great **feedback**? Have you sought feedback on your coaching? The latest OECD report into Australian education found that teachers generally welcome feedback: //The Review Team formed the view that Australian teachers are generally perceived as trusted professionals among the different stakeholders. This is reflected in the extensive autonomy they benefit in the exercise of their duties. One of the results is that they are generally eager and willing to receive feedback. Teachers generally conveyed to the Review Team that they appreciated the time the school principal took to provide them with feedback and in general found classroom visits, where they occur, useful. However, Australian teachers have relatively few opportunities for professional feedback. The main opportunity to receive feedback on their practices is the annual performance review held with the school principal who tends to have limited time to engage properly in the coaching, monitoring and appraisal of teachers. Similarly, the interaction with experts of school review teams is infrequent and does not allow for a comprehensive review of teaching practices for individual teachers. // One of the strengths of peer coaching is that it provides teachers with an opportunity to get meaningful feedback from a trusted peer. It is just as important for you to get feedback so that you can continue to grow. There are many ways for this feedback to happen. The best idea is to negotiate this with the teacher you are coaching. One tool that might help is the **//Wows and Wonders//** protocol. It could be a good first step. You could suggest trying this. You could observe a lesson or an improved lesson/unit plan or work samples and list all the **Wows** you see. You could then pose one question beginning with: **//I was wondering if…//** A more in depth explanation is provided in your conference booklet. The **Wows and Wonders** protocol involves asking your coachee to explain an improved lesson to you and/or your group. Then you highlight the **Wows** of the improved lesson. Use probing questions to pose **Wonders** for even further refinement or improvement. Can you think of any other ways you could give effective feedback? Have you tried any strategies? What happened? ||  ||   ||   ||   ||   ||   ||   ||   ||
 * **Activity 3:**
 * **Activity 3:**
 * What is the issue on which you would like to work today?
 * What would you like to achieve by the end of this meeting?
 * What would you like to happen that is not happening now?
 * How far and how detailed would you like to get in this session?
 * Can we achieve what you want today in the time available? Do we need to break it into several goals?
 * What is happening at the moment?
 * How do you know?
 * When does this happen?
 * What and how great is your concern about it?
 * Who, other than yourself, is affected by this issue?
 * How much control do you personally have over the outcome?
 * Who else has some control over it and how much?
 * What action steps have you taken on it so far?
 * What obstacles will need to be overcome on the way?
 * What resources do you already have – skill, time, enthusiasm, support, etc?
 * What other resources will you need? Where will you get them from?
 * If I could grant you one wish related to the issue what would it be?
 * What are the different ways in which you could approach this issue?
 * What are the alternatives, large or small, open to you?
 * What else could you do?
 * What would you do if you had more time, unlimited resources? Can you do any of those things with what you already have?
 * What would you do if you could start again with a clean sheet, with a new team?
 * Would you like to add a suggestion from me?
 * Can I make a suggestion?
 * What are the advantages and disadvantages of each of these in turn?
 * Which would give the best result?
 * Which of these solutions appeals to you most, or feels best to you?
 * Which would give you the most satisfaction?
 * Which option or options will you choose?
 * What are your criteria for success?
 * When precisely are you going to start and finish each action step?
 * What personal resistance do you have, if any, to taking these steps?
 * What might get in the way?
 * Who needs to know what your plans are?
 * What support do you need and from whom?
 * What will you do to obtain that support and when?
 * What commitment on a 1-10 scale do you have to taking these agreed actions?
 * What is it that prevents this from being a 10?
 * What could you do or alter to raise your commitment closer to 10?
 * Is there anything else you want to talk about now or are we finished?
 * When would you like to meet or talk again?
 * You could share some questions that you find helpful on this DER wiki site.** ||  ||   ||   ||   ||   ||   ||   ||   ||
 * ** Activity 4: **
 * ** Activity 4: **
 * **Activity 5:**
 * **Activity 5:**
 * //Teachers are trusted professionals with a high degree of autonomy but they have few opportunities for feedback //**
 * August 2011: OECD Reviews of Evaluation and Assessment in Education Australia **This summary of main conclusions is drawn from OECD Reviews of Evaluation and Assessment in Education: Australia. The full report is available on the project’s website: [|www.oecd.org/edu/evaluationpolicy]
 * **Activity 6**
 * **Activity 6**

Ideally coaching should be 1:1, but there are times when you have an oversupply of volunteers and an undersupply of available time so coaching them individually just isn’t viable. Rather than only accepting some, a small group approach can be used. This can be tricky but works quite well with two people per coach. I would imagine that as a HAT you are working with a range of scenarios from 1:1 for your coaching accreditation but are probably also applying coaching strategies to your other work around the school. So any coaching approaches, structures or strategies that apply to small groups or alternate delivery models would be very welcome.
 * Anything to share?**

By now you should be well into your coaching. You should be having some wins, but if you are like me you may be hitting a blockage or two. It may be worth having a look at the road block activity in session 6. The table below is a summary.
 * Blockages**

The key to this model is that it helps you to think your way through the blockage and plan a concrete action to deal with it. By doing that it helps to take the emotion out of the situation. You could ask a trusted colleague/peer coach to help you work through it or you could **//coach yourself!//**
 * Some notes on the model**

It is important not to lose confidence when blockages occur. **They are normal.** They often occur when you least expect them e.g. when a normally supportive colleague becomes challenging we can be confused and feel hurt. Good people can’t be expected to be perfect. This is why good coaches have their own support network to help them keep learning and improving their skills.

You will notice that these peer coaching models/skills/protocols are really valuable in **leadership** roles generally. They help you to set goals, plan, remain focused on what matters, positive, keep the communication channels open, build empathy with others and act.

Don’t forget that we are here to support you.

I think it is time to look at some new readings. Do you have anything good to share?
 * Next time**

I’ll also send some links to some useful tools. ||  ||   ||   ||   ||   ||   ||   ||   ||


 * 1. Define the problem
 * Gather information.
 * Identify relevant facts. ||
 * 2. Identify the causes
 * Discuss possible cause with others.
 * Try putting yourself in the other person’s shoes.
 * Think of all the possible causes. ||
 * 3. Generate possible solutions
 * Research ideas on the Internet.
 * Ask collaborating teachers and other coaches for ideas.
 * Keep in mind what you can and cannot control. ||
 * <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 11px;">4. Decide on a solution
 * <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 11px;">Try to identify a strategy that will improve the situation.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 11px;">Make the solution realistic. ||
 * <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 11px;">5. Plan
 * <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 11px;">Write a goal and check-point to determine if the solution is working.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 11px;">Identify action steps to solve the problem. ||
 * **<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 11px;">Act…. ** ||