Kagan Coaching

Dr. Spencer Kagan

To cite this article: Kagan, S. Kagan Coaching. San Clemente, CA: Kagan Publishing. Kagan Online Magazine, Spring 2006.
www.KaganOnline.com
The research is clear: Student achievement depends, to a large extent, on teacher skills. It is the skills of the teacher
that determine success or failure for many students. Some teachers consistently obtain high levels of student
achievement while other teachers' students regularly fail to meet basic standards. Kagan Coaching is proving to be
one of the most powerful tools available for enhancing teacher skills. In every school that has adopted Kagan
Coaching we have seen dramatic gains in student achievement.
In 1999 as part of her efforts to get Kagan model schools "as good as they can be," Laurie Kagan developed Kagan
Coaching. Since then the model has been continually improved and perfected and has become one of the most
powerful tools to support successful implementation of innovative instruction. It can be used to support implementation of any
improvement in instruction, but, naturally, we at Kagan use it primarily to support implementation of Kagan Structures.
The essence of Kagan Coaching is coaching teachers in real time. That is, instead of waiting until after the lesson to meet with the
teacher to discuss the lesson, teachers receiving in-the-moment Kagan Coaching get feedback and support during the lesson, often
immediately after or even while implementing a strategy.
There are many coaching models, each differing from the others in a number of ways. Kagan Coaching, however, is radically different
from all the other models along a number of dimensions, including unit of observation, time expended, documentation, relevance of
feedback, immediacy of feedback, immediacy of correction, probability of implementation of correction, and the role of the principal and/or
site-based instructional leader (see Table). Although it is unfair to lump all other coaching models into one blurring many important
distinctions, for purposes of comparison, that is exactly what I will do. That is, Kagan Coaching is best understood in contrast to what I
will call "traditional coaching." By "traditional coaching" I refer to three-step coaching models that involve 1) a pre-conference (teacher and
coach meet to establish what will be observed, how it will be shared, and the role of the coach); 2) an observation session (coach
observes the teacher, often taking notes on pre-determined behaviors); and 3) a post-observation session (feelings about and perception
of the lesson are shared along with observations and/or coaching tips).
As seen at a glance in the table, Kagan Coaching is radically different from traditional approaches to coaching along a number of
dimensions. In this article I summarize those differences, providing a description of and rationale for this important innovation in education.
Traditional v. Kagan Coaching


Traditional Kagan Coaching
Unit of Observation Broad (Whole Lesson) Focused (One Structure)
Time Expended Hours (Pre, Ob, Post) Minutes (Brief Visit)
Documentation Complicated Simple
Relevance of Feedback Potentially Irrelevant Relevant
Immediacy of Feedback Delayed Immediate
Immediacy of Correction Delayed Immediate
Implementation Questionable Assured
Principal/
Site-Based Instructional Leader
Not Empowered Empowered


