Move forward and plan the approach with Microsoft Teams
Once strategies and goals are identified and additional data from key stakeholders collected and analyzed, it’s time to move forward with the logistics for the coaching approach.
To ensure everyone is coordinating together, create a Microsoft Staff Team. In a Staff Team, users organize, share, and place files in one location for easy access by all participants. Also, channels can be set up for specific groups within the team to provide collaborative workspaces for each group. Teams will be the go-to for organizing and documenting everything related to the overall coaching process.
The foundation of successful instructional coaching is based on collaboration, relationships, and trust starting with you (as a coach or school leader). Below are the steps for using Microsoft Teams as the information and communication hub for leaders, coaches, and educators.
- Create a Staff Team using Microsoft Teams as the hub for instructional coaching. This is where users can share files, surveys, and communication documents. Also, video meetings, calendar invitations, and group channels can be created right in Teams, eliminating the need for various applications. And, if the school or district has Microsoft Bookings, meetings can be scheduled directly with that.
Learn how to create a staff team.
2. Set up channels within the Team for groups and individuals with that will be working together. With channels, subgroups of a Team can be created. A channel group can then have their own shared space in which they can collaborate, communicate, and share resources.
- Set up a OneNote Staff Notebook inside the Staff Team, where all documents and resources are shared to help guide the process. This video explains how to create that notebook.
- Establish a regular, ongoing communication cadence for leaders, coaches, and any other identified key stakeholders. Depending on the school calendar and schedules, a typical coaching cycle could be eight weeks plus one week for resetting.
Use a shared Teams calendar to provide visibility into open blocks of time so meetings can be seamlessly rescheduled if they need to be changed.
These meetings may be held in person, in a hybrid environment, or remotely with Microsoft Teams video.
Learn more about how to conduct meetings in Microsoft Teams.
5. Develop a separate, teacher communication cadence. Coaching is a cycle. Collaboratively establish a schedule for educator meetings, communication, and classroom observations. Set these meetings within a Staff Team. Ensure that job-embedded time is provided for both you (as the instructional coach) and the educators throughout the coaching cycle phases. This is a key component for assuring success.
While a typical coaching cycle may be six or eight weeks, recognize that this will be an ongoing effort with multiple cycles. Instructional coaches create deep partnerships with educators to advance their professional growth and instructional success—with the overarching goal of increasing student success and academic achievement.
Check in on this partnership using a tool such as Reflect for Staff Teams. This tool helps school leaders support educators in building a school-wide culture of trust and growth by providing opportunities to reflect and be heard. Reflect contains a question gallery based on CASEL core competencies, providing a space for the personal growth of staff and community growth through reflection.
Once the Staff Team, related components, and cadence schedules have been created, it’s time for leadership to set the stage with the larger school community.