New Assistant Principal Series
Teacher Coaching and Feedback
Background and Context
Growth MindED Consulting is offering a New Assistant Principal Series from March 12 through April 30, 2027. The series includes eight weekly virtual sessions for a small group of 6–8 leaders, with a focus on teacher coaching and follow-up during the spring.
As assistant principals prepare for spring reviews, they are also supporting teachers with the instruction happening each day. That work requires clear observation and feedback data, a specific coaching focus, and coaching sessions that help teachers understand and apply feedback. Therefore, the New Assistant Principal Series connects those responsibilities so participants can use their school’s existing expectations to prepare feedback, practice the coaching conversation, and discuss what happens afterward.
I’m Nicole Bryan, founder of Growth MindED Consulting. Over the last decade, I have developed performance management frameworks, rubrics, and teacher coaching structures for charter organizations. I developed this series to give leaders time to apply that work to their own schools, receive feedback, and revise their approach as they learn what is working.
Our Approach to Teacher Coaching
Effective coaching should help a teacher understand what to strengthen, why it matters for students, and how to put the feedback into practice. Therefore, this series prepares assistant principals to use classroom observation data and their school’s teaching expectations to identify a clear coaching focus, model and practice the skill with the teacher, and follow up on changes in instruction and student learning. Teacher reflection is part of each coaching conversation so that leaders can understand the teacher’s perspective and determine what support is needed.
The approach most closely aligns with Paul Bambrick-Santoyo’s Get Better Faster, particularly its emphasis on focused feedback, practice, and frequent follow-up. It also shares elements of the practice methods described by Doug Lemov and his coauthors and the reflection and progress-review process described by Jim Knight. Growth MindED connects these practices to the observation schedules, coaching agendas, and follow-up systems leaders use in their own schools.
Below you will find the confirmed schedule for the series, a brief explanation of each session, and the Session Outcomes and Tasks. Please review the outline alongside your school’s priorities and calendar. Note the sessions that address your current needs and any questions you would like to discuss before deciding whether to participate.
Schedule and Participation
The series will take place virtually on Fridays from 1–2 p.m. Eastern, March 12 through April 30, 2027. The cost is $999 per participant. Confirmed dates are listed with the session sequence so that you can review the full commitment.
The series is intended for assistant principals in approximately their first three years in the role. Participants should have responsibility for observing and coaching teachers. More experienced leaders may also find it useful if the session outcomes match their current development needs.
How the Sessions Will Work
Each session begins with a check-in and a review of the session outcomes. Beginning with Session 2, participants will discuss how they applied the previous session’s coaching skills, what changed in teacher practice, and how students responded. Nicole will introduce the new focus through a completed feedback sample or a coaching conversation exemplar, explain the decisions behind it, and model the skill participants will practice.
Participants will practice with peers, receive feedback, and repeat the part of the coaching conversation they need to strengthen. They will also prepare or revise the feedback, coaching agenda, or follow-up notes they will use in their schools. Each session closes with participant feedback and a discussion of next steps. Between sessions, participants should allow about 20–30 minutes to prepare or revise these materials, in addition to their usual observation and coaching time.
Materials and Missed Sessions
Participants will receive the following materials, with completed samples that show how to use them:
Classroom Observation Scripting Sheet
The Classroom Observation Scripting Sheet provides space to record what the teacher and students say and do, alongside the lesson objective, task, and time. This allows leaders to distinguish what they observed from their interpretation before preparing feedback.
Teacher Coaching Goal and Feedback Planning Template
The Teacher Coaching Goal and Feedback Planning Template connects the teacher’s current practice to a specific coaching goal and the intended student outcome. Leaders then prepare feedback that explains what they observed, why it matters for learning, and how the teacher can apply one action step in an upcoming lesson.
Weekly Teacher Coaching Agenda Template
The Weekly Teacher Coaching Agenda Template includes a check-in, teacher reflection, recognition of progress, discussion of the coaching focus, modeling, teacher practice, feedback, and a second attempt. The closing includes feedback from the teacher to the coach and agreement on support and follow-up.
Coaching Conversation Exemplars
The Coaching Conversation Exemplars show proposed leader language, possible teacher responses, and explanations of the leader’s coaching decisions. Participants can use them to prepare for discussion of progress, a new action step, or a continuing instructional concern.
Teacher Caseload and Coaching Follow-up Tracker
The Teacher Caseload and Coaching Follow-up Tracker records each teacher’s goal, action step, support, and next observation date. Leaders use the follow-up notes to distinguish changes in teacher practice from changes in student responses and decide whether to continue or revise the support.
Together, these materials help participants prepare for coaching meetings and review teacher progress without over-relying on memory, allowing for greater precision in their coaching.
Have a spring-break conflict? You can still participate. If you miss a session, you’ll receive a session packet that includes a summary and outline of the session, the materials used, a completed example of the session’s task, and directions for applying the skill in your school. This will help you continue the work and rejoin the following week.
