Humor me. Grab something to write on and something to write with.
What is the first thing you think of when you hear the word "layers"? For me, onions come to mind, mainly because of Shrek, but there are so many others things out there that present layered imagery. I'd like you to draw your layered image. Now, identify the core. For the purpose of this post, each "layer" will serve as a support. Not to protect the core, but to support its growth and development. You might say the layers are like coaches. A Backdrop Instructional Leadership is not a new concept. In 1989, Wilma Smith and Richard Andrews introduced the phrase into the landscape with Instructional Leadership: How Principals Make a Difference. In 2008, Richard Elmore referred to instructional leadership as the "holy grail in educational administration." (School Reform from the Inside Out; p. 48). Fast-forward to today, and you get 17.6 million hits with a Google Search of the term "Instructional Leadership." I recently read Collaborative School Improvement (2012) and was inspired to explore an idea of Instructional Leadership Layers. In 2012, I was fortunate enough to attend the annual conference for ASCD in Philly. During the conference, the idea that everyone needs a coach was shared, and that idea has since stuck with me. This, too, is not a new concept. Eric Schmidt and Bill Gates agree that "everyone needs a coach." Before we dive in, I would like to present a paradigm for this work. There are a few beliefs I hold that shape my view with regard to the work of continuous improvement:
Instructional Core In Instructional Rounds in Education, City, Elmore, Fiarman, and Teital (2009) identified the instructional core as the interaction between Student, Teacher, and Content. Take out your drawing you created at the beginning of this post and identify the "core" of your image. I propose that the core is supported by:
In this light, I challenge us all to develop our Instructional Leadership Layers capacity. In other words, how am I developing the instructional leadership capacity in the layers that I directly support? A Challenge to Action There are an abundance of inspiring coaches out there, and if you don't have one already, find one. Communicate with that person your desire to improve and your thirst for feedback and guided reflection. I am of the belief that there is power in simultaneous and collaborative feedback and reflection, with your coach present through cognitive coaching. I am also of the belief that if you are a coach or a support in the layers, you need feedback on your feedback; and, the opportunity to reflect on that feedback. Try one (or all) of these three techniques to improve instructional leadership in your "onion." Three-Layer Observation and Feedback What would happen if...The principal and assistant principal of a school observe teaching and learning in a teacher leader's classroom together? In the observation debrief and feedback session, the principal observes the assistant principal during the coaching conversation with the teacher leader. Upon completion of the conversation, the principal guides the assistant principal through reflective dialogue to engage in feedback, with the teacher leader present. As a follow-up, the three engage in a reflective dialogue around the process, so that there are three important growth and learning opportunities:
As a coach, the next time you give your layer (or the core) feedback, video record the conversation. Conduct a video analysis and reflect on what you see and hear. Provide your coach with a copy of the video and identify what specifically you would like feedback on. In a cognitive coaching conversation, allow your coach to provide you with simultaneous feedback and reflection, using your analysis and pre-conference reflection of the video as a lens. For an added layer, review the video with the layer/teacher you observed and provided feedback. Seek feedback from that person on how the process went, what the most valuable part of the conversation was, and how your instructional leadership and support of the instructional core can be improved. Longitudinal Feedback Review Gather the written records of feedback you've provided a layer/teacher and paste them chronologically on one document. Provide your coach with this log to use as evidence for a feedback conversation. In the conversation, seek ways to engage in dialogue that ultimately provides you with feedback on your feedback. If you are a layer or coach, ask the layer(s) you support to gather this information. Look for patterns, themes, and connections. Is the written feedback we provide our layers specific, actionable, and measurable? Are we following up on the feedback, and is that evident in the written record? For an added layer, review the written record with the teacher for whom the longitudinal feedback was provided. Imagine layers of feedback that flow from the instructional core all the way through the highest levels of district and system leadership. Clearly connected feedback on the feedback. In a shared and distributed leadership model, there are MANY instructional leaders in our schools and districts. How many are receiving high-quality, timely, specific, actionable, and measurable feedback and are provided with multiple opportunities for reflection to improve their instructional leadership capacity? This work is not easy nor is it simple. It is dynamic and complex, requiring high levels of trust and courage. Whether you are a layer providing support or a layer seeking layered leadership, find ways to creatively develop strategies for getting feedback on your feedback. If we all need a coach, who is yours?
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