Peer

coaching
Elena Ma. GarciaPaullier
2009

Agenda
What peer coaching is/is not
How to build a Learning
Community

What is Peer
Coaching?

What is Peer
Coaching?
It is a model of professional
development that can be
used to improve student
learning by improving
teaching.
Bonnie Wetherbee (2009)

What is Peer
Coaching?
It is a confidential process
through which teachers share
their expertise and provide one
another with feedback, support,
and assistance for the purpose of
refining present skills, learning
new skills, and/or solving
classroom-related problems.
Galbraith & Anstrom (1991)

Peer coaching is

non judgmental
based on trust
collaborative
valuable, helpful
planned
Bonnie Wetherbee
(2009)

Participants are
empowered because:
their needs are attended to (they
decide what to focus on)
they build shared knowledge
they work together to improve &
validate teaching performance
Teachers arrange their own
preplanning, visits, and post
observation times without
administrators.

The Spiral Diagram

5.
need

4.
reflection
8.
reflection

1.
need

3.
observation

6.
preparation

2.
preparation
7.
observation

Gabriel Diaz-Maggioli
(2004)

Classroom Observation
specific teacher/students
behavior

delivery of instructions

classroom management
student engagement
use of target language
patterns of interaction
clarity of explanations

Stages in Peer
Observation
Preparation
Observatio
n
Reflection

Stages in Peer
Observation
Stage 1 Preparation

what to observe?
why?
what instruments?

Stages in Peer
Observation
Stage 2 Observation
Method depends on what
is to be observed

coach takes notes

Stages in Peer
Observation
Stage 3 Reflection
Helps teachers to maximize
the construction of
significant meanings from
the experience and to apply
those insights to other
settings and events.
(Costa & Garmston, 2002)

Stages in Peer
Observation
Stage 3 Reflection
Heron (1990)
authoritative
Prescriptive
Informative
Confronting

facilitative
Cathartic
Catalytic
Supportive

Stages in Peer
Observation
Stage 3 Reflection
Teachers Choice Framework
Mirroring
coaching

Coach gives observation data to the

coached teacher, who analyzes the it
on his/her own

Expert coaching

Coach analyzes observation data and

offers suggestions

Collaborative
coaching

Coach gives observation data and

helps coached teacher to reflect on
them

Stages in Peer
Observation
Stage 3 Reflection
Steps:
Sharing impressions (noting areas of
agreement)
Reviewing goals (assess reliability of data
collected)
Assessing cause & effect (ponder the cause
of actions)
Exploring alternatives (possible changes)
Summarizing the process (what they learned
& goals for future

Resources
Diaz-Maggioli, G. (2004) TeacherCentered Professional Development.
ASCD, VA
Notes from Course for Cooperating
Teachers (2006)
Notes from Bonnie Wetherbees
presentation at Sala in Canelones on
Nov 14, 2009