1. What is Peer Coaching?
2. Goals and Objectives of SUL Peer Coaching Program
3. Who Can Participate?
4. What are the Advantages of Participating?
5. Information on Staff Development Credit
6. How do I Participate?
7. Tips and Suggestions
8. Resources

1. What is Peer Coaching?

Peer coaching is "a confidential process through which two or more professional colleagues work together to reflect on current practices; expand, refine, and build new skills; share ideas; teach one another; conduct classroom research; or solve problems in the workplace" (from Slater, C. L. and Simmons, D. L., "The design and implementation of a Peer Coaching program." American Secondary Education, v. 29, n. 3 [Spring 2001], 67-76).

Peer Coaching is:

• Confidential
• Non-evaluative
• Flexible
• Voluntary (but encouraged)
• Based on trust
• Focused on observable behaviors

2. Goals and Objectives of SUL Peer Coaching Program

The Instruction Program at Syracuse University Library will launch a Peer Coaching program in Spring 2003 to allow instruction librarians to engage in structured discussions about their own teaching.

Goal: The program is designed to help librarians develop instructional skills in a non-threatening, non-evaluative atmosphere, and to learn new ideas and approaches from their colleagues.

Objectives: Participants of the Peer Coaching Program will:

1. Gain feedback from colleagues on self-identified issues in their own teaching.
2. Assist colleagues in enhancing their teaching experiences through observation and discussion.
3. Learn new teaching methods and strategies.

3. Who Can Participate?

All librarians who provide instruction as part of their job duties are currently invited to take part in the Peer Coaching program. This program is useful for librarians who are new to instruction as well as those who have been teaching for years. The program allows colleagues to share methods and ideas. (In the future, the program may expand to include other staff as well.)

4. What are the Advantages of Participating?

Peer coaching has many professional and personal benefits, including:

• Take casual conversations on teaching to a new level: Many librarians are already talking with each other about their instruction experiences and bouncing ideas off of each other. Peer coaching provides a structured approach to these conversations allowing each partner to grow as an instructor.
• Reflect, innovate, and experiment: Librarians can use this opportunity to reflect on their own teaching styles and approaches and to try new things in a supportive atmosphere.
• Increase confidence in teaching: Your partner can help you increase your confidence by providing supportive feedback and offering advice.
• Gain staff development credit: You can receive staff development credit (see section 5 below) for each hour spent participating in the Peer Coaching program. See below for details.

5. Information on Staff Development Credit

To obtain staff development hours, complete the Training Request/Report Form located on the f drive (FORMS/Training Request.doc). Although the form is geared toward attendance at training sessions and events, you may use it for participation in the Peer Coaching program as well. Under "contact hours," be sure to include all hours spent in the initial meeting, observation of your partner's instruction session(s) and the follow-up meeting. (NOTE: Do not include the time spent teaching your own instruction session, as that will be counted separately through the instruction program.) Under "Training Sponsored By", select "Library," and under "Type of Training," select "Professional Development."

After you complete the form, forward it (either electronically or in hard copy) to your supervisor for signature. Then, submit the signed form to Nancy Cohen for entry into the training database.

6. How Do I Participate?

1. Pair up with partner of own choosing. Once you and your partner have agreed to work together, please submit a web form to notify the Instruction Program that you plan to participate.
2. Initial meeting: You and your partner will meet to discuss your areas of focus (observable behaviors) for the Peer Coaching experience. For instance, you may want your partner to observe your efforts to make classes interactive or to cover an appropriate amount of content. Your partner will also share areas that he/she would like you to focus on. (For more sample areas, see section 7). During this meeting, you will also select one or more instruction sessions taught by each partner during which the other partner will observe.
3. Observation(s): During the observations, the partner serving as "coach" will observe the session and take notes according to the areas of focus discussed in the initial meeting. The partner teaching the class will proceed as usual, treating the class as a typical instruction session. This is different from "roving," as the coach will not participate in the session in any way.
4. Follow-up meeting (led by observee): There should be one follow-up meeting soon after each instruction session observed. During the follow-up session, the librarian who taught the class will guide the discussion. This individual will share his or her own perception of the experience based on the predetermined areas of focus. The partner acting as coach will (1) listen and then (2) clearly provide feedback based on what was observed. The coach will not evaluate the instructor, but will help the instructor evaluate his or her own teaching. Roles are then reversed.
5. Program Evaluation: At the end of the semester (or the partnership), each participant will complete a survey [forthcoming] describing his or her experience with the Peer Coaching Program.

Duration of Partnership: A Peer Coaching partnership will typically last one semester, unless the partners agree to extend the experience for a longer period of time.

7. Tips and Suggestions

Suggestions

• Observe your partner more than once throughout the semester (and vice versa).
• Try to pair with someone in a different department or subject area.
• Observe different types of sessions (e.g., size, grade level, format, etc.).

Sample Areas of Focus

• Presentation skills: Voice, gestures, movement, clarity of information, use of presentation technology
• Flexibility: Gearing instruction toward student responses and needs, adapting to unforeseen circumstances
• Use of active learning opportunities: Hands-on activities, discussion
• Organization/time management: Use of time to cover planned activities, order of events
• Content: Inclusion of important information and concepts, accuracy of information

8. Resources

Bowman, C. L. and McCormick, S. "Comparison of Peer Coaching Versus Traditional Supervision Effects." The Journal of Educational Research 93 (4) (2000): 256-. [ Expanded Academic ASAP]

Griffin, N. C., Wohlstetter, P., and Bharadwaja, L. C. "Teacher Coaching: A Tool for Retention." School Administrator 58 (1) (2001), 38-40. [ WilsonSelectPlus]

Levene, L. A. and Frank, P. "Peer Coaching: Professional Growth and Development for Instruction Librarians." Reference Services Review 21 (3) (1993): 35-42.

Slater, C. L. and Simmons, D. L. "The Design and Implementation of a Peer Coaching Program." American Secondary Education 29 (3) (2001): 67-76. [ WilsonSelectPlus]

Library Instruction Teaching Tips (from LIRT): http://www3.baylor.edu/LIRT/lirtmgmt.pdf