The #educoach hashtag is used by instructional coaches around the world. We chat each Wednesday at 8pm CST on Twitter and use the hashtag throughout the week to share resources, ask questions and collaborate with instructional coaches.
Hi #educoach! I'm Jennifer, a math/science instructional coach in Oregon. My #eduwin was modeling #numbertalks and #wodb today in 7 classrooms! Good debriefing conversations, too.
I learn something new with every different group of students & teachers I work with which is why I love what I get to do everyday! I love how every day as a teacher can be different, new, & just as exciting as the first one. #educoach#kidsdeserveit#TeacherAsLearner
#EduCoach 👋🏼Serve as an Instructional Coach at Bartlett MS in Porterville, CA. A success story is that today I co-observed a total of 11 classrooms w/a New Tt. Also hosted a New Tt luncheon in which they shared one goal. Passionate about supporting New Ts #NewTeachersDeserveIt
Good evening, #educoach! Lauren, K-5 Instructional Coach, Indiana and co-moderator for tonight’s chat. My #eduwin is the growth being seen within our lab site classrooms. We are excited to have five classrooms to host our colleagues this semester!
Hi #educoach Jim Knight in a hotel room in Houston. Lot's of great wins, but my favorite was a a great conversation with @AinsworthLarry about coaching and student achievement.
Homework can be tough! I had a science class tonight and spent some frantic time today making sure I was ready. Helps us remember how the students feel... #educoach
Let’s get started with tonight’s topic: Chapter 3 - The Focus Question. (Our questions are framed with an instructional coach in mind, but feel free to insert your own role to respond to the question.) #educoach
Hi. Elaine IC from NJ checking in #EduCoach my #EduWin this week was realizing that I’m truly an asset to many and that I absolutely love sharing what I know with others.
Q1 Have you had an opportunity to try @boxofcrayons kickstart and awe questions? (What’s on your mind? And what else?) We’d love to hear your experiences. #educoach
Some of the goals our New Ts shared today ranged from how to facilitate more collaborative discussions, to encouraging Ss to teach each other and use each other as resources & not dependent on the Ts, to staying encouraged each day, to planning ahead vs day by day, etc. #EduCoach
A1: I tried "what's on your mind?" with my teenaged sons. It didn't get much more than my other questions...
But, with teachers, asking "and what else?" keeps coaching conversations going. #educoach
Hello! Colleen here. K-2 Literacy Coach and Reading Specialist in @BerwynSouth100 at @D100Piper. Just peeking 👀 in on the chat to learn from some of the best.😊👋🏻 #EduCoach
A1 I used the kickstart question this week during two virtual coaching calls. It opened up a lot of possibilities to narrow in on.
12" of snow doesn't stop working virtually! #educoach
A1: Yes. With teachers mostly, but today with one of my principals knowing that it would open a@comversation about inclusive education and the role of core instructional the “core plus more” model #educoach
What do you get w/ engaged, excited students, a POWERFUL COACHING CYCLE, a variety of best practices and instruction strategies, & an AMAZING instructional coach?! RESULTS!!😍The proof is in the pudding...well, data! @WutzOnFirst U R A 🌟! @thebartletts#forsythpln#sharonstrong
Hi, I'm Julie from Arlington Heights, just tuning in. My #eduwin was working with my coaching team to personalize future PD for our teachers. #educoach
Q2 What has happened in your coaching conversation when you have used what @boxofcrayons describes as a “fake question”? (Advice with a question mark such as Have you thought of… or What about….) #educoach
Indeed! As an Instructional Coach I have tried to reframe concerns and goals regarding classroom management towards a focus on Student engagement & empowerment. Has been powerful to observe this shift. #EduCoach
A2: I've found that giving advice with a rhetorical question appears to be well received at first, even accepted... But no real lasting impact. #educoach
It allowed the principal to vent concerns/mixed feelings. “And what else” got her to think more deeply. Get to more of the nugget of the issue. #educoach
A2: I think of the "fake question" as a way to offer my feedback, however it doesn't take into account receiver's thoughts. First, seek to understand. #educoach
#EduCoach A2: Yes ♥️ the following advice in #TheCoachingHabit
"Stop offering up advice with a question mark attached."
