By IU PIIC Mentors Terri Lewis and Kathleen Eich and PIIC RMC Tom Sebastian

In a blog posted at huffingtonpost.com, on January 6, 2015, Sean Slade, Director of Whole Child Programs at ASCD, discussed the role of teacher leader.  He shared the following observations:

“The role of teachers as leaders has potential to boost both the processes of teaching-learning and also the teaching profession. There is widespread agreement about the great value of teacher leaders and the importance of recognizing and even cultivating this role, however there are also a myriad of definitions and examples of what a teacher leader is. The concept of teacher leader has different meanings to different people and goes by a variety of names, including but not limited to specialist, instructional coach, mentor, peer colleague, and team leader. Added to this ambiguity is the feeling of many who view themselves as teacher leaders that they are on their own in terms of preparation, support and even development.  Such teacher leaders are seeking guidance about the definition and parameters of their role, and to know how best they can be utilized.”

The PIIC Model of Effective Instructional Coaching clarifies the role of teacher leaders and provides a structured delivery system for supporting job-embedded differentiated professional development. The model encompasses four quadrants of work that overlap in many ways.

• PIIC advocates one-on-one and small group support for teachers, coaches, and school leaders using the BDA cycle of consultation
• PIIC focuses on collecting, analyzing, and using data to identify student needs, assess changes in classroom instructional practice, and measure student progress
• PIIC emphasizes the use of evidence-based literacy practices and research based instructional techniques
• PIIC supports reflective and non-evaluative practices

One-on-one and small group support provides the structure for the coaches’ work in the other three quadrants. Using student and teacher data, facilitating evidence-based literacy practices, and leading reflective and non-evaluative conversations related to these topics, coaches can work with teachers throughout the Before During and After (BDA) coaching cycle, either individually or in small groups at varying levels of coaching intensity. Higher levels of coaching intensity (heavy coaching) are more likely to facilitate changes in teacher practice than lower levels of intensity (light coaching). For example, coaches can work one-on-one with a teacher to provide resources, but resources themselves are not likely to change teacher’s practice. On the other hand, working one-on-one with a teacher to choose an appropriate resource, plan a lesson using that resource, co-teach the lesson, and collaboratively reflect on the lesson’s successes or limitations, would likely have a greater impact on teacher practice. The figure below provides examples of heavy and light coaching in each quadrant. It is important to note that heavier coaching typically involves all parts of the coaching cycle (Before, During, and After).

In short, PIIC’s four quadrants give coaches guidance related to how to approach their work. Coaches’ often work in multiple quadrants simultaneously, with one-on-one and small group support providing the structure for facilitating the other three elements. Coaches should make decisions about what activities in each quadrant will be the most likely to help teachers learn and grow professionally.

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