Notes
Coaching Session #4 – Optimizing Performance
Coachee: Kelly Seward
Date/Time: March 12, 2026 8:30 a.m.
Next Coaching Date/Time: April 2, 2026 8:30 a.m.
Overarching goal: The 3rd grade students in gifted education will be able to identify root words with 90% accuracy by April 3; identify prefixes including using words with prefixes correctly (grammatically) with 90% accuracy by April 30; identify and use suffixes with 90% accuracy by the end of the year. The success of the students will be assessed using a pre-test and post-test through SeeSaw. The strategy to be used will be a graphic organizer that asks students to correctly dissect a word but also use an illustration, drawing, and sentence to demonstrate understanding (possibly an adapted Frayer Model).
Coachee reflections on data and current teaching video: My students were engaged and all participated in the lesson. Sometimes they were getting words out before I could even get the words out of my mouth! They pick up on new information so quickly and absorb new content with ease.
Coach reflections on data and current teaching video: Kelly briefly discussed what root words, prefixes, and suffixes are. Then, she discussed root words that we use. While I could not see students, they were clearly engaged in contributing to the discussion of root words. Students contribute very appropriate words using the root words and were excited about generating words. Students will use root words, identify their origin, generate words that use the root words, write a sentence using one of the words in order to apply their knowledge of root words, and then the students invented a new word. Students even worked to combine all five words together.
Coachee reflections on Schutz and Hoffman article (if read): I forgot to ask you about this; we will discuss on March 26.
Questions to consider:
What are some “baby steps” that you noticed outside of the goal itself? Four of the students are very creative; two are more literal. The creative students are influencing the literal students, and they, too, are becoming more creative. There will be new students joining the group, including one female student. It will be interesting to see how the current students handle having two new students join them.
What specific actions did you take to meet the goal? Kelly points out root words, prefixes, and suffixes when they encounter them in context. She also notes when a student used the words in their writing. The students are applying their knowledge.
How is the planned course of action working for you? For your student(s)? It is going well. They pick up knowledge quickly. They are also talking about this in their classrooms.
When you return from spring break, what will your student(s) need to stay on track for goal achievement? A one- to two-minute review. These students hold information differently, so a short review is all that will be necessary.
Scaled questionnaire or checklist based on coachee’s goal
On a scale of 1 to 10, how satisfied are you with your students’ progress? 10
On a scale of 1 to 10, how effectively do you think you are using the strategy you have chosen? 10
What barriers are there to effective implementation? Time. Only see the students three hours a week. Kelly has been working on the strategy 10 minutes each time she sees the students.
On a scale of 1 to 10, at what level of fidelity would you say you are implementing this strategy? 10
On a scale of 1 to 10, how would you rank the results of your implementation of this strategy? 10
What additional resources do you need (strategies, supplies, tech support, accountability partner, cheerleader, etc.)? No, the students are just fine.
Working on Next Steps
Identify a specific problem of practice that we can set a goal for the next class through KU. This is something you want to work on within your own practice. For you, this will be a new goal, and we will consider the student goal to have been met.
At the next session, we will discuss whether video recordings would be helpful for the new goal or not.