A Partnership Approach to Instructional Coaching Part 1: Equality, Choice and Voice

by Maria Lee

Welcome to our coaching series! Feel free to read our intro, Everyone Deserves a Coach, here!

Part 1 of our Partnership Approach to Coaching series below explores the first three principles of instructional coaching according to Knight (2022), who says, "coaches need to start by developing a deep understanding of the beliefs at the heart of instructional coaching: the Partnership Principles,” (p. 13). Knight’s book, The Definitive Guide to Instructional Coaching, provides a deep look at what coaching is really all about and we will explore this view of coaching as a partnership below.

 The Partnership Principles are one of the seven success factors in being a successful Instructional Coach that Knight believes "every coach, coaching director, and administrator should understand and be able to apply to create a powerful coaching program." (Knight 2022 p. 4)

Knight lists the seven factors:

  1. The Partnership Principles

  2. Communication Skills

  3. Coaches as Leaders

  4. The Impact Cycle

  5. Data

  6. The Instructional Playbook

  7. System support

Knight states that these factors are important not only for coaching to be effective, but also for any change initiatives to succeed in schools. This blog below will cover the first three principles for effective coaching partnerships. The next blog will review the other three principles.

The Partnership Principles

The Partnership Principles are grounded in:

  • Equality

  • Choice

  • Voice

  • Dialogue

  • Reflection

  • Praxis

  • Reciprocity

I will explain each principle in detail with a snapshot of an instructional coach, Ric Palma, featured in Knight’s book, for each of those seven principles.

Equality

 
 

In Knight’s book Instructional Coaching: A Partnership Approach to Improving Instruction (2007), Knight introduced Ric Palma. Ric is in his third year as an instructional coach on the Pathways to Success project at Topeka High School. Ric taught language arts for 12 years at Topeka High School prior to being a coach. Palma is knowledgeable about the principles behind the instructional coaching approach. He refers to these principles as partnerships because it seems an appropriate metaphor for describing the kind of relationship he strives to establish with teachers.

Palma’s knowledge of the partnership principles is a foundation for him to work with teachers. He says, "The teachers here know that I am one of them; they don't look at me as someone who is coming from a different angle and surely not from above them. I am a peer with them" (p. 12).

Knight asserts that coaches should see themselves as equal, respect others choices, and encourage others to voice opinions. This means coaches use the partnership principles as a point of reference for their behavior and actions. Knight gave another example of a leader of professional developers from Grand Rapids, Michigan, Sue Woodruff states the "partnership principles really help me think through what should happen when I work with teachers. On those occasions, when I don't feel I've been successful, I go back to the seven principles and I usually discover that I failed because I violated one of the principles" (p.12-13).

In The Definitive Guide to Instructional Coaching Knight points out three things in equality that I think helps us understand what equality looks like in reality:

  1. “We see the unique aspects of each person. We do not see others as stereotypes ---a new teacher, a special education teacher, a resistant teacher; instead, we see Keyshawn, Suzanne, or Kurt. We affirm, we show respect, we listen, and perhaps most important, we remain fully present in conversations because we believe the other person counts.” (p. 21)

  2. “A clear picture of reality is essential for growth and learning. We can talk about reality and avoid judgment by communicating that we respect and believe in the teachers with whom we work.” (p. 22)

  3. “During a conversation based on equality, there is energy, openness, and mutual sharing of ideas in part because the coach believes teachers should choose their path for themselves.” (p. 22)

Choice

 
 

Choice is about teachers making most, if not all, decisions about changes to their classrooms. Knight mentions that research shows people feel motivated when they are 1) are competent at what they do, 2) have a large measure of control over their lives, and 3) are engaged in and experience positive relationships. Researchers such as Teresa Amabile, Regina Conti, Heather Coon (1996) and many others, all consider autonomy to be essential for motivation as Knight cited in his book. (p. 22)

The importance of teacher autonomy, Knight (2022) found in a report from the Institute of Educational Science “positively associated with teachers' job satisfaction and teacher retention. Teachers who perceive they have less autonomy are more likely to leave their positions, either by moving from one school to another or leaving the profession altogether" (p. 22). 

Knight (2019) describes in his article "Why Teacher Autonomy is Central to Coaching Success" that instructional coaches often feel intense pressure to promote change because they want students to succeed. They frequently measure their success by whether they drive changes that improve students' learning and well-being. Knight says "This pressure to move the needle can lead coaches and administrators to take a directive approach to coaching-telling teachers what they've done right and wrong and what they must do to improve. But in fact, as research has shown and I've found in my own work on coaching, this is not the way to help teachers flourish" (p. 1). We absolutely agree!!

Knight (2019) also offers this insight: "Coaches must work to change this dynamic. If we want to engage and motivate teachers, we need to ensure they have significant choices about what they do, including having the right to say no to particular proposals. Choices are the way we define our own humanity-who we are-so stripping away people's right to choose is dehumanizing" (p. 3).

