AI in Instructional Coaching: A Mirror for Growth
Lindsay Schultz
Confidence, Reflection, Adaptive Learning
Lindsay Schultz
As an instructional coach, we are inevitably in the “people business”….getting to authentically know teachers for who they are, building and sustaining relationships, and honing our listening skills. This work is at the heart of why I became an instructional coach. I’ve always been passionate about recognizing potential in others, helping them see what they may not see in themselves, and supporting them in refining their instructional craft to better serve students.
Confidence fuels growth. When we operate with confidence, we do better, we see clearer, we reflect deeply, and make greater strides forward. One of the most effective tools to build this confidence is video. Jim Knight writes in his book, Focus on Teaching: Using Video for High-Impact Instruction, “When we record ourselves doing our work, we see that reality is very different from what we think. As a result, we are often disappointed by what we see.” Knight goes on to write, “At other times, we are delighted by what we see, noticing perhaps that a learning activity truly did engage students authentically.”
I too have found video to be a powerful tool for objectively capturing reality, guiding teacher reflection, setting student-focused goals, and planning implementation. Instead of solely relying on observation and verbal feedback, video empowers teachers to analyze their own instruction, fostering deeper reflection and ownership of their practice. Simply put, seeing is more powerful than being told.
Recently, one of our platforms, Sibme, integrated AI tools to use within videoing that help guide the teacher through reflection. These tools streamline the “what” of classroom interactions, allowing teachers and coaches to focus more deeply on the “how” for greater impact. For instance, AI will analyze the transcript of the recording to generate detailed reports on key instructional elements such as teacher talk vs. student talk, behavior-specific vs. generic feedback, types of questions, and so much more. It even pinpoints moments in the recording where students struggled.
This technology elevates our coaching conversations by maximizing the time we have together. It also allows us to capitalize on autonomy as the teacher is able to choose the report and respective data he/she wants to analyze. In the day-to-day of a teacher’s work, there can be limited time for coaching conversations, so having this data readily available is invaluable.
As I’ve worked alongside teachers in this process, I’ve heard statements similar to:
- “What if we compared my first video with my second?”
- “I never thought my teacher talk percentage would be high…what can I do to lower it?”
- “Look at how many open ended questions I used in that lesson.”
- “Wow, I’ve improved more than I thought.”
- “I’m going to show this to my administration….I’m so proud of myself.”
So often, we never realize quite what we are capable of…there are few opportunities to measure our work, our impact, or our growth. Incorporating AI into my work with teachers has allowed us to achieve this and so much more. It has served as an objective, unassuming mirror for teachers… an invaluable tool that consistently sparks meaningful conversations. They’ve built confidence, saw parts of themselves as educators they didn’t know existed, and for some, a motivation has been reignited to continue forward. I’m so proud of all the beginning teachers I have the opportunity of serving and grateful for AI-powered tools that provide a mirror for growth, offering countless opportunities for reflection, improvement, and purposeful impact in the classroom.