Teacher Coaching and Development Process

Tambrietta Williams-Baca
Grand Canyon University: EAD 530
12 July 2023
Name: Tambrietta Williams-Baca

Date: 12 July 2023

Course ID: EAD 530

Instructor: John Gustafson

Inquiry into Teaching and Learning: Observation Pre-Conference

As a teacher, my pre-conferences were very informal and not very informative. There

were times when I did not even get a pre-conference before a formal observation. I have had a

few good pre-conferences when I was a beginning teacher with a mentor who needed to do peer

observations. I would get asked questions like “What is the focus for your lesson?” and “What

will the students be doing while you are doing this?” These questions made sure that my lessons

were aligned with the curriculum and made sure that my students were actively engaged with the

lesson as it was happening. This helped me as a beginning teacher because I did not know how to

write lessons, but I knew what I wanted to teach. “When we understand the importance of

ongoing teacher learning for the success of schools, then it’s essential to consider how best to

promote that learning” (Danielson, 2016). I am grateful to have had two mentors who really

understood the importance of me learning how to be a teacher so that I could have success in the

classroom.

Principals should ask questions like “How is your lesson aligned with your standards?”

“Will you be modeling for your students what you are looking for?” “Is this small group

instruction, whole group, or independent activity?” These questions get the teacher thinking

about their lesson and ways that they may be able to improve it before they deliver. When
teachers are knowledgeable about their lesson and can confidently answer questions about them,

it shows how well they have planned and how much thought went into the process of preparing.

Assessment of Teaching and Learning: Classroom Observation

When observing a classroom, the principal or coach may be looking for the rapport that

the teacher has with their students. They would also look for the teacher’s ability to demonstrate

competency or mastery of their content knowledge. It’s good to know that the teachers in charge

of your students have a decent relationship with the students and the students feel comfortable in

the classroom environment. It’s also good that the teacher knows their subject area very well. It

is impossible to teach something you don’t know for yourself. Principals and coaches also look

to see if there are connections to other disciplines, differentiation, and variety in the way

information is delivered. When there are connections to other disciplines, students can make

deeper connections in their brains. Differentiation and variety in teaching modality allow the

students who have various academic needs to have those needs met to bridge the gap between

themselves and their peers or challenge them to go beyond.

Principals and coaches should give timely, constructive feedback to the teachers they

observe. “Providing performance feedback is a third critical coaching practice and entails the

coach’s presentation of data to the teacher on his or her teaching practice. Providing this type of

feedback is highly effective in improving early childhood teacher practice as well as K-grade 12

teacher practice and learner outcomes” (WestEd, 2019). I believe classroom management,

pedagogy, and lesson components are all three very important topics of discussion when doing

observations. If the classroom management is lacking, the students will not learn. If the teacher’s

pedagogy is not there, then there may be more behavioral issues and the lesson will lack crucial
components. The teacher may have great classroom management, superb pedagogy, but if they

are lacking essential components to the lesson, it won’t be an effective lesson.

Coaches and principals should provide both constructive feedback and additional support

as needed. Each case is different, but if we want to positively affect student academic outcomes,

we will guide our teachers towards more effective teaching methods, equip them with classroom

management skills, and help them find new ways to present information in an engaging way.

Assessment of Teaching and Learning: Post-Observation Conversation

The principal in the video started off thanking the teacher for allowing her into her space

and complimented her on the good things she saw in the classroom. She also started off by

asking her how she thought her lesson went. That gives the teacher a chance to talk about the

things that she thinks went well and the areas where she felt she had struggled. This opens the

door for the coach or principal to potentially provide support for the teacher being observed. In

the video, the principal used specific evidence from the observation. This helped the teacher

understand exactly what she was referencing and why so she could grow.

I feel this principal gave very positive feedback for various reasons. From what I saw, it

seemed the principal and the teacher had a decent relationship and that there was trust built

between the two of them. It appears that the teacher knows her principal wants to see her be

successful and is willing to accept any feedback she’s given. Because the principal started off

positively, the rest of the conversation remained positive. “[P]rincipals want to maintain good

relationships with their teachers, which can be tough to do when they have to confront them with

bad reviews” (Loewus, 2017). I believe this is why principals frame their negative or

constructive criticism as a question. This way the teacher does not automatically get on the
defensive side. Instead, it opens the door for a conversation between the principal and the teacher

so the teacher can reflect and grow in their subject.

 References

Danielson, C. (2016). Talk about teaching!: Leading professional conversations. BibliU.

Corwin. Retrieved from

https://bibliu.com/app/#/view/books/9781483373805/epub/OEBPS/s9781483394299.i27

1.html#page_17.

Effective Coaching: Improving Teacher Practice and Outcomes for All Learners. (2019).

In National Center for Systemic Improvement at WestEd. National Center for Systemic

Improvement at WestEd.

Loewus, L. (2017). Principals Are Loath to Give Teachers Bad Ratings. 

Education Week, 36(37), 1–7.