THE IMPACT CYCLE

KUCRL Learning Conference, July 14, 2017

Jim Knight, instructional coaching group
[email protected]
 IDENTIFY

IMPROVE LEARN
CHECKLIST:
Impact Cycle

IDENTIFY:

Teacher gets a clear picture of current reality by watching a video of their lesson or
by reviewing observation data (video is best).

Coach asks the identify questions with the teacher to identify a goal.

Teacher identifies a student-focused goal.

LEARN:

Coach shares a checklist for the chosen teaching strategies.

Coach prompts the teacher to modify the practice if the teacher wishes.

Teacher chooses an approach to modeling that they would like to observe & identifies
a time to watch modeling.

Coach provides modeling in one or more formats.

Teachers set a time to implement the practice.

IMPROVE:

Teacher implements the practice.

Data is gathered (by teacher or coach in class or while viewing video) on student
profress toward to the goal.

Data is gathered (by the teacher or coach in class or while viewing video) on teacher’s
implementation of the practice (usually on the previously viewed check list).

Coach and teacher meet to confirm direction and monitor progress.

Coach and teacher make adaptations and plan next actions until the goal is met.
THREE APPROACHES TO COACHING:

Facilitative, Dialogical, and Directive

It is very important for leaders to adopt the right approach to coaching for the kind of
change they hope to see. Indeed, choosing the wrong coaching model can cause problems—
like choosing a plumber to wire your house. For that reason, we divide coaching into three
approaches: facilitative, directive, and dialogical.

FACILITATIVE COACHING:
The Sounding Board.
These coaches encourage teachers to share their ideas openly. They refrain from sharing their
own expertise or suggestions with respect to what a teacher can do to get better. This approach
may be used in all types of situations, so it has the potential to address issues that dialogical or
directive coaching is not able to address. The relationship is based on equality.

DIRECTIVE COACHING:
The Master and the Apprentice.
In many ways, directive coaching is the opposite of facilitative coaching. The directive coach
has special knowledge, and his or her job is to transfer that knowledge to the teacher. In an
instructional coaching scenario, the directive coach works from the assumption that the teachers
they are coaching do not know how to use best practices. The relationship is respectful, but not
equal.

DIALOGICAL COACHING:
The Partner.
Dialogical coaches balance advocacy with inquiry. That is, they share strategies and options for
improvements provisionally and help teachers describe precisely both what it is they want to
achieve and how to get there. Furthermore, they go beyond mere conversation to dialogue, where
thinking is done together and neither the teacher nor the coach is expected to withhold their
ideas. The relationship is equal. Effective instructional coaches are usually dialogical coaches
Therefore, this is the approach we use as we move through the Impact Cycle.

An instructional coach understands the three types of coaching and recognizes that an
instructional coach works primarily as a dialogical coach. Although dialogue and thinking
together with the collaborating teacher drive the coaching process, the instructional
coach is aware of and understands the two other forms of coaching and is able to use
any of the three approaches as situations may dictate. Nevertheless, directive coaching is
used minimally—if at all—by an effective instructional coach.
 DEEP LEARNING, DEEP COACHING

Deep Learning
At its heart, coaching is about striving to become the best version of ourselves and being
committed to continuous and measurable improvement. Think about the feeling you get
when you gain a new competency and how motivating that is. That is the very thing deep
coaching taps into—the desire we all have to be the very best version of ourselves.

Deep learning changes us in unmistakable ways. Deep learning can come from positive or
negative experiences.

“Real learning gets to the heart of what it means to be

human. Through learning we recreate ourselves. Through
learning we become able to do something we were never
able to do. Through learning we reperceive the world and our
relationship to it. Through learning we extend our capacity
to create, to be part of the generative process of life. There is
within each of us a deep hunger for this type of learning.”

PETER SENGE
The Fifth Discipline: The Art and Practice of the Learning Organization, 1990
IDENTIFY:

Getting A Clear Picture Of Reality

VIDEO

STUDENT INTERVIEWS

STUDENT WORK

OBSERVATION
CHECKLIST:

Pre-Observation Conversation

ACTION

Take notes during the conversation.

Determine the desired form of feedback-(a) appreciation, (b) coaching, (c)

evaluation, or (d) some other form.

Determine the purpose of the observation-(a) to get a clear picture of reality, (b)
to establish a base line for setting a goal, (c) to monitor progress toward a goal,
or (d) some other purpose.

Explain the different kinds of data that can be gathered.

Determine which types of data will be gathered.

Determine the location, date, and time for the observation.

Determine whether or not it is OK for you to talk with students in the class.

Ask, “Is there anything I need to know about particular students or this class in
general?”

Determine where you will sit and whether or not it is OK for you to move around
the class.

Ask, “Is there anything else you want to ask me that you haven’t asked yet?”

Determine how you will share data (e.g., face-to-face, via email).

Identify when and where you will meet to discuss data.

