Coaching

A publication of Teachstone
Building a Foundation for
EFFECTIVE
COACHING
What Every Coach Needs to Know

contact@teachstone.com
TABLE OF CONTENTS
COACHING FUNDAMENTAL #1:

The Importance of Building Rapport........................................................5

Using Parallel Processes to Make an Impact.........................................10

Preserving Energy and Maintaining Balance........................................ 17

Knowing When to Take off Your Supervisor Hat.....................................25
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Introduction
Becoming a coach isnt easy. Theres a lot to learn, a lot

to remember, and a lot of complexities we must hold in our
minds as we interact with the teachers we support. By the
time were actively coaching teachers, we are seeped
in knowledge, practices, and theoriesnot to mention
the very real-world expectations and demands of our
programs. In the midst of all of this mental (and sometimes
even emotional) juggling, we can lose sight of some
fundamentals.
These basics of coachingbuilding trust with teachers

and interacting effectively with them, maintaining balance,
and establishing appropriate boundariesare fundamental
for a reason: without them, our efforts as coaches can
become futile. These basics are also fundamental in that
they serve as the foundation for the work well do with our
teachers on the CLASS tool.
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No matter where you are in your coaching practice
whether youre new to the role or whether youve been
working with teachers for yearsit never hurts to get back
to the basics. We hope you enjoy these tips, and stay tuned
for more coaching e-books and resources from Teachstone
to help you build your practice.
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Coaching Fundamental #1:
The Importance
of Building Rapport
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The Importance of Building Rapport
The Need for Authenticity

As coaches, we work hard to help teachers increase the
effectiveness of their interactions. But do we take our own
advice when working with them?
It can be difficult for teachers to learn, understand, and

apply CLASS domains and dimensions intentionally and
in the moment. Developing these skills takes buy-in,
openness, self-reflection, and a willingness to change
and grow. Encouraging teachers toward more effective
interactions means we must inspire commitment, hard work,
and an acceptance that they may fall short sometimes.
This can only happen within the context of safe, supportive
relationships built around encouragement and authenticity.
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Think about it: How do children feel when they hear more
negative feedback than positive? Well, demotivated,
for starters. It should come as no surprise that thats how
teachers feel when we bombard them with criticism
(however constructive). Theres a reason building upon
teachers strengths is a core tenet of the research-proven
coaching model, MyTeachingPartner (MTP) Coaching.
Change or growth rarely happens outside of positive,
supportive relationships. As coaches, managers, and
trainers, we should be making the same effort with teachers
that we are asking for them to put in with children.
Reread the graphic on page 7, this time considering

your relationships with the teachers you coach. Our work
together with teachers should be seen as collaborative: Im
here to support you, and we will learn and practice these
strategies together.
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Stay True to Your Word
Part of building trust is staying true to your word. If you tell
a teacher that you will only be looking for evidence of one
indicator during your next informal observation, then stick
to it. It can be tempting to point out missed opportunities
across other indicators or dimensions, but trust is all about
keeping promises.

When coaching teachers,
establishing trust is integral
to developing strong
relationships, and ultimately,
effecting change in their
classroom interactions.
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Using Parallel
Processes to
Make an Impact
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Using Parallel Processes to Make an Impact
What Do You Do?

For coaches, its not an uncommon conversation. Youre at
a dinner party making small talk with acquaintances, and
just as youre about to make your way to the nearest snack
tray, someone asks, So, what do you do? If you werent so
eager for that cheese dip just out of reach, youd probably
take a moment to answer in full, I work with teachers to
help them improve their teaching practice or Im an
instructional coach. Instead, you use shorthand: Im a
coach.
The response is almost inevitable: Oh, what sport?
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The Sports Analogy
For those of us who work with educators, the distinction
between coaching players on the field for a win and
coaching educators in the classroom for the development
of our children is a vast one. And yet, not only do we share
a title with athletic coaches, there are many parallels to be
found in our work.
Take baseball, for example. If you happen to drive by a

baseball field in early summer, youll see a familiar sight: a
Little League coach in a baseball cap tossing balls back-
and-forth with kids to help improve their catching skills. How
does this coaching affect the childrens practice? Even
for the most naturally gifted catchers in the group, its the
practice makes perfect coaching that will help shape
them into effective young athletes.
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We frequently think about coaching in sports, but what
about coaching for teachers?

