SMHS teacher coaches colleagues to make a positive impact

Two years ago, Adriana Lopez Casiano was completing her 10th year as a social studies teacher and looking for a new professional challenge. When the position for an academic instructional coach became available, she applied. “I had just finished my master’s degree in administration, but I wasn’t interested in becoming a principal. The instructional coaching position interested me because I could have a greater impact on more people,” Casinao said.

An instructional coach provides invaluable support to teachers at San Marcos High School, helping teachers improve their craft with the outcome that students experience greater academic success. Lopez Casiano got the job and today works with 18 teachers in the Social Studies Department.

As an instructional coach, Lopez Casiano observes between five to seven teachers each week and provides them with the feedback and encouragement needed to be a successful teacher. Her job is to support the teacher, not to evaluate them. That job is left to assistant principals as required by the state.

Lopez Casiano follows a three-step coaching model. Listening is the first step as she meets with the teacher who explains the lesson’s objective and areas of focus for improvement. Next, she observes the lesson and collects objective data detailing what the teacher and the students are doing. An observation can last 10 to 20 minutes or the entire class, depending on the teacher’s needs. At the conclusion of the lesson, she conferences with the teacher, asking guiding questions to aid the teacher in a self-analysis of the lesson.

Lopez Casiano adjusts her approach for each teacher. “There are some teachers who are new to the profession and others who have 35 years of experience and are getting ready to retire,” she said. “I check in with all teachers, ask them how I can support them, and keep the lines of communication open.” Building strong professional relationships with teachers is the basis for successful coaching partnership, she added.

“She is my mentor, and she has been wonderful to work with,” James Hayes, a first-year teacher who adds he values her support, said. “What I like most is her specific feedback. She gives feedback that actually matters and helps me to improve. It has been a great learning experience for me working with her.”

Hayes teaches three sections of Advanced Placement (AP) Human Geography, an honors course for freshmen. Lopez Casiano teaches a fourth section of the course and collaborates with him to develop the curriculum. “When we plan together, she is very knowledgeable about what information appears on the AP test that students take in April,” Hayes said. “She knows the rigor level needed for students to perform well on the test.”

To prepare students for the high expectations of the exam, Hayes and Lopez Casiano integrate writing activities that require students to process the course information more deeply.

“It’s a big jump for students going from middle school to an AP course during their freshmen year,” he adds. “Human Geography is the only AP course freshmen can take.”

“We require the AP students to write more and provide higher quality responses,” Hayes said. “The in-depth writing prepares them for the prompts they will answer on the test.”

Hayes is also grateful for Lopez Casiano’s assistance with non-instructional issues. “I have all these questions about how things work at the high school. She gives me specific answers or finds the answers for me. She goes above and beyond when working with teachers. She brings her A-game every day to the instructional coaching position.”

A more experienced teacher, Peggy Gutierrez, appreciates Lopez Casiano’s words and deeds. “She supports me with her positive and kind words. I’m a big believer in the power of words because they make a difference.”

Gutierrez views Lopez Casiano as a thinking partner. They exchange ideas and extend each other’s thinking about possible activities for lessons. Gutierrez recalls an interactive and hands-on lesson she was developing that involved puzzle pieces. “My mind is always full of ideas. Lopez Casiano and I collaborated and turned the idea into an even more engaging activity.” The synergistic collaboration benefits both teachers. After they work together, Gutierrez has a good lesson to teach, and Lopez Casiano has a new way to think about instruction that she can use when coaching other teachers. It is a win-win situation for both experienced teachers.

As part of her job responsibilities, Lopez Casiano develops and provides professional development to the teachers in her department. She makes the workshops as experiential and active as possible. “I run my professional development like a class. For example, if teachers are learning the jigsaw strategy, I want them to experience it, not just talk about it in the abstract.” This approach gives teachers a better understanding of how to implement the strategy with their own students.

Lopez Casiano also attends PLC (professional learning community)

“I have stronger connections with my peers, and we share similar beliefs about teaching. I feel like I fit here in San Marcos,” she says. “I’m not an outsider trying to come in and change the world. I am part of the community here. This school feels the closest to home.”

- Adriana Lopez Casiano meetings, contributes to the planning of upcoming lessons, and serves as an advisor to the groups.

Providing resources to teachers is another job responsibility. “I’m always asking teachers what they need,” Lopez Casiano says. “If a teacher needs something, I try to help them.” It might be as simple as locating supplies or as complicated as inputting student test data into the computer system. She is available for what the teachers need.

To improve her own coaching skills, Lopez Casiano attends meetings hosted twice a month by the district. In attendance are the three other instructional coaches from the high school as well as the ones from the middle schools and elementary schools. The district invites specialists from Region XIII Education Service Center in Austin to provide ongoing training. “They remind us to keep our focus on our primary responsibility of working with teachers. We’re in charge of improving instruction,” she says.

Lopez Casiano enjoys serving as an instructional coach because of her colleagues. “I have stronger connections with my peers, and we share similar beliefs about teaching. I feel like I fit here in San Marcos,” she says. “I’m not an outsider trying to come in and change the world. I am part of the community here. This school feels the closest to home.”

Although Lopez Casiano supports teachers, she feels proud knowing that her instructional coaching ultimately affects students. “I was the lead teacher in geography for many years. Now, I’m an instructional coach. The classroom has gotten bigger for me. I used to teach 30 students at a time. Now, I’m a teacher who has hundreds of students.” As an instructional coach she is able to make a positive impact on more people.

Nathan Bond is an education professor at Texas State University. Elizabeth Hudson is a retired journalist in Central Texas.