Palma believes choice is the "most important thing." He demonstrates his respect for their professionalism by allowing teachers to choose the extent to which they will work with him. In Instructional Coaching: A Partnership Approach to Improving Instruction (2007), Ric states, “They know they don't have to use this stuff, and in most cases they aren't forced to learn it." (p. 24-25) "Ric and other coaches he works with found that offering choice actually increases both teachers' desire to teach with fidelity and the likelihood that teachers will implement learning strategies and teaching routines" says Knight. (p. 22)

Palma emphasizes that the principle of choice is one reason why many teachers implement what he has to share. "Teachers know when it comes to us, it's all about choice.Every one of them knows it in this district. They know that I'm here if they want me." For Ric, offering choice is one way of providing better support for students. "I give them as many options as possible, not just my biased opinion. The more choices we can give them, the more variety and choices they can give their students. And the more their students are going to learn." (p. 24)

I find it interesting that one obstacle to honoring teachers' autonomy, in Knight's view, is that school leaders and policymakers often misunderstand accountability. Knight states accountability is used to describe how educators are obligated to do something for some external reason like teachers' professional learning must be driven by adherence to a mandated instructional program or initiative or teachers must be told what to work on based on school or district priorities. It sounds all too familiar.

Knight believes that when educators are responsible for their professional learning is driven by what they have determined will have an impact on their students' learning. This way they are accountable to the improvement process and to students, parents, and other stakeholders. A genuine individual commitment to learning and growth is what responsible accountability entails. 

When instructional coaching is done well, it should foster responsible accountability. Knight gives an example of responsible accountability. He writes that a coach using an impact cycle with stages for identifying, learning, and improving might video record a lesson and the coach provides a teacher with suggestions to better interpret what the video reveals.

Afterwards the coach and teacher usually have a coaching conversation to identify a goal that the teacher cares about and have an unmistakably positive impact on student learning. Once the goal is set, both coach and teacher identify a teaching strategy the teacher will implement to attempt to hit the goal.

The coach and teacher collaborate to prepare the teacher to implement the new strategy effectively during the learning stage. This involves the coach explaining the strategy and the teacher modifying it to better meet students' needs. The teacher often watches the coach, another teacher, or a video to better understand the strategy before implementing it.

Finally, a teacher in partnership with the coach, makes adaptations until the goal is met. Knight says "This is professional learning that is undeniably accountable-measurable changes will occur that will mean real improvements for students." (p. 7, Knight 2019)

 One of the chief tasks of what coaches do is feedback. Knight emphasizes in the article "Why Teacher Autonomy is Central to Coaching Success" that the lessons honoring the autonomy of teachers in coaching are essential, if feedback is to lead improved practice. Knight believes coaches should structure conversations with teachers as dialogue between two equal partners, where both members of the conversation are heard and where both parties' opinions count.

Second, effective dialogue is enabled through a third point for conversation that takes the focus off the coach and teacher and directs it toward whatever the two are exploring together. And third, coaching conversations are more effective when they are nonjudgmental.

Here are some reflection and discussion questions Knight suggests:

  • Can you think of a time in your school or district when a "directive approach" to coaching or PD had a counterproductive effect on teachers? How could the training have been done differently?

  • Can you describe examples of "responsible accountability" in your school? What conditions helped create them?

  • What could you change in your coaching or supervision to better honor teachers' autonomy? How comfortable are you about making that change?

 Voice

 
 

In Instructional Coaching, the most important service a coach can provide is when a coach empathically listens to another person's ideas, thoughts, and concerns. The coach communicates that the other person's life is important and meaningful.

Knight notes that  instructional coaches who act on this principle find themselves helping teachers find their voice. I can understand where Knight is coming from. He mentions that the urgency of a teacher’s everyday professional life is overwhelming (an understatement) and teachers are weighed down with planning, paperwork, responding to parents, etc. The demands can make it difficult for teachers to find time to reflect on priorities and give voice to what matters. Knight believes an instructional coach who takes the time to listen to teachers and work with them can create a situation where an overwhelmed teacher is to take time to reflect and exchange ideas. And most important to give expression to what really counts: her voice.

There are 2 most important points about the Voice principle that knight (2007) describes in his book Instructional Coaching:

  1. A deep commitment to listening with care, empathizing, and creating an environment where others feel comfortable talking honestly about what matters most. It is simply taking the time to truly hear what people have to say. (p. 16)

  2. Helping others find the words to express what really matters in their lives involves helping people find their voice, collaborating with friends and colleagues in activities that enable them to bring shape to their deepest passions-the most profound and important work. (p.16)

Knight conducted a study on the role of voice with a professional group with a small group of teachers, ranging in age from the early 20s to the 50s. He found that having a personal vision led one teacher to significantly change the way she planned her lessons. Knight wrote about a teacher after writing her personal vision in which she committed to teaching all students. This teacher began to plan her lessons by visualizing a high-, average-, low- and other-achieving student in her class. She said "I am really glad I wrote a vision because I think I would be a lot more negative right now if I hadn't done that. My vision reminded me of why I am doing this, and what I am trying to accomplish. It's kind of forced me to hold on to all that idealism that I may have lost a little bit of this year." Knight believes in most cases, writing a vision helped teachers give voice to ideas and beliefs that had been dormant inside their souls somewhere. Finding a voice was, in real sense, finding out who they were. (Knight, 2007, p. 33-34)

Ric Palma, instructional coach at Topeka high School, believes "listening is what gives them a voice. You have to listen to them, so that they know that when they speak, they are going to be heard, and they are going to be taken seriously." (Knight, 2007, p. 34) 

Read Part 2 in our series about Knight’s Partnership Approach to Instructional Coaching where we will explore the principles of dialogue, reflection and praxis.

References

Anti-Bias Education, Curriculum and Instruction, Data and Assessments, Leading for EquitySarah Ottow4c