Teachers, like athletes and
other professionals, need
to have quality coaches
supporting their professional
development in order to be
successful.
Parallel Processes
So what makes an effective coach? Lets start with the
previous sports analogy. When coaches are working with
youth in sports, they strive to teach them about respect,
leadership, responsibility, patience, teamwork, and the
fundamentals of that sport. In order to do this, the coach
must use a parallel process by role modeling each of these
qualities. The coach must use respectful interactions, have
great leadership capabilities, be responsible, patient, work
well with others, and also know the fundamentals of the sport.
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Modeling the CLASS Tool
The same logic applies for coaching early childhood
teachers. One goal in coaching teachers is to improve
interactions between teachers and children within the
classroom. Coaches can help teachers achieve this goal by
using parallel processes found in the CLASS tool.
So, what parallel processes can you use in your interactions

with teachers that model effective teacher-child
interactions? Lets look at a few:
Building warm, supportive relationships
Showing regard for teachers perspectives through

flexibility and genuine interest in their ideas
Encouraging teachers to problem solve and try new

strategies
Giving feedback that encourages teachers efforts and

expands their skills
By using these parallel processes, we can impact the

teachers we support just as our teachers can impact the
children they teach through the CLASS tool.
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Preserving Energy
and Maintaining
Balance
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Preserving Energy and Maintaining Balance
Coaches who genuinely help clients must first prepare

themselves and then constantly balance the many forces
at play in any coaching relationship. The coachs own
strengths, gifts, dilemmas, and blind spots profoundly
influence that relationship. The deep personal awareness
and inner development required to constantly attend to
and address these issues means coaching is not for the faint
of heart.
Dale Schwarz, Facilitative Coaching: A Toolkit for

Expanding Your Repetoire and Achieving Lasting Results
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When Stress Feels Like a Job Requirement
Teachers are under a tremendous amount of stress and
pressureand so are the coaches who support them.
Every day teachers contend with innumerable demands,
competing priorities, and high-performance expectations,
all while nurturing, inspiring, and educating the children in
their care. Coaches also shoulder significant responsibilities
and conflicting demands, all while building a foundation for
teachers growth.
As we work with teachers, we strive to give them the tools

and insights they need to stay motivated and prevent
burnout. But how to do we prevent burning out ourselves?
We feel deep responsibility as coaches, but we cant carry

that role 24/7we shouldnt even try.
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Like teaching, coaching
is not a job we can
leave at the office and
simply return to when
we clock-in, so to do
it successfully requires
balance, patience,
and presence. How do
coaches maintain that
when supporting the
professionals on the front
lines with children every
day, often serving as the
first repository for shared
anecdotes of great
joy, great tragedy, and
everything in between?
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Tips for Cultivating Balance
Here are some tips for coaches (and those who employ
them) to find support and maintain the necessary energy to
travel the journey of each classrooms life over the course of
a year or more with the teachers they coach:
1. Develop trusting, collaborative relationships with

teachers that will sustain your work together. Let teachers
know they may share openly and confidentially (as
appropriate) with you to break down barriers. Listen;
dont judge.
2. Focus on the specific content and actual practice of

the teachers whom you coach and use written notes,
shared video, or other visual reminders of the purpose of
your work in each coaching session. Stick with the topic
you agreed to discuss and avoid being sidetracked by
competing content priorities.
3. Set the agenda aside when necessary and allow time

for personal sharing of concerns or joys that provide you
both with the opportunity to actively engage in building
a strong relationship. Then be sure to return to your focus
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4. Choose a framework and standardized process to guide
your work and stay grounded in it in each coaching
session or interaction. Occasionally, you may need to
set aside the framework to focus on an urgent issue, but
return to it when ready to dive back into the content
work.
5. Get 1:1 support. Just as teachers support children and