Session 1 Coaching Priorities and the Leader Schedule
Date: March 12, 2027
Leaders need a clear picture of the teachers on their caseload, the support each teacher needs, and the time available to provide that support. We will begin by connecting those needs to the school’s instructional priorities and participants’ weekly schedules. Each participant will select one teacher’s coaching cycle to examine in depth while maintaining their usual responsibilities for the rest of their caseload.
Session Outcomes
Participants will be able to explain a proposed coaching focus using observation and feedback data, student responses or work, and their school’s teacher rubric.
Participants will be able to establish a coaching goal that names the intended change in teacher practice and student learning, and protect time for observation, coaching meetings, and follow-up.
Tasks
Participants will review their caseload and weekly schedule, then draft a goal for one teacher using the Teacher Coaching Goal and Feedback Planning Template. They will identify the classroom practices and student responses they would expect to observe as the teacher progresses. They will also identify any scheduling, coverage, or role questions to discuss with their principal.
Before Session 2, participants will gather recent observation notes, the relevant rubric expectation, and anonymous student work or responses for the selected teacher. They will use an existing coaching goal when appropriate and note any additional information needed before confirming the focus.
Session 2 Classroom Observation Data and the Coaching Focus
Date: March 19, 2027
Clear feedback begins with an accurate account of the lesson. Participants will practice scripting what the teacher and students say and do before interpreting the observation. They will consider the lesson objective, the task, and the teacher’s current goal so that the feedback addresses an instructional need supported by the data.
Session Outcomes
Participants will be able to distinguish objective observation notes from interpretation and explain what the notes show about teacher practice and student learning.
Participants will be able to justify one coaching focus using their school’s rubric and identify the additional information needed when the observation does not support a clear conclusion.
Tasks
Participants will use the Classroom Observation Scripting Sheet to analyze a shared lesson sample, compare their interpretation with a partner’s, and explain their reasoning. They will then revise their own observation notes and confirm or refine the selected teacher’s coaching goal. The discussion will include which instructional strengths to reinforce.
Before Session 3, participants will gather any missing information and draft feedback for the selected teacher. The draft should identify the observed practice, its effect on students, and a proposed action step connected to the teacher’s goal.
Session 3 Written Feedback Teachers Can Use
Date: March 26, 2027
A teacher needs to understand what the leader observed, why it matters for learning, and how to apply the feedback. We will use this What, Why, and How structure to prepare one bite-sized action step: a specific teaching practice the teacher can rehearse and use in an upcoming lesson. The action step should advance the teacher’s coaching goal.
Session Outcomes
Participants will be able to write feedback that connects specific observation data to a rubric expectation and explains why the proposed change matters for student learning.
Participants will be able to distinguish the teacher’s coaching goal from the weekly action step and name the observable teacher practice and student response to look for during follow-up.
Tasks
Participants will compare feedback samples that meet the stated criteria with samples that need revision. They will revise their own feedback using the Teacher Coaching Goal and Feedback Planning Template. Peer feedback will address the coaching focus, observation data, rationale, action step, practice prompt, and follow-up look-for, meaning the specific practice or response the leader expects to observe.
Before Session 4, participants will select a lesson segment for teacher practice and prepare a model, a reflection question, and feedback they can use during the coaching meeting.
Session 4 Coaching Conversations and Teacher Practice
Date: April 2, 2027
A coaching meeting gives the teacher an opportunity to reflect, understand the feedback, and practice applying it with support. Participants will learn how to recognize progress, explain the coaching focus, and protect time for modeling, practice, feedback, and another attempt. They will also invite the teacher’s feedback on the support provided.
Session Outcomes
Participants will be able to lead a coaching conversation that includes a check-in, teacher reflection, recognition of progress, and discussion of one action step connected to the teacher’s goal.
Participants will be able to model a teaching practice, give specific feedback during teacher practice, and guide a second attempt before agreeing on classroom application and follow-up.
Tasks
Participants will review a Coaching Conversation Exemplar and prepare a Weekly Teacher Coaching Agenda. In pairs, they will practice the leader and teacher roles, receive feedback, and repeat a selected portion. Their agendas will close with a question inviting feedback from the teacher, the support the leader will provide, and the next observation date.
Before Session 5, participants will conduct the coaching meeting and a follow-up observation when their school calendar allows. They will record what the teacher tried and how students responded. Participants on spring break may use the completed sample and apply the process when school resumes.
Session 5 Follow-up Observations and Support
Date: April 9, 2027
Follow-up observations help leaders determine whether the teacher is applying the action step and whether the change is helping students. Participants will compare the new observation with the teacher’s starting point and goal. As a result, they can explain why they are continuing a focus, adjusting support, or proposing a new goal.
Session Outcomes
Participants will be able to describe changes in teacher practice and student responses separately, using observation notes, relevant student work, and the agreed follow-up look-fors.