I'm guilty of this. Exclamation points disguised as question marks don't count as questions. ⁉️The one time I do love an ❗️is when we ask ourselves👇🏼
A3 People tell me that making it crystal clear you want to hear the other person, really takes the pressure off of them. People feel freer to say what's on their mind when there is some space in a conversation. #educoach
Q4: What are ways you can tell you, a coaching partnership, a school team, etc… are actually heading down the path of solving the wrong problem? #educoach
#EduCoach A3: Waiting to offer ideas & asking Ts "And what else?" definitely maintains the focus on Ts. Love the focus on coaching for development because it ultimately empowers Ts to own their own professional development & problem solving. 🔥
Maybe it's more about thinking about what if it's not the true need/challenge and/or your focus has been lost or steered the wrong direction? #educoach
A4: usually it is a symptom of the real problem. The real issue may be a little scary to address as a team so a lesser problem may be discussed. #educoach
A4 One way is when there is a lot of spinning at the surface. Often that cause us to retro fit or put a bandaid on something rather than redesign to address the actual situation. #educoach
A5: You end up doing things for them. It's easier to ask to have something done than to learn how to do it yourself. It's there horse to water idea... #educoach
A4: Love how Instructional Rounds focus on the 5 whys and attempt to delve deep into asking questions to uncover WHY a certain problem of practice exists. The answer is in the questions. #EduCoach
Q4: What are ways you can tell you, a coaching partnership, a school team, etc… are actually heading down the path of solving the wrong problem? #educoach
A5: You end up doing things for them. It's easier to ask to have something done than to learn how to do it yourself. It's the horse to water idea... #educoach
A5 Dependency may mean the T is more focused on my ideas, than theirs. Did I solve the problem or did they? #educoach
Just like - Students should be doing the heavy lifting, so should Ts in a coaching situation. #educoach
A6 I like the challenge question a lot. It has always led to deep reflection whenever I've asked it, and now I've started to ask it of myself. #educoach
A5: Teachers are less likely to want to "do with" in order to grow as a T. I'm working to teachers involved w an observation task while I'm modeling. #educoach
A5: then as the coach, you must reevaluate your coaching interactions. Begin thinking about how your conversations are leading to dependence rather than independent thinking #educoach
#EduCoach
A5: When we create a cycle of dependency as #TheCoachingHabit stated we "become the VP of bottlenecking." So true! Slows everything down. Goal is to empower Ts to become their own problem solvers, resource finders, etc.
Q7: @boxofquestions mentions 3 common patterns in what he calls “Foggy fiers” - the Proliferation of Challenges, Coaching the Ghost, and Abstractions and Generalizations. Which ones resonated with you? What might you change when they surface again? #educoach
Welcome to the chat and to the teaching profession. We are actually chatting about instructional coaching, but the book The Coaching Habit could play a role in athletic coaching as well and yoru question about parents. #educoach
A6: It's amazing how simply adding "And what else?" and inserting "for you" in our line of questioning is indeed the bacon that "makes everything better." We can add it to everything. #EduCoach 🥓🥓🥓
A7: Hi #educoach, Amanda joining late from Western NY. Really digging down to clarify where the other person’s wants to go and how they believe they should get there can help steer clear of abstraction and generalizations. Video really helps bring in reality to the forefront.
A7: the proliferation of challenges is what impacts so many of my coaching conversations. Being able to handle the challenges through great questioning is key. #educoach
A8: i think the big thing is to ask questions that allow the teachers I’m working with to steer their own boat, maybe with a little help charting... not assuming I know what they need. #educoach
A8: Remembering that being prepared to coach means preparing yourself as a listener and a questioner. I will try not to predict what the Ts want me to solve. #educoach#alwayslearning
A7: I definitely resonated with the proliferation of challenges & how many "pops" surface when engaging in conversations with Ts. Definitely going to try "If you had to pick one of these to focus on, which one here would be the real challenge for you." #EduCoach
