Benchmark

Cristen Simone

Grand Canyon University

EAD 530: Improving Teacher Performance and Self-Efficacy

Dr. Barbara Erwin

October 6, 2021
 This year my current school has a handful of new incoming teachers. Many of them

need support in their classrooms to better their understanding of our school programs and

schedules. I was able to do a coaching cycle as second grade chair with the new second grade

teacher. The coaching cycle was aimed toward improving her balanced literacy instruction and

adapting to new programs. Our school follows the Readers and Writers Workshop programs

daily.

The coaching cycle should include three components, the pre-conference, the

observation, and the post conference. The coaching cycle started with a pre-conference about

the balanced literacy lesson I was going to observe. I started the conversation by asking the

teacher to discuss her lesson from start to finish. After, I followed up with some general

questions:

o How are lessons going in your classroom?

o Are your lessons engaging students? How so?

o How long do your lessons last? How long is readers workshop? How long is

writers workshop?

o What issues are you having, if any, during your lessons?

During the pre-conference, it was evident that this teacher was not proficient in these

programs and had problems timing her lessons. She stated that her lessons were too short or

too long and she could not fit everything into her schedule. When the observation came, I saw

everything she stated I would. The school follows times for every part of a balanced literacy

lesson. The mini lesson before each workshop should last for a total of ten minutes.

Independent work or skills should be reinforced the remainder of that class. The teacher
struggled with the timing of her lessons. The mini lesson ran for about half of the class and

students did not have time to complete any work. Lastly, due to lack of time the lesson showed

no solid closure.

The post conference was very helpful for the new teacher in many ways. I started out

the conference by asking her to explain how the lesson went and to name pros and cons. It is

very important for teachers, especially new ones, to reflect on practice and be able to see areas

they can improve for next time. The teacher expresses the concerns that I saw with timing and

no closing. We also agreed that the lesson should be more engaging for students.

Administrators should look to ensure that students and teachers are engaged in active, purposeful

learning (Martin, K. L, et. al., 2016). Together we both collaborated ideas and made a small

action plan.

I gave the teacher of copy of the schools suggested timing for balanced literacy classes.

It lays out the time for each part of the lesson and this can be used as a guide. I also wrote in

the action plan that she can implement Google slides and timers into her lesson. This is a great

way to incorporate technology and keep her organized throughout the lesson. The slides can

layout the lesson from start to finish so she knows each point she wants to cover. They should

include objectives, mini lessons, visuals, and anything else important in the lesson. The slides

can have timers that are beneficial for her and students. An exit ticket or question can be

included at the end of the slides for students. The action plan will be the start of the teacher

developing instructional capacity by learning different strategies to use in her classroom to aid

instruction. During a follow up meeting with the teacher, she expressed that the

recommendations that were given helped her timing and she feels more confident in her
lessons. Flexibility is important for a teacher to have to be able to adapt and make changes in

instruction (Mitchell, M., et. al., 2015).

A leader must create a positive school culture that supports expectations for students.

Collaboration and trust are key to help support teachers and their students. This coaching

cycle showed the teacher that we can work together to come up with strategies that improve

her practice. Coaching cycles will help create an overall personalized learning environment by

students depending on areas of concern. I was mindful to reflect on my experiences as a first-

year teacher when coaching this new teacher. A leader should be vulnerable, transparent, and

act with ethical behavior to ensure successful coaching. The coaching cycle should include

strong communication, collaborative partnerships, and demonstrate professional expertise

(Pierce, J. D., 2019). The coaching cycle had all of the components and it turned out beneficial

for that teacher.

 References

Martin, K. L., Buelow, S. M., & Hoffman, J. T. (2016). New teacher induction: Support that

impacts beginning middle-level educators. Middle School Journal, 47(1), 4–12.

https://doi-org.lopes.idm.oclc.org/10.1080/00940771.2016.1059725

Mitchell, M., & Bott, T. (2015). Preparing Student Teachers and Beginning Teachers for the

Post-teaching Conference. JOPERD: The Journal of Physical Education, Recreation &

Dance, 86(2), 10–13. https://doi-org.lopes.idm.oclc.org/10.1080/07303084.2014.988375

Pierce, J. D. (2019). How Good Coaches Build ALLIANCE with Teachers. Educational

Leadership, 77(3), 78–82.