Side-by-Side: How To Transform Any School from Good to Great

Outline

Introduction and Objectives (5 minutes)

Content: Brief overview of session goals: exploring the impact of side-by-side coaching on classroom transformation.

Engagement: Use a quick, device-based poll to assess attendees’ current coaching experiences. This will help tailor the content to their needs and set the tone for active participation.

Understanding Side-by-Side Coaching (10 minutes)

Content: Overview of what side-by-side coaching entails, how it supports teacher growth, and its impact on the effective implementation of HQIM.

Engagement: Attendees will participate in a short, think-pair-share activity to discuss their understanding of coaching and share examples from their own experiences. This peer interaction will highlight the practical aspects of coaching.

Key Strategies for Effective Coaching (15 minutes)

Content: Present practical strategies for side-by-side coaching, focusing on planning, adapting lessons, and implementing curriculum rigorously.

Engagement: Small group discussion where participants will identify potential challenges in using these strategies and brainstorm solutions. Groups will then share their insights with the room, fostering collaborative learning.

Hands-on Practice: Coaching in Action (15 minutes)

Content: Introduce a real-world classroom scenario where attendees will practice coaching techniques.

Engagement: Role-play activity in pairs or small groups, where one participant acts as the coach and the other as the teacher. This practice will focus on adapting a lesson plan using HQIM. Afterward, groups will reflect on what went well and what could be improved.

Building an Action Plan (10 minutes)

Content: Guide participants in creating an actionable plan to implement side-by-side coaching in their own schools.

Engagement: Individual reflection and planning time, followed by a brief peer review where participants exchange feedback on each other’s plans. This ensures they leave the session with concrete, personalized steps to take back to their schools.

Q&A and Wrap-Up (5 minutes)

Content: Open floor for questions, final thoughts, and key takeaways from the session.

Engagement: Attendees can ask questions directly or submit them via a device-based platform for a more inclusive, anonymous response option.

Supporting research

1. The Instructional Core by Richard Elmore

2. The Art of Coaching: Effective Strategies for School by
Elena Aguilar

3. The Impact Cycle: What Instructional Coaches Should Do to Foster Powerful Improvements in Teaching by Jim Knight

4. Leverage Leadership: A Practical Guide to Building Exceptional Schools 1st Edition by Paul Bambrick-Santoyo