Coaching Without Taking Over: Unlocking PLCs Through Strategic Questioning

Outline

This 90 minute session engages school and district leaders in hands-on strategies for coaching in PLCs or team meetings.

Section 1 (25 min): Participants explore the four leadership support functions, reflect individually on their tendencies, and discuss insights with peers.

Section 2 (25 min): The focus shifts to coaching as the primary support function in PLCs. Participants analyze sample leader scenarios to distinguish coaching versus consulting and then explore a double-sided PLC coaching stem guide with over 50 strategic questions. Small group discussions highlight which stems feel natural and how to create additional stems using invitational language.

Section 3 (35 min): Participants watch a real PLC video where the team is struggles with teacher clarity. They pause to analyze the scenario and apply their learning by crafting coaching questions with peers. Participants then practice further by reading PLC situation cards and either role-playing or debriefing how they would use coaching stems. Peer discussion and reflection reinforce understanding and help leaders translate learning into practical, high-impact coaching moves.

Takeaway Artifact: A double-sided PLC coaching stem guide that equips leaders to facilitate reflective, resourceful, high-impact PLC conversations without taking over.

Outcomes

Attendees will leave with a PLC coaching stem guide featuring over 50 strategic questions for data and instruction-based discussions. The resource also provides guidance for creating coaching stems on the spot using invitational language. These tools equip leaders to facilitate deeper, more impactful PLC conversations without taking over the PLC, leading to teacher clarity, resourcefulness, and reflection.

Supporting research

Thinking Collaborative: Cognitive Coaching Seminar https://www.thinkingcollaborative.com/aboutcc

Text: PLC+ Better Decision and Greater Impact By Design
By: Douglas Fisher, Nancy Frey, John Almarode, Karen Flories, & Dave Nagel

Text: The PLC+ Activator's Guide
By: Dave Nagle, John Almarode, Douglas Fisher, Nancy Frey, & Kaen Florries

Article: The Design and Validation of the Enabling Conditions for Collective Teacher Efficacy Scale
By: Jennifer Donohoo, Time O'Leary, John Hattie