{"id":21980,"date":"2024-03-28T05:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-03-28T12:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nwea.org\/blog\/?p=21980"},"modified":"2024-07-16T08:46:38","modified_gmt":"2024-07-16T15:46:38","slug":"4-ways-instructional-coaches-can-help-teachers-select-a-focus-for-instructional-coaching","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nwea.org\/blog\/2024\/4-ways-instructional-coaches-can-help-teachers-select-a-focus-for-instructional-coaching\/","title":{"rendered":"4 ways instructional coaches can help teachers select a focus for instructional coaching"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Remember the age-old assignment where teachers ask students to write instructions on how to make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich? It seems like a simple enough task, even if shared orally with students as young as first or second grade. But upon realizing all the steps they inevitably leave out, students often become overwhelmed the next time they\u2019re asked to write instructions, wondering, \u201cWhat did I leave out? What if I have things in the wrong order?\u201d Thinking about how to kick off your next coaching cycle can feel a little like this: It seems<\/em> simple enough, but what if a critical step or two are left out in the early stages? Will the coaching cycle recover, or will you be left with a jar of unopened peanut butter sitting on a lone slice of bread? Let\u2019s explore the ways you can find a focus for instructional coaching.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Rethink your starting point<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The first step in any coaching cycle is usually to choose a goal or focus for instructional coaching, but is this really <\/em>the first thing coaches and teachers can do together? Much like taking all the necessary ingredients out of the cabinet to make sure you can make that sandwich, coaches and teachers benefit from a thorough needs assessment before entering a coaching cycle. What\u2019s most important for the teacher right now? What will be most effective for their students? These are just two of the many questions coaches can pose to teachers to prepare them for choosing a coaching focus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Assessing teacher needs can begin during your first 30-minute get-to-know-you meeting, but I encourage you to start even sooner with a digital needs assessment form that you email the teacher. You can keep a bank of questions to pose to teachers or create an online form to share with them a week or two before the coaching cycle begins. Some of the prompts NWEA instructional coaches<\/a> use are as follows:<\/p>\n\n\n\n