Unit of Observation
In traditional coaching the lesson is the unit of observation. Typically the coach observes a whole lesson, with an agreement to give
feedback on some aspect of instruction such as direction giving, praising, or questioning. In Kagan Coaching, the unit of observation
and feedback is a specific structure like Numbered Heads Together, Sage-N-Scribe, or Listen Write! For example, the agreement may
be to get coaching on Timed Pair Share. There are a number of advantages to making the unit of observation a specific strategy rather
than a lesson, including: feedback is more focused, preparation by the teacher can be more focused, anxiety is lowered for the teacher,
and the time for coaching is reduced.
Time Expended
Traditional models of coaching involve three or more stages: Pre-conference, Observation, and Post-conference. That is, the teacher and
coach meet before the lesson to discuss what, when, and how the observation will take place. Depending on the
model, the teacher and coach may co-plan the lesson that is to be observed. An agreement is reached as to what
exactly the coach will observe and give feedback on following the observation. Then the observation occurs, usually
for an hour-long lesson. An additional stage is required at this point if some forms of scripting are adopted because
the coach must look over the script and code it for target behaviors such as anticipatory set, active participation, type
of questions asked, reinforcement of positive behaviors, or whatever was agreed to be the target of feedback during
the post-observation session. Finally, there is a post-observation meeting at which time the coach facilitates self-
reflection on the part of the teacher, provides support, and, depending on the model, corrective feedback. The post-
observation session may include co-planning a future lesson or modification of the observed lesson. With a minimum
of a half hour for pre- and post- sessions and an hour of observation, all of this sums to as much as two hours!
The time-frame for Kagan Coaching is radically different. The whole process is usually no more than fifteen
minutes! In Kagan Coaching there is no elaborate negotiation of what is to be observed and how it is to be
observed, no pre- and post-observation sessions, no coding of scripts. The observation itself is very time limited.
How is this possible? In Kagan Coaching a pre-established observation form has been provided to the teacher. The teacher is working
on implementing something that has been shared in a workshop. The observation form reinforces the concepts taught in the workshop and
includes the steps of the instructional strategy, management tips, and social skills to be taught to students, if needed. Because both the
teacher and coach know what is to be observed, there is no need for a pre-observation session. Because feedback is given and correction
is made in real time, there is no need for a post-observation session. Finally, since the unit of observation is a single structure, not a full
lesson, the observation itself can be quite brief. The teacher is prepared to use the structure very shortly after the coach enters the room,
so there is no time lost. The brevity of the coaching process has a number of advantages. Anxiety is reduced for the teacher ("the coach
will be in my room for only 15 minutes and I know exactly what will be observed and coached"). The coaching session is more focused.
And many more teachers can be coached. For example, in the time it would take to do a full two hour traditional pre-observation,
observation, and post-observation coaching sequence, a principal or site-based instructional leader can coach and give feedback to seven
or eight teachers! The schools that hire Kagan for coaching average sixteen teachers a day per coach, with each teacher having received
support and corrective feedback, and with having implemented the correction during the coaching session!
Documentation
Depending on the coaching model, documentation in traditional coaching can be relatively simple or quite complex.
The coach may script an entire lesson, do a focused script, tally behaviors, diagram the flow of behaviors, or enter
elaborate planning with the teacher how data will be collected and shared. A great deal of energy may be extended
first in learning how to script a lesson and then later in actually scripting lessons. While we do not deny that scripting
lessons and getting feedback on entire lessons can be quite valuable, it can also be quite difficult and a barrier to
frequent coaching.
In Kagan Coaching documentation consists of filling out an observation form and at the end of the observation
leaving the completed form with the teacher. The form itself is quite simple, see sample Kagan Structure
Observation Form: Timed Pair Share. The Form includes a check sheet for elements of the structure and places to
write brief positive comments on specific elements of the structure observed. An advantage of the Structure
Observation Form is that the teacher knows exactly what the coach will be looking for and retains a written record of which elements
were and were not included. The coach is sure to include supportive comments as well.
Relevance of Feedback
In many traditional coaching models, what is observed may be of little relevance to improving instruction compared to what could be the
focus of observation and feedback. Why? In many traditional models the teachers determine what they would like feedback on. For
example a teacher may choose to get feedback on how equally she/he calls on students. When the
coach enters the room, the class may be totally out of control, but the coach is constrained to give
feedback on equality of participation. Too frequently, this leads to the absurd situation of a coach
knowing the teacher needs help on something, but the coach is handcuffed by the prior agreement to
give feedback on something that actually has little relevance to improving instruction. The whole
coaching/feedback process can be irrelevant.
In contrast, in Kagan Coaching the essential elements of successful implementation of each structure have been pre-established, so
observation and feedback are on target. If, for example, the Kagan Coach comes in to observe a structure and the room is totally out of
control, the Kagan Coach will give the teacher help on management in the moment. While the students are occupied, the coach will briefly
consult with the teacher suggesting what the teacher can try. The Kagan coach is never handcuffed by a prior agreement or contract to
limit observation or coaching.
For example, a Kagan Coach was observing Numbered Heads Together. The teacher was not having the students write their own best
answer before putting their heads together to improve their answers. This lead to some students not even thinking of an answer on their
own, just waiting for the heads together time to take a free ride on the answers of the others. Essentially, the teacher had left out a step
that creates individual accountability. When asked to insert that step, the greater engagement of the lower achieving students was
obvious. The coach had given the teacher the feedback that was most relevant to improving instruction. Had the coach been constrained
to observe some teacher-determined behavior, the coaching almost certainly would have been less relevant to improving instruction.
Immediacy of Feedback
In traditional coaching, feedback follows the lesson, often delayed to a time when the lesson is a somewhat vague memory, perhaps at the
end of an exhausting school day, or during the teacher's prep time.
In Kagan Coaching feedback is immediate. Immediate feedback is far more powerful
because the feedback is associated with a very fresh, vivid memory of the performance as
opposed to being associated with a vague memory. Thus the probability of remembering
the feedback when the teacher next performs is greatly enhanced. In terms of brain
functioning the coaching/feedback process is a vivid episodic memory, easily remembered.
Teachers report they vividly remember each coaching session, even years later.
The immediacy of feedback occurs at two levels: The teacher receives immediate
feedback from the coach, but also receives immediate feedback from seeing the effect of
her/his changed instructional strategy. For example, a teacher was being coached on
Inside/Outside Circle. She had the students form a tight circle at the back of the room.
The students were practicing using and giving the definitions of vocabulary words. The
class was extremely noisy and the students were having difficulty hearing each other. The coach said, "Try having the students form the
Inside/Outside circles using the perimeter of the room." The teacher did, and the there was freer movement and the students did not have
to compete with a voice right next to them. The teacher commented that she had used Inside/Outside Circle many times, but had never
thought of using the whole room and that she could not believe the improvement. The teacher was getting immediate feedback from the
change in her instructional strategy.
A worry people have when first hearing about Kagan Coaching is that having the coach give corrective feedback during a lesson, in
front of the class, will publicly embarrass the teacher. Because, however, the structures we give coaching on involve student-student
interaction, the coach has the luxury of giving the teacher private feedback during a lesson. The coach gives the teacher feedback while
the students are occupied. The student interaction time gives the Kagan coach the opportunity to
acknowledge the positives and provide a correction while students are working. Thus no one is
ever put on the spot; the needed corrections are made and everyone wins!
Immediacy of Implementing Correction
In the traditional model of coaching, the teacher does not have the opportunity to practice
improved implementation until long after the initial implementation. An observation is made. Then,
there is a delay until the teacher receives feedback. Following that, there is an additional delay
until the teacher has the opportunity to implement the correction. These delays allow memory of
the correction to fade, so too often the correction is poorly implemented.
In contrast, the correction is made immediately in Kagan Coaching. For example, a teacher
leaves out a response gambit during Timed Pair Share. While students are engaged in the
second half of Timed Pair Share, the coach whispers to the teacher, "After they share this time, have the B partner respond. Give
them a sentence starter:
I appreciated listening to you because." The teacher immediately improves implementation, sees the positive effect, is reinforced for
the improvement, and is far more likely to continue using the improved implementation.
Probability of Implementation
It is quite questionable if the improved implementation suggested in traditional coaching ever occurs. Usually there is no follow-up, and
because of the delay between corrective feedback and the subsequent implementation, there is considerable probability that a weak or
even no correction will occur.
In Kagan Coaching quality correction is assured. The coach gives the corrective feedback and the teachers implements in-the-moment.
During Sage-N-Scribe, for example, the teacher forgets to instruct the Scribes how to check for
accuracy and completeness. While the students are doing the next problem the coach simply
whispers to the teacher, "Before the next round, remind students how to check for completeness
and accuracy." The correction is implemented immediately.
Principal's Role
It is often joked that the second most private act a person performs is teaching. If that is true, the third
most private act is coaching! Only the teacher and the coach know what has occurred in the coaching
process. It is often explicitly agreed that the coach will not share with anyone, including the principal,
his or her observations and feedback. With the expert coaching model, the expert most often is
someone from outside the school, and so disappears after the post-observation coaching session.
Change occurs, however, as a function of ongoing support and accountability. Drive-by coaching will never add up. How can we ensure
that teachers get ongoing support and corrective feedback? One answer is to empower the principal or other instructional leader with the
knowledge and skills of coaching, and to build commitment to make frequent classroom visits.
In Laurie Kagan's Kagan Coaching the problem of providing ongoing support and accountability and building site-based coaching skills
is solved in a unique way: the principal or site-based instructional leader accompanies the coach during Kagan Coaching. In this
capacity-building model, the principal observes the coaching process for the first number of visits by a coach. Following each coaching
session on each visit, the coach and the principal discuss what the teacher needs to work on and how the principal can continue to provide
support and guidance to that teacher. Thus, whereas the principal may not at first see why the coach is focusing on specific areas of
concern, over time that becomes quite clear. At some point then, after a number of visits, the coach steps back allowing the principal to
step into the role of coach. The coach at that point no longer coaches teachers on structures, instead shifting into the role of coaching the
principal on the skills of Kagan Coaching. The results: an empowered site-based instructional leader who can support and guide
teachers on an ongoing basis.
To work well, this model depends on an understanding among everyone involved: Coaching is not Evaluation. The participants assume
different roles at different times. Coaching is designed to improve instruction a formative process. Evaluation is a much broader,
summative process. During coaching, the principal wears a very different hat than during evaluation. During coaching the teacher sees the
principal as a partner, someone on the same side, a true instructional leader helping the teacher become as skilled as possible. Both the
teacher and the principal are empowered through the Kagan Coaching process, learning new skills.

