Providing Effective Feedback Coaches & Principals

Think-Pair-Share: How do you provide feedback to teachers after an observation? How do you debrief with teachers? What strategies have been particularly effective? What are some challenges you’ve had with providing feedback?

The Coaching Cycle Identify Groups to Observe: Follow Up • 5-Minute Observations • Review of Written Data Follow Up Conduct Observations Provide Feedback / Identify and Apply Remedies

The Feedback/Follow-up Loop Provide Feedback: 3 Student-Focused “Keepers” Identify Remedies: 1 Student-Focused “Polisher” Apply Remedies: Provide Support (Apply remedies) Desired Student Behavior Teacher behavior that will elicit student behavior Model teaching Follow Up Follow-up with Observations and Provide Feedback steps Provide Feedback / Identify and Apply Remedies

Methods for Providing Feedback Written Feedback Verbal Feedback (immediate) Verbal Feedback (delayed)

General Format for Providing Feedback Thank you 3 “Keepers” (Student Focused) The students ______ because you _______ 1 “Polisher” (Student Focused) It’s important that students __________; in order to do that, try ________

Providing Feedback: Thank You What: Thank teacher for opportunity to observe, welcoming you in their classroom, etc. Why: Ensures teacher feels honored, builds rapport leaving teacher more open to receive and respond to feedback

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”

Partner share Partner A: why are “Thank-yous” and “Keepers” important in providing feedback? Partner B: add to partner A’s response and How have you/do you plan to use “Thank yous” and “Keepers” when providing feedback? Partner A: add to partner B’s response

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) We want to limit the number of polishers to a manageable number. One isn’t the magic number, but it should be no more than 3. The more a teacher needs support, the fewer polishers she should receive. It’s critical to keep the polishers student focused to reduce the likelihood that the teacher feels singled out, and to ensure that the polisher really is set to improve student performance (and isn’t just the preference of the observer)

Practice Observe this lesson, selecting one or more of the 9 general features of instruction to provide feedback Identify your “thank you” statement Identify 3 keepers on which to provide feedback Identify 1 polisher

Practice Give feedback to your partner Partner B – provide feedback to partner A as if partner A was the teacher who had taught the lesson Partner A – tell partner B what elements of giving effective feedback were incorporated (keepers). Give partner B a polisher for providing more effective feedback

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 Limiting Feedback to only keepers in writing reduces the likelihood that a “polisher” will be misinterpreted or that a teacher will be offended by the suggestion. Writing is less personal than a conversation, and so it may be more appropriate to only deliver positive messages when providing feedback in writing only. Providing positive feedback in writing helps build moral and lets people know their efforts are being noticed. It’s a great idea to provide clear “polishers” in writing ONLY after discussing the polisher verbally. This way, the verbally described polisher can be reinforced and is more likely to be put in place, but is less likely to be misinterpreted or create defensiveness.

Providing Feedback: Special Considerations When providing feedback Verbally (Immediately): This option is helpful when doing coach & principal walk-throughs 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. Describe the Principal-Coach Walk-through paradigm where the principal may give feedback while the coach takes the teachers class and models the new teaching strategy. A check for understanding will increase the likelihood that the teacher hears and remembers the positive feedback instead of focusing only on the “polisher” and feeling like she’s being criticized It is critical to give a “teacher friendly explanation” of the effective teaching practice. Example for monitoring: Walk, Look, Correct; Example for an attention signal: Give signal once and only once; Give: the look; the walk; the touch AND model the behavior so the teacher is clear about what the polisher looks like.

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.

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

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”

Practice Observe this lesson, selecting one or more of the 9 general features of instruction to provide feedback Identify your “thank you” statement Identify 3 keepers on which to provide feedback Identify 1 polisher

Practice Give feedback to your partner Partner A – provide feedback to partner A as if partner A was the teacher who had taught the lesson (may incorporate a “special consideration” like having the teacher debrief first). Partner B – tell partner A what elements of giving effective feedback were incorporated (keepers). Give partner A a polisher for providing more effective feedback.

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

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

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

Your goals for feedback Write the critical elements for giving effective feedback Check the items you already do Circle one item you would like to try or like to do more when providing feedback