Participants will be able to determine whether to keep or refine a coaching goal, provide additional modeling or practice, or gather more information before changing the focus.
Tasks
Participants will update the Teacher Caseload and Coaching Follow-up Tracker and discuss one teacher’s progress with a partner. They will consider consistency across observations, the teacher’s independence in applying the practice, the student response, and whether the leader provided the agreed support. They will then prepare the next coaching conversation.
Before Session 6, participants will provide the agreed support and collect follow-up observation data. They will bring an anonymous example of a continuing instructional concern or a coaching conversation in which they and the teacher interpreted the information differently.
Session 6 Conversations About Limited Progress
Date: April 16, 2027
When teacher progress is limited, the leader needs to understand what is preventing improvement. Participants will examine whether expectations were clear, the teacher had a useful model and time to practice, and the agreed support was provided. They will then prepare a direct conversation that names the continuing concern, invites the teacher’s perspective, and clarifies the next steps.
Session Outcomes
Participants will be able to explain a continuing instructional concern using the history of observation, feedback, practice, and support, while identifying information that may change their understanding.
Participants will be able to respond to disagreement, revise support where needed, and distinguish a coaching conversation from concerns that require their school’s formal support or accountability process.
Tasks
Participants will use a Coaching Conversation Exemplar to prepare and practice a discussion about limited progress. A partner will respond in the teacher role and provide feedback on the leader’s clarity, listening, and proposed support. Participants will revise their agenda to include the teacher’s perspective, the leader’s commitments, and a follow-up date.
Before Session 7, participants will revise their conversation plan and organize observation notes, coaching records, and relevant student work for their school’s spring review process. Questions about formal support, evaluation, or accountability should be discussed with their supervisor.
Session 7 Spring Review Conversations
Date: April 23, 2027
Spring review conversations should help teachers understand their strengths, progress, and continuing development needs. Participants will use the full body of information required by their school’s evaluation process, including the teacher’s reflection and records from more than one occasion. The coaching goal informs that discussion; the school’s evaluation criteria determine the scope of the formal review.
Session Outcomes
Participants will be able to summarize teacher progress across the review period, distinguish a repeated pattern from an isolated observation, and identify gaps in the information available.
Participants will be able to explain strengths and continuing needs in a review conversation that follows their school’s evaluation process.
Tasks
Participants will prepare a teacher progress summary and a review agenda that begins with the teacher’s reflection. They will practice explaining a strength and a continuing development need with specific examples, then identify any scoring, approval, or process questions for their supervisor.
Before the final session, participants will revise the summary and bring an early feedback draft alongside a more recent example to review their own development.
Session 8 Review of Coaching Practice and Next Steps
Date: April 30, 2027
The final session gives participants time to examine the quality and consistency of their coaching. They will compare early and revised feedback, review what changed for the selected teacher and students, and consider what their caseload tracker shows about follow-up across their teachers. This will inform their coaching priorities for the next month.
Session Outcomes
Participants will be able to explain improvements in their observation notes, feedback, and coaching conversations using examples from the series and feedback received from teachers.
Participants will be able to establish the next month’s coaching priorities and schedule, including the support and follow-up needed for teachers on their caseload.
Tasks
Participants will compare their early and revised feedback, discuss teacher progress, and complete a next-month coaching schedule. They will identify one aspect of their own coaching to strengthen with their principal’s support and provide feedback on the series.
After the series, participants will use the plan in their existing coaching and supervision meetings and review whether the agreed support is improving teacher practice.
Reviewing Progress and Preparing to Participate
At the beginning and end of the series, participants will review their feedback using the same criteria: Does it name a clear coaching focus? Does it include specific observation data? Does it explain why the change matters for student learning? Is there one action step the teacher can practice? Is a model or practice prompt prepared? Are the follow-up look-fors and support clear?
By the final session, participants should have a teacher coaching goal and revised feedback, a coaching agenda they have used, follow-up observation notes, and a next-month coaching schedule. They will review teacher practice and student responses separately so they can explain what changed and what still needs attention. Their caseload tracker will also show whether planned observations, meetings, and follow-up took place.
Before the first session, please bring your school’s teacher rubric, a recent feedback example, your teacher caseload, and your weekly schedule. Identify a teacher whose coaching cycle you would like to examine during the series. Remove teacher and student names from examples shared with the group.
After each session, participants will identify what helped them complete their work and what support they still need. That feedback will inform the next session. Confidential school records should remain in the school’s approved system, and all formal decisions follow the school’s existing processes.
Questions and Next Steps
Please review the outcomes and tasks with your supervisor if your school will sponsor your participation. To discuss whether the series fits your responsibilities, contact Nicole Bryan at nbryan@growthmindedconsulting.com. You can learn more about Growth MindED Consulting at https://growthmindedconsulting.com.