coaches support teachers, make sure coaches have
support, too. One-on-one meetings, either in-person
or remotely via audio or video conference, between
coaches and their specialistsas we call them in MTP
provide an opportunity for coach goal-setting and
in-depth reflection and feedback on the work with
individual teachers.
6. Join coach cohorts or communities of practice with

colleagues, either in-person or via audio or video
conference, to share anonymous case studies of
successes and challenges and group discussions of
specific content areas or coaching principles and ethics.
Finding balance, patience, and presence as a coach isnt

just a feel-good approach. The fact is, the more we are
able to cultivate these states, the more energized we are in
our practice and the better we are at our jobs.
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Knowing When to
Take off Your
Supervisor Hat
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Knowing When to Take off Your Supervisor Hat
Leading Staff Vs. Developing Staff

Preschool directors wear many hats in the programs they
work inoverseeing operations, licensing, and budgets, just
to name a few. One critical function of school directors is
leading staff, which can include both supervisory functions
and fostering professional growth. Often the management
aspects of the job take precedence, but teachers need
support in order to build on effective teaching practices.
How Directors Can Coach Effectively

Coaching is defined as professional development that
is ongoing, grounded in classroom practice (preferably
observation), individualized, reflective, and intensive. Of
course some coaches are not supervisors at all, but many
programs cannot afford a coaching staff, so supervisors
additionally serve as coaches.
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Directors can play the role of coach if they follow
some important guidelines:
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Challenges for Supervisors
There are challenges for directors who also coach their staff,
such as allotting time to coaching.
Coaching is ongoing and intensive;

directors may struggle to find time
to play this role. Conflicting priorities
can also be difficult to manage.
State which hat youre wearing
supervisor or coachand stick to it
by following the guidelines above
in order to find success.
Finally, some teachers may respond better to a coach who

is not a supervisor, so consider your staffs priorities when
making decisions.
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Were the tips in this e-book helpful?
Find more practical strategies, as well as classroom
videos, interactive learning questions, and
discussion boards in Instructional Support Strategies
Online for Coaches.
Help your teachers get the hang of Instructional Support with

IS Strategies Online for Coaches. In these accessible online
courses, coaches gain the confidence, skills, and strategies
they need to help teachers improve their interactions (and
their CLASS scores) in Instructional Support.
Explore IS Strategies Online
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A publication of Teachstone

Building a Foundation for

What Every Coach Needs to Know

COACHING FUNDAMENTAL #1:

COACHING FUNDAMENTAL #2:

COACHING FUNDAMENTAL #3:

COACHING FUNDAMENTAL #4:

Becoming a coach isnt easy. Theres a lot to learn, a lot

These basics of coachingbuilding trust with teachers

The Need for Authenticity

It can be difficult for teachers to learn, understand, and

Reread the graphic on page 7, this time considering

What Do You Do?

The response is almost inevitable: Oh, what sport?

Take baseball, for example. If you happen to drive by a

So, what parallel processes can you use in your interactions

Building warm, supportive relationships

Showing regard for teachers perspectives through

Encouraging teachers to problem solve and try new

Giving feedback that encourages teachers efforts and

By using these parallel processes, we can impact the

Coaches who genuinely help clients must first prepare

Dale Schwarz, Facilitative Coaching: A Toolkit for

As we work with teachers, we strive to give them the tools

We feel deep responsibility as coaches, but we cant carry

1. Develop trusting, collaborative relationships with

2. Focus on the specific content and actual practice of

3. Set the agenda aside when necessary and allow time

5. Get 1:1 support. Just as teachers support children and

6. Join coach cohorts or communities of practice with

Finding balance, patience, and presence as a coach isnt

Leading Staff Vs. Developing Staff

How Directors Can Coach Effectively

Coaching is ongoing and intensive;

Finally, some teachers may respond better to a coach who

Help your teachers get the hang of Instructional Support with

Explore IS Strategies Online

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