Running head: LEADING LEADERS 1

Leading Leaders in Giving Peer Feedback Related to Teacher Performance

Angela Monique Jaimes

Grand Canyon University: EAD 533

February 6, 2019
LEADING LEADERS IN GIVING PEER FEEDBACK 2

Leading Leaders in Giving Peer Feedback Related to Teacher Performance

I observed Mrs. Gagnon conduct two pre-observations, observations and post observation

meetings; one with Ms. Taylor and one with Mrs. Butler. Ms. Taylor has been teaching first-

grade for 38 years and Mrs. Butler is in her first-year teaching fourth-grade; although she taught

third-grade before moving into fourth-grade for seven years. This paper will discuss strategies

discussed, feedback and coaching strategies that could be implemented.

Strategies

Mrs. Gagnon dove into both meetings by stating what her feedback would be based upon.

Mrs. Gagnon told Mrs. Butler that due to Mrs. Butler not providing whole group instruction, she

would base feedback on the running of centers and told Ms. Taylor feedback would be based

upon her fractions lesson. Mrs. Butler didn’t receive any instructional strategies, engagement

strategies or differentiation strategies. Ms. Taylors’ only recommendation was to incorporate

smaller groups for centers.

Feedback
Mrs. Gagnon praised Mrs. Butler for her classroom management, small groups for

centers and her managing centers. Mrs. Butler didn’t run a center but instead walked around

ensuring students were staying on task, understood instructions or supported students in centers

by providing support or extensions of lessons. Mrs. Butler didn’t receive any constructive

feedback nor was she asked if she wanted support in any area of teaching.

Mrs. Gagnon praised Ms. Taylor for her review of fractions, use of technology,

interaction with students and employing student to go to the whiteboard to ‘teach’ the class. Ms.

Taylor used centers as part of her lesson, including running a center for providing support for

students who were not understanding fractions; supporting ELCC 2.3 and 5.2 in knowing each
LEADING LEADERS IN GIVING PEER FEEDBACK 3

student and supporting each student in their academic success and drive in succeeding in the

community (National Policy Board for Educational Administration, 2015, p. 10, 13). However,

the students had challenges staying on task during centers. Mrs. Gagnon suggested groups be

limited to two students and that Ms. Taylor not run a center but walk around to ensure students

stay on task and understand expectations before running a small group.

Mrs. Gagnon had a rubric she used to assess the formal observation; however, she didn’t

use the rubric during the post-observation meetings to guide her feedback. She told Mrs. Butler

and Ms. Taylor that they could look over the rubric but didn’t reference the rubric again. Insight

Education Group (N.D.) provides a template in giving useful feedback to support teacher growth

post observation. The article gives six steps to follow: praise, probe, polish area and action step,

practice, plan-ahead and prepare for review. These six steps would ensure the teacher is

receiving positive feedback, the administrator asks the teacher about their strengths and areas

needing support, time to practice and a scheduled time where the administrator will observe the

teacher again to ensure growth in areas needing support. Mrs. Gagnon would benefit from using

a template such as this to give her post-observation feedback more depth and more growth

opportunity for the teacher.

Coaching Strategies
Mrs. Butler did a great job during her observation and Mrs. Gagnon didn’t provide any

coaching strategies. I would ask Mrs. Butler if she incorporates support for students who are not

understanding concepts being taught or extends lessons for students who are grasping the

concepts; supporting ELCC 2.3 by taking responsibility for the individual student (p. 10). Mrs.

Butlers’ class appears to understand centers expectations and Mrs. Butler can incorporate

working with students in small groups to support or extend lessons as is appropriate for the
LEADING LEADERS IN GIVING PEER FEEDBACK 4

individual student. I would also ask Mrs. Butler where she believed she was strong as a teacher

and where she thought she could do better. I would provide support in the areas where she

believed she needed support or connect Mrs. Butler with teachers who could mentor her in areas

needing support; supporting ELCC 3.4 for distributed leadership and 2.3 in building professional

capacity (p. 11, 10).

Ms. Taylor gave good whole group instruction. The students were engaged, and Ms.

Taylor was able to informally assess students when she asked the class questions and students

cotaught the class. Ms. Taylors’ used a variety of techniques to keep students focused during

whole group instruction, but students were not able to stay on task during centers. Ms. Taylor

might benefit from incorporating smaller groups during centers and not run a center yet, as Mrs.

Gagnon suggested. She can oversee the centers to ensure students are staying on task and

understand expectations during centers. This was the only coaching strategy Mrs. Gagnon

provided. I would also ask Ms. Taylor where she felt strong as a teacher, where she feels she

could use support and would provide support where she voiced wanting support; extending

coaching possibilities, teacher capacity and leadership opportunities supporting ELCC 3.4 (p.

11).

Mrs. Gagnon is an experienced teacher and has expertise with curriculum; however, she

would benefit from being coached in conducting post-observation meetings. If her intent was to

build relationships with the two post-observations I observed, I think she was successful.

However, she did not build bridges where a teacher could reach to her if needing support as a

teacher in the classroom. New Leaders states it is important for the leader to know the

curriculum, but it is also important for the administrator to know how to provide support for

teachers to grow (2014). The article states that administration needs to coach teachers, leaders
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and new administrators; especially leaders and administration in how to provide support,

continuing education and strategies to teachers in how to develop teaching in the classroom;

essentially how to coach teachers. Mrs. Gagnon has been a successful coach for a variety of

school sports teams. An administrative coach could help her bridge or make connections in

coaching strategies from the field to the classroom and I am positive she would be successful and

ensure ELCC 3.5 would be support with teachers providing a high-quality education and success

for students (p. 11).

In conclusion, Blue Ridge Elementary School does not have educational coaches or

leaders. The administration team conducts pre-observations, observations and post-observations.

Mrs. Gagnon is in her first year of administration support and is learning the process of

conducting formal and informal observations. Mrs. Gagnon is an experienced teacher, mentor,

grade chair and has been on a variety of committee’s and teams; however, she appears to be

easing her way into the administration role. Mrs. Gagnon can develop her leadership role in

reading articles or books in how to grow as an educational coach and would benefit from having

an administrator mentor. The administrator would be supporting ELCC 2.3 by increasing

capacity of Mrs. Gagnon as a school leader (p. 10). Mrs. Gagnon would then in turn support

ELCC 2.3 by supporting teachers in growing as teachers and future leaders. Ms. Gagnon is

acting responsibly and ethically with her observations and meetings with teachers, supporting

ELCC 2.1 (p. 10). Mrs. Gagnon will develop her leadership style with appropriate guidance in

providing feedback and coaching strategies and will prove herself a strong leader and member of

the administration team.

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References

Insight Education Group (N.D.). 6 Step feedback guide for post-observation coaching. Retrieved

from: file:///C:/Users/namaste/Documents/GCU%20Admin%20Classes/EAD%20530/6%

20step%20feedback%20guide.pdf

National Policy Board for Educational Administration (2015). Professional standards for

educational leaders 2015. Reston, VA: Author. Retrieved from:

http://www.wallacefoundation.org/knowledge-center/Documents/Professional-Standards-

for-Educational-Leaders-2015.pdf

New Leaders (2014). Epic spotlight: the principal role in developing teachers. Retrieved from:

http://americaachieves.org/wpcontent/uploads/2015/08/Spotlight.PromisingPractices_Do

wnload-the-Policy-Guide_FINAL.pdf