COACHING REFLECTION 1

Reflection on Coaching Experience

Sarah J. Koonce

University of St. Mary

COACHING REFLECTION 2

Reflection on Coaching Experience

Throughout this course I learned about best practices for coaching classroom instruction.

I focused on Cognitive Coaching, a nonjudgmental, developmental, reflective model designed to

mediate a practitioners thinking, perceptions, beliefs, and assumptions toward the goals of self

learning and increased complexity of cognitive processing (Marzano, Simms 2013). I worked

with my coachee on Marzanos Foundation for Coaching. The first step in developing an

effective coach-teacher relationship is to identify specific classroom strategies and behaviors that

will be the focus of the interaction (Marzano, Simms 2013). We started with a coaching meeting

in which my coachee talk to me about data she had collected on her fall assessments. She noticed

that students did not know their numbers 0-10 which is a school standard for her class. She

researched a Chant and Write program that she wanted to implement with a printable book. The

first requirement of effective coaching is that the person receiving the coaching agrees that a

change in performance will be useful (Marzano, Simms 2013). She was already acknowledging

that a change in her performance teaching numbers would be useful. Coaches who ask on the

principal of choice position teachers as the final decision makers, as partners who choose their

coaching goals and decide which practice to adopt and who interpret data (Marzano, Simms

2013). My coachee used data to choose what she wanted to work on, and research a program to

implement.

Over the first week she implemented the Chant and Write program and printable book

with her class which brought her from Not Using (0) to Beginning (1) level. When we met for

the second time she said that the students were really enjoying the program and seemed to be

learning their numbers. We talked about what she needed to do to move from Beginning (1) to

Developing (2) by continuing to implement the program, and then Applying (3) by reassessing
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students on their number recognition. I said that I would research more number activities that she

could implement in class for students who still needed to work on their number from 0-10, and

numbers up to 20 which is the kindergarten standard.

Videotaping our coaching session helped me to see that I was positive, provided her with

research, and offered to help with new strategies. It also showed me that I have a lot to work on. I

need to practice pausing, reflecting what my coachee says back to her, and think of more specific

and helpful feedback. While positive feedback is important, feedback should also highlight

specific areas where improvement is needed (Marzano, Simms 2013). I think that this is hard for

me to point out areas that need improvement. I like to mostly focus on the good things because it

is easier to talk to someone about the good things they do rather that point out what they could

improve on. I need to remember that feedback should be goal-referenced, tangible, transparent,

actionable, user friendly, timely, on-going, consistent, and progress toward a goal (Wiggins

2012). I could also print out Dr. Brene Browns Engaged Feedback Checklist to refer to before

giving feedback or having a coaching meeting. I think that I could think about the feedback

ahead of time so that I am prepared to point out things that are working as well as things that the

coachee may need to work on. I have noticed that throughout the day people ask for advice and

feedback quite often. Instead of quickly saying, Sounds great! I have been working on

listening, pausing, reflecting back to the person asking me the question, and thinking of better

feedback. This is actually something that I can do with my kids, my friends, and in general to be

a better listener.

Another thing that I would like to work on is thinking about how to provide different

kinds of feedback. There are several ways that a coach can give feedback: informal verbal,

informal written, formal verbal, and formal written (Marzano, Simms 2013). I have only given
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informal verbal and informal written. In the future I can learn how to give formal verbal

feedback and formal written feedback. I feel like this is what our principal uses for assessing our

teaching though out the year, but it is not something that I have ever done before.
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References

Brown, B. (2012). Engaged Feedback Checklist. Retrieved from:

http://www.habitsforwellbeing.com/engaged-feedback-checklist-by-dr-brene-brown/

Marzano, R. J. (2013). Coaching Classroom Instruction. Marzano Research: Bloomington.

Wiggins, G. (2012). Seven Keys to Effective Feedback. Educational Leadership. Retrieved from:

http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/sept12/vol70/num01/Seven-

Keys-to-Effective-Feedback.aspx