Coaching for Professional Learning Communities – Classrooms

For 12-hour PLCs only.  When implementing a PLC curriculum, coaching sessions are geared towards classroom teaching teams and are highly collaborative.  Teachers will have time to brainstorm and plan during Training as well. As a full group, we will use our time in Training to think about questions and ideas, bounce ideas off peers, and put together next steps.  This should provide teams time to synthesize thoughts/ideas and be prepared for each observation and coaching session.

Coaching sessions are 50 minutes with 10 minutes of note-taking/reflection, give or take.

Types of PLC Coaching Sessions

1. Coaching Administrators
2. Coaching Whole Program (non-training)
3. Coaching Classroom Teams
4. Coaching Individuals

Practice-Based Coaching in Classroom Teams

The Wheelhouse Collaborative employs a Practice-based Coaching model that includes a three-step process:

1. Shared Goals and Action Planning (occurs in Training)
2. Focused observations (coaching session 1)
3. Reflection and Feedback (coaching session 2)

For all PLCs, step one, “shared goals and action planning” occurs in each Training and provides ample time for discussion and planning.

Classroom coaching sessions follow the next two steps in the coaching process.  In-between each Training of the 12-hour PLC, two coaching sessions occur with teaching teams and are one hour each.

1. Coaching Session 1: Focused observations to observe implementation first-hand and provide real-time documentation of teaching and learning practices.
2. Coaching Session 2: Reflecting and discussing learning journals, documentation, and next steps.

PLC Feedback Loops

Each of the three coaching and observation sessions follows a unique feedback loop.  Each feedback loop provides structure and clarity and ensures teachers are collaboratively embedding PLC concepts in real-time.

The following are examples from the Engineering Mindset curriculum:

1. Feedback Loop 1: Embodying Habits of Mind / Problem-solving Design Activity & Routines
2. Feedback Loop 2: Empowerment Strategies /  Problem-solving Design Activity & Routines
3. Feedback Loop 3: Accommodation Strategies / Problem-solving Design Activity & Routines

Classroom Team Cooperative Learning Model

Coaching sessions include a Cooperative Learning model to support healthy team development and cooperation.  The goal is for teaching teams is to work within these guidelines to instill a collaborative approach where all members contribute and are held accountable to the outcomes.

The four components of cooperative learning groups are:

1. Contribution to Group Goals
2. Consideration of Others
3. Contribution of Knowledge
4. Working and Sharing With Others

Final self-evaluations will include feedback on each of these components for each classroom team.