By Jesse Corburn

Teachers are the backbone of a school. They are front and centre with pupils each day, driving achievement and enhancing the school experience.

The most important work a school leader can therefore do is to develop their teachers.

The most effective ways the strongest school leaders develop their teachers relies on a few essential approaches:

  • Weekly feedback cycles: Making feedback a regular and expected part of teaching ensures that growth is constant and teachers feel developed in their profession. The strongest leaders schedule weekly cycles of observations, feedback meetings, and debrief opportunities to ensure that growth sticks.
  • Bite-sized action steps: For all teachers, of all skill levels, growth is most easily achieved if feedback is given in bite-sized chunks. That is, action steps that are precise, observable, and accomplishable in the classroom within one weekly cycle. By ensuring that growth is possible and expected, strong school leaders communicate high expectations and belief in their teachers
  • Explicit modeling and practise: The strongest leaders take advantage of opportunities to model techniques for their teachers, whether in large groups or one-on-one meetings.  The highest impact feedback meetings then turn the table and give sufficient time for teachers to practise the techniques, receive feedback, and lock in a feeling of readiness before taking skills into the classroom.

In our Instructional Coaching programme, which starts in January 2022, we will centre on the methods above. We will also have time to explore the possible ways each leader can enhance and deepen the teacher feedback work happening at their school.

In the six-part, online course, we will focus explicitly on several key features:

  • Analysis of Exemplar Artefacts: We will focus each session on a set of exemplar artefacts, both video clips and meeting scripts, to enhance our own reflection about our teacher development work. We will use these exemplars as guideposts to drive the planning and strategizing for our own teacher coaching
  • Teacher Skill Sequence: We will propose a sequence of teacher skills that span a teacher’s development from beginner to master teacher. Our skill sequence will root our conversations in current teacher needs and give us guidance for planning forward with our coaching work.
  • Case Study Analysis: Each session we will sharpen our eye for classroom observations by studying instructional clips and debating action steps. This collaborative practice will help each leader to unearth gaps holding back instruction and the teacher skills that will most effectively ensure pupil success
  • Planning and Practice Rounds: Each session will offer sufficient time for all leaders to plan ahead, whether scripting teacher meetings or mapping out development calendars.  In each instance, we will have time to also practise leadership with colleagues, to give and receive feedback. This will guarantee that we leave each session with strong plans in hand to carry into our schools.
  • Gap Task Study: We will devote time each meeting to assessing the state of our work, spotlighting great practice, and reflecting on current needs in our schools. This regular practice will ensure that all leaders can match the session learning to the context of their leadership at the moment.

If you’d like to join the Star Institute Instructional Coaching programme and learn more from Jesse, book your place here by Wednesday 5 January.

Jesse Corburn has years of experience working with Uncommon Schools’ Senior Leaders