CHECKLIST:

PEERS Goals

A PEERS GOAL IS:

POWERFUL: Makes a big difference in children’s lives.

EASY: Simple, clear, and easy to understand.

EMOTIONALLY COMPELLING: Matters a lot to the teacher.

REACHABLE: Identifies a measurable outcome and strategy.

STUDENT-FOCUSED: Addresses a student achievement, behavior, or

attitude outcome.
CHECKLIST:

Listening & Questioning Effectively

TO LISTEN AND QUESTION EFFECTIVELY, I NEED TO:

Make sure my conversation partner does most of the talking.

Pause and affirm before I start talking.

Don’t interrupt (except when it is very helpful).

Ask one question at a time.

Ask for clarification when I’m not certain what is being said.

Ask, “And what else?”

Assume people are doing their best.

Avoid leading questions.

Avoid giving advice disguised as a question.

CHECKLIST:

Identify Questions

1. On a scale of 1-10, with 10 being the best lesson you’ve ever

taught and 1 being the worst, how would you rank that lesson?

2. What pleased you about the lesson?

3. What would have to change to move the lesson closer to a 10?

4. What would your class be doing differently if it was a 10?

5. Tell me more about what that change would look like.

6. How would we measure that change?

7. Do you want that to be your goal?

8. If you could hit that goal, would it really matter to you?

9. What teaching strategy can you use to hit your goal?

Strategies Can Be Shared and Taught by
Creating an Instructional Playbook.

To help teachers improve student learning and wellbeing

by improving instruction, the coach must be able to
clearly describe a set of teaching strategies teachers can
use to hit their goals. The so-called Instructional Playbook

A. A one-page list of high-impact teaching strategies.

B. One-page descriptions for each of the strategies.
C. Checklists that help coaches describe the teaching
practices contained in the playbook.

A full Instructional Playbook,

including one-page descriptions
and checklists for each teaching
strategy is included in The Impact
Cycle: What Instructional Coaches
Should Do to Foster Powerful
Improvements in teaching.
IDENTIFY:

Modeling

In class with students present

In class without students present

Co-teaching

Observe another teacher

Video

Observe another teacher

IDENTIFY:

Improve

CONFIRM DIRECTION

REVIEW PROGRESS

INVENT IMPROVEMENTS

PLAN NEXT ACTION

QUESTIONS:

Questions for the Improve Stage

QUESTIONS TO CONFIRM DIRECTION

Given the time we have today, what’s the most important thing
for us to talk about?

What’s on your mind?

QUESTIONS TO REVIEW PROGRESS

What has gone well?

What are you seeing that shows this strategy is successful?

What progress has been made toward the goal?

What did you learn?

What surprised you?

What roadblocks are you running into?

QUESTIONS FOR INVENTING IMPROVEMENTS

Do you want to stick with the strategy as it is?

Do you want to revisit how you use the teaching strategy?

Do you want to choose a new strategy?

Do you want to change the way we measure progress toward

the goal?

Do you want to change the goal?

QUESTIONS FOR PLANNING NEXT STEPS

When will we meet again?

What tasks have to be completed between now and our next

meeting?

Who will do the tasks?

When will the tasks be done?

How else can I help you between now and then?

 REFERENCES

Block, P. (1993). Stewardship: Choosing service over self-interest. San Francisco:

Berrett-Koehler.

Fullan, M. (2001). Leading in a culture of change: Being effective in complex times.

San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Knight, J. (2007). Instructional coaching: A partnership approach to improving

instruction. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

Knight, J. (2011). Unmistakable impact: A partnership approach for dramatically

improving instruction. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

Koestenbaum, P., & Block, P. (2001). Freedom and accountability at work: Applying
philosophic insight to the real world. New York: Jossey-Bass.

Lui, E. (2004). How to mentor—and find life’s purpose. New York: Ballantine Books.

Pink, D. H. (2011). Drive: The surprising truth about what motivates us.
New York: Penguin.

Pink, D.H. (2012). To sell is human; The surprising truth about moving others.
New York: Penguin.

Prochaska, J. O., Norcross, J. C., & DiClemente, C. C. (1994). Changing for good: A
revolutionary six-stage program for overcoming bad habits and moving your
life positively forward. New York: Avon Books.

Quaglia, J., & Corso, M. J. (2014). Student voice: The instrument of change. Thousand
Oaks, CA: Corwin.

Schein, E. H. (2009). Helping: How to offer, give, and receive help. San Francisco:
Berrett-Koehler

Stone, D., & Heen, S. (2014). Thanks for the feedback: The science and art of receiving
feedback well. New York: Penguin.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

instructionalcoaching.com

radicallearners.com

facebook.com/instructional.coaching

corwin.com/highimpactinstruction/

corwin.com/focusonteaching

corwin.com/knightbetterconversations

corwin.com/knightimpactcycle

corwin.com/jimknight

CONTACT US AT: [email protected]