In Sum
Think of a football coach. Does the coach sit down with the players before they perform, ask them what they want feedback on, watch
them perform, and then wait until after the practice or game to give them feedback, and give them feedback only on what they asked for.
The model is absurd when applied to football. The model is equally absurd when applied to coaching any skill, including teaching skills.
The football coach gives feedback in the moment to ensure immediate correction. If a music group is singing a rhythm incorrectly, the
teacher stops the group immediately to provide corrective feedback. The teacher does not let them practice the skill wrong. That is what
Kagan Coaching is all about. Teachers learning a new skill need to know immediately what they are, and are not, doing correctly.
Kagan Coaching is a very powerful model which is less time consuming, creates safety, provides more immediate feedback, ensures
correction, and fuels a site-based process so the site is empowered to become a continual improvement school.



Author's Note:
I am deeply appreciative of Laurie Kagan, who created Kagan Coaching in her continual attempts to "get teachers as
good as they can be." I am appreciative also of her input to this article as well as the input of Dr. Jacqueline Minor, and
the formative comments of the team of Kagan full-time trainers who have been using Kagan Coaching.
Editor's Note:
Kagan offers Kagan Coaching for schools and districts. To find out more email Nancy Murray. To attend a two-day

workshop on Kagan Coaching this summer at the Kagan 20th Annual Summer Institute in Walt DisneyWorld
Florida, July 8-9, click here.





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