The Coaching Continuum

           Coaches and players have a unique relationship—it is one based on trust and mutual respect.  The coach guides, leads, and teaches their players.  The players listen, learn, and perform the behaviors and actions encouraged by their coach.  The same type of relationship is true of instructional coaches and teachers.

            First of all, the teacher must recognize and admit that they need to grow.  Then, they must be able to trust the coach, their mentor, with this information—not everyone is comfortable with verbalizing their weaknesses.  The coach must respect the teacher, and their honesty and feelings regarding improving their delivery during instruction.  The coach should provide support and guidance as the teacher chooses a growth goal and begins implementing the strategy in the classroom.

            According to the text, Coaching Classroom Instruction (Marzano & Simms, 2013), the first step in an effective teacher-coach relationship is to “identify a specific classroom strategy and behavior that will be the focus of the interaction” (p.19).  The text includes a strategy for student engagement in the forty-one elements of effective teaching.  “Element 24: Noticing when students are not engaged “(p. 51).  The teacher must also understand the research and theory regarding their growth-goal.  Marzano and Simms provide research regarding this element stating that “engagement is associated with a 27-31 percentile gain in student achievement” (p. 49).  This being said, engagement is an important element of student instruction.
 

            Teachers can use technology-based instruction to increase student engagement in the classroom.  One study specifically looked at how educators engaged middle school students through the use of technology (Downes & Bishop, 2012).  Their research suggested that in order to engage students, educators must make a connection between their in-school and out-of-school lives.  Downes & Bishop propose the best way to make this connection is through integrating technology. 

            Using the coaching continuum, the coach and the teacher would first identify that engagement is an area, or element, of focus in the coaching relationship.  The coach would provide the teacher with the research regarding student engagement, and the teacher would try one of the strategies listed.  Some of the strategies listed for this element are “scanning the room, monitoring levels of attention, and measuring engagement” (p. 51).   Once the teacher implements the strategy/strategies while integrating technology, the coach will observe the teacher, and correct any errors.  Perhaps this may be in the way the teacher monitors the level(s) of student engagement.  The coach will then provide feedback, and help the teacher make the appropriate adjustments in instruction.  The teacher will continue to monitor the students to determine if the strategy is working—if using technology during instruction is increasing student engagement.  The coach will help the teacher monitor the effect(s) of the strategy on the students.  As the teacher gains confidence in using the strategies to monitor student engagement, he/she is able to make adjustments based on student responses.  The teacher may eventually use several fluent strategies to create a macrostrategy, a set of instructional strategies, or an adaptation of strategies used to meet specific student needs. 

            The coaching continuum is a guideline of expectations for both the teacher and the instructional coach.  Using the continuum, the teacher is aware of the goal(s) they are trying to reach, and how the instructional coach can provide assistance throughout the process.     
   

References         

            Downes, J. M. and Bishop, P. (2012).  Educators engage digital natives and  learn from their experiences with technology: Integrating technology engages students in their learning.  Middle School Journal, 43(5), 6-15.         

            Marzano, R. J. and Simms, J. A. (2013).  Coaching classroom instruction.  Indiana:

Marzano Research Labratory.