The Question of the Day comes from Erin from Sioux Falls, SD. She asks me: How do I measure the impact of my instructional coaching if we are not seeing immediate results in student scores?
Erin, I think it’s important to remember that when you are working with people there are tangible results of the work (like the affect on student scores) and there are also the intangibles which, in the beginning, can be quite easy to measure if you’re looking for them. For example, consider this list when you’re measuring your impact on teachers:
- Are teachers asking more questions related to teaching rather than logistics or materials?
- Are teachers staying after the official end of a meeting to continue conversations?
- Do you hear staff members talking more about instruction in the office, on the playground, at break times?
- Is your coaching calendar filling up more quickly?
- Are your most resistant teachers beginning to make eye contact? (Sad but true!)
These questions will help you measure those trick intangibles of coaching and help you continue to work toward the ultimate goal: when you can measure your affect on teachers by their students’ increased scores.