Mini coaching cycles are a great way to respond to teachers who need support on something that is narrow in focus and short in duration. They also help us build trust in the coaching process because when teachers experience the student-centered nature of our work through a mini coaching cycle, they are often interested in continuing to partner in other ways.
In this blog, we’ll tackle some common questions about mini coaching cycles. But to get us started, here is a quick comparison between coaching cycles and mini coaching cycles.
What are the Stages in a Mini Coaching Cycle?
As you review the following stages in a mini coaching cycle, you’ll notice that they embed the core practices for Student-Centered Coaching, but just in a shorter time frame. For example, the goal is student-centered, we collect student evidence and use it to plan instruction, we work together in the classroom, and then we reflect on the learning that took place.
While a coaching cycle spans a unit of study, a mini cycle is just a few lessons. But like anything, we recommend that you think of the duration of either type of cycle with some degree of flexibility. We’ve seen successful coaching cycles that were three weeks long. We’ve also seen mini coaching cycles that stretched beyond a few lessons.
How Do We Set Goals for Mini Coaching Cycles?
Goals for mini coaching cycles are narrow in focus. For example, where a goal for a coaching cycle might be writing an opinion piece that uses multiple sources. A goal for a mini coaching cycle would focus on something as narrow as writing a clear thesis statement. Mini coaching cycles can also focus on goals around student engagement. For example, a teacher who is working on increasing student discourse may choose to work with a coach on this goal during a mini coaching cycle.
How Do We Document Mini Coaching Cycles?
For mini coaching cycles, we steer coaches away from using the Result-Based Coaching Tool. Instead we recommend that they use this mini cycle coaching log that has been recently updated. Since mini coaching cycles span just a few lessons, we don’t find that it’s efficacious to collect pre and post student assessment data like we do in full coaching cycles. Using this log provides the coach and teacher with a record of what occurred in a way that is straightforward and easy to use.
What are the Best Times for Mini Coaching Cycles?
It’s important to offer mini coaching cycles throughout the school year because they are easy to schedule and can tuck in and around your other coaching cycles. Other ideal times include early in the school year when teachers are just getting started, as well as at the end of the year when it might be more difficult to engage teachers in full cycles. For those coaches who are in more than one school or at the district level, mini coaching cycles can also be a great fit.
A Final Thought
I would like to share one word of caution when it comes to mini coaching cycles. While they are student-centered and include our core practices, we still recommend prioritizing full coaching cycles because they are designed to make the greatest impact on student and teacher learning. Our rule of thumb is for school-based coaches to engage in full coaching cycles for approximately 60% of their coaching time. This leaves plenty of time for mini coaching cycles as well as other types of informal coaching support. Good luck with your mini coaching cycles!