Focused Observation

Focused Observation

[Music] [Children talking]

Narrator: Practice-based coaching supports practitioners to implement a targeted set of teaching practices. It may be in a classroom or another setting, like a home day care. Working collaboratively with her coach, Erin Sizemore, Michelle Nowell has identified a practice she'd like to implement around social-emotional behavior.

Michelle Nowell: When we play in the centers or when we do something, if there's a situation that's arise so we need to go through the steps, we have the cue cards or, you know, the problem-solving steps so the children can pick what should we do.

Narrator: Michelle is particularly interested in and wants support around developing strategies that can prevent any challenging behaviors when the children are not able to problem-solve themselves. After setting goals and developing an action plan, Michelle and Erin are ready to do the focused observation, the next step in the practice-based coaching cycle.

Jennifer Harrington: The focused observation is where the coach is watching and observing the coachee implementing their practices, so the focused observation is a really intentional time, so you're looking at, "What is it from our action plan, either goal or steps, that that coachee really wants to be focused on right now?"

Eunice Lopez: The focused observations, you already know ahead of time because you've created these goals. You've made the plans together, so the practitioner already knows exactly when I'm coming in to observe. [ Children talking ]

Narrator: With a reference to their shared goals, Erin looks specifically at Michelle's practices around snack time and records her observations.

Kelly Jamison: It is important to stay on point when you're in there for your focused observation because it's easy to get distracted by lots of other things going on in the classroom, but to constantly remind yourself of what I'm here to look at and observe.

Narrator: During the focused observation, Erin takes notes and even models a strategy, but other collaborative partners might choose another implement for their focused observation.

Eunice: So the observation can be done in different ways. It can be videotaped. It can be just me taking down some anecdotals, but it's very specific to the goal that we're focusing on, so then it makes it easier to then go back and either review the video or, you know, talk about the whole process.

Narrator: Not only is the observation tightly focused and practitioner-driven but also supportive.

Michelle: Yes, we work as a team. We work together as a team.

Narrator: Whether it's video, side-by-side modeling, data collection, or some other strategy, focused observations also support coaches like Erin prepare for reflection and feedback conversations that follow with their coachee and round out the cycle of practice-based coaching.