Kagan

Special Article

Top 10 Things to Know about Kagan Coaching

Team Kagan

To cite this article: Team Kagan. Top 10 Things to Know about Kagan Coaching. Kagan Online Magazine, Issue #64. San Clemente, CA: Kagan Publishing. www.KaganOnline.com

Kagan has developed a revolutionary coaching method to boost student engagement and learning! Kagan Coaching is very different from other models of coaching. Here are the Top 10 things to know about Kagan Coaching:

1. A Day of Coaching

Kagan Coaching is scheduled by the day. Your Kagan Coach can visit approximately 16 to 20 teachers per day. Teachers select a Kagan Structure and sign up for a 15-minute coaching session.

2. One Structure Only

A 15-minute session is too short to observe a full period or even a complete lesson. That’s the point! The Kagan Coach is only there to observe the teacher implementing one structure. That’s it! The reason Kagan uses a single structure as the unit of observation is structures are very specific. They are step-by-step instructional strategies. When a teacher implements a structure correctly, we know they are implementing research-based principles and creating full student engagement.

3. No Surprises!

When a Kagan Coach enters the teacher’s classroom, the teacher knows exactly what to expect. There are no surprises! Teachers select which structure they want to be coached on from a list of options. They receive a structure observation form well in advance of the coaching day, so they know exactly what the coach is looking for. Kagan Coaching is not a “gotcha, you’re doing it wrong!” It’s a “how can we help you get it right?!”

4. Teacher Support, Not Evaluation

The role of the Kagan Coach is to support teachers, not to evaluate them. Teachers don’t receive a score or a grade on how well they used the Kagan Structure. In fact, specific individual teacher feedback is only for the teachers, not the administrators. The whole goal of a Kagan Coach is to help the teacher improve. Evaluation can create stress and anxiety and can interfere with the improvement process.

5. In-the-Moment Coaching

Kagan Coaching happens in-the-moment, not afterwards or in a follow-up meeting. Why? Good feedback is immediate and specific. When the coach provides a tip in real-time, this allows the teacher to make the recommended change so the teacher can see first-hand what a big difference small changes can make.

6. Save Teachers Time

Traditional coaching typically involves three steps:

• First, there is a pre-conference between the coach and teacher to establish what will be observed.
• Second, there is an observation session.
• And third, there is a post-conference to review feedback and suggestions.

Kagan’s Coaching model eliminates the pre- and post- sessions. This saves teachers time, reduces resistance, and allows us to focus on what makes the biggest difference—the coaching session itself.

7. Debrief Session

With a day of Kagan Coaching, schools are entitled to a debrief session for all teachers with their Kagan Coach. We highly encourage schools to schedule coaching on days when all teachers can attend a brief afterschool session to celebrate successes and get new tips and insights.

8. Leadership Support

Administrators and leaders leading their school’s Kagan initiative are often new to Kagan too. We always encourage administrators to join the Kagan Coach, so they can learn what to look for and can support teachers all year long. After the day of coaching, the Kagan Coach provides feedback to administrators, school trends, and next steps.

9. Maximize Coaching

To maximize coaching success, Kagan recommends coaching occur at least once a quarter and within 4–6 weeks of your initial training.

10. Schedule a Kagan Coach

Call Kagan’s Partnership Team. Our friendly and knowledgeable Partnership Team can help you with scheduling, pricing, and any other questions you may have about Kagan Coaching.