Fostering Coaches’ Growth with the Parallel Process and CLASS®

Too often, professional learning for coaches focuses on what they should know, without enough emphasis on how to put that knowledge into practice. In a recent webinar we hosted, the Missouri Quality Assurance team shared a powerful approach to bridging that gap: the parallel process. Using the CLASS® framework, they showed how adult-to-adult coaching interactions can model the very same meaningful strategies we want to see in classrooms.

What is the Parallel Process?

In coaching, the parallel process means that the way adults work with each other should reflect the same good practices teachers use with children.

During the webinar, the team shared how they use this concept in practice, helping their coaches move from simply knowing educational theory to effectively applying it in their work. A key takeaway was the difference between competencies (what a person knows) and practices (how they apply that knowledge). This distinction is crucial for understanding where real growth happens.

Using the CLASS® Lens to Guide Coaching

A major takeaway from the webinar was how the CLASS lens can be used to guide coaching with adults. The presenters broke down how the CLASS® framework can create a supportive and effective environment for coaches by focusing on the three CLASS domains.

  • Emotional Support: The coaches are provided with a secure and supportive base, encouraging them to take risks and try new things without fear of failure.
  • Organizational Support: The team uses a consistent, clear structure for their coaching process. This keeps everyone on the same page and focused on their goals.
  • Instructional Support: The presenters emphasized using strategies like open-ended questions and reflective feedback to encourage deeper thinking and help coaches connect theory to their daily practice.

Practical Coaching Strategies You Can Try

The Missouri team shared several useful strategies during the webinar. Here are a few that stood out:

  • Strengths-Based Goal Setting: Instead of telling coaches what they need to work on, ask them to look at a list of coaching competencies and identify what they are interested in learning more about. This empowers them to guide their own development and builds on their strengths.
  • Intentional Feedback: Use a "focused observation" model where you only address one specific goal during a coaching session. This prevents overwhelming the coach and keeps the feedback targeted.
  • Model and Observe: As a coach, model a new skill for your coachee. Alternatively, have the coachee take notes on you as you demonstrate a practice, which shifts the learning dynamic.
  • Structured Reflection: Build time into your meetings for "deliberate conversation" and reflective questioning. Encourage coaches to "dive back into their mind" to understand what happened during an interaction and discover their own solutions.
  • Celebrate Wins: Intentionally acknowledge and celebrate both big and small wins. This builds a positive emotional climate and provides crucial encouragement.
  • Be Prepared: For every meeting, have a clear agenda and pre-load information via email or text so everyone knows what to expect.

By "walking the walk" and applying these principles in their own work, the Missouri team helps their coaches become more fluent and confident in the shared language of CLASS. This approach creates a ripple effect, improving interactions all the way from team leads to coaches, coaches to educators, and educators to children.

Want to learn more?

🎥 Watch the recorded webinar here for a deeper dive into this topic and to see real-world examples from the presenters.