A District Instructional Leader asks the following:

SC,

I have a quick question on PowerWalks coaching sessions. Exactly how often should these occur?

SC Response

Regular, semi-formal PowerWalks coaching sessions should occur every 6 to 9 weeks.

There are a couple of things that drive this.

First, you need 15 to 20 short, objective classroom observations (see: PowerWalks) to have a relevant sample size. Less than 15 observations, and any one observation (good or bad) can significantly skew the data. This is why observer volume is critical. You need enough observers to ensure that each teacher receives 2 to 4 random classroom visits a week.

Second, having too looong of a time window between coaching sessions means that teachers don’t receive their data timely enough to make ongoing adjustment to their craft that positively impact student performance.

Third, too short of a time window and teachers are spending too much time thinking and worrying about what they are doing instead of actually doing it.

Hope this helps.

Think. Work. Achieve.

Your turn…

• Upcoming Conference Presentations: TASSP Assistant Principal Conference; ASCD Empower Conference; TASSP Summer Conference (Keynote) 
• Follow @LYSNation on Twitter and Lead Your School on Facebook.