Coaching for DesignCoaching for DesignTeacher Leader Design Academy

June 7-10, 2010Teacher Leader Design Academy

June 7-10, 2010

Questions about Design

Answer:

Teachers do not design for each lesson of each day. They design when they desire students to work and achieve at higher levels than they are currently working or achieving. In other words, teachers move to design when they need to scale up the work or the content.

Question:As a teacher, when do I need to design work for my student?

Answer:If the writing team gets the Prewriting and Design Qualities of Context right, the rest of the design will pull itself through. This is an early indicator of quality

Question:Why do I need to spend so much time on Prewriting and Design Qualities of Context?

Answer: No, specific activities are not built in until Design Qualities of Choice. The Design Qualities of Context address concepts and strategies.

Question:May I list activities under each Design Quality?

Answer:In design, time is spent on the front end. In planning, time is spent on the back end. Back end time should occur as reteaching, remediation and retesting.

Question:Why do I need to spend so much time in design before I can implement my unit?

The Coaching CircleThe Coaching Circle

Helpful Hints

Answer:Yes, do not skip any coaching sessions. Mistakes in the early part of the design process will impede progress later.

Question:If my team is moving along in the design process, do we really need to stop for coaching before moving ahead?

Helpful Hints

Answer:Absolutely, yes! The coaching circle is always open to writing teams.

Question:If my team starts to struggle, may we come to coaching even if we are not at a coaching stop?

Helpful Hints

Answer:The coaching circle is a collegial process. As such, you are expected to:•Enter the coaching circle as soon as your team is ready. Do not wait.•When you enter the circle, you are automatically a collegial friend to the team that is being coached. Think and act like a collegial friend.•Support the presenting team by listening first. Then you may offer affirmation and “what if,” “how about,” or “have you thought of” questions.

Question: What is expected of me in the coaching circle?

General Guidelines forCoaching Circles

One conversation at a time.

Consider listening time to be learning time as opposed to “wait time.”

Take notes if you hear ideas you would like to remember.

Offer feedback to help the other teams know what they have right and what they need to think deeply about.

Do not critique or tell teams what to do.

No side bar conversations.