LEAD Southeast Middle Sees Rapid Teacher Growth Through Live Coaching
At LEAD, we are committed to creating an environment where our teachers can continuously develop and strengthen their instructional skills. By using a method called “live coaching,” our schools support the development of teachers by providing feedback–in real time.
“Live coaching really is the lever to take our classrooms from good to great,” said Taylor Bruner, an assistant principal at LEAD Southeast Middle. “We can coach alongside teachers, model, and help look at student work to close gaps. We get to really know what our students need in the moment.”
This year, LEAD Southeast Middle is making a strong push with its live coaching practices to ensure teachers are getting better faster, which in turn creates a high quality learning environment for students. Although we’re only a few weeks into the school year, the school is already seeing positive results.
“I have seen teachers implement feedback in the moment that has pushed student thinking and led to more productive and joyful classrooms,” said Allison Ludwig, instructional manager at LEAD Southeast Middle. “Instead of waiting until a scheduled meeting for glows and grows, teachers are able to receive implementable feedback that they can integrate into their practice right away, which in turn has led to more student success.”
So what does live coaching look like? It can be as small as asking a quick clarifying question from the back of a classroom, or it can look like standing alongside a teacher, giving quick pieces of feedback for the teacher to implement in the moment.
“It’s so valuable because some teacher skills take a week-long action step with multiple rounds of practice in a meeting to master,” said Jonathan Brocco, an assistant principal at LEAD Southeast Middle. “However, some teacher moves can be developed within a matter of only minutes–proving live feedback, with lots of celebration and encouragement along the way, leads to growth more rapidly.”
Because of their strong start to the school year, LEAD Southeast Middle is already seeing the benefits of live coaching: Stronger directions, positive narration, and higher student engagement.
“I believe the ‘in-the-moment,’ live coaching has helped improve my development as a teacher in real time, especially if you have a positive attitude and are receptive to the feedback,” said Kinney Littlejohn, an 8th grade ELA teacher at LEAD Southeast Middle.
While live coaching is a strategy that targets individuals, the impact the school is experiencing far outweighs individual growth.
“When we grow as individuals, we’re strengthening LEAD Southeast Middle as a whole,” said Brocco. “This level of commitment is what makes our school community so strong and THE place to be!”
