Highlighting Specific Evidence-Based Instructional Practices

Evidence-based instructional practices are teaching strategies that have been validated by intensive research. One way to share evidence-based practices with practitioners is to use a learning exemplar. A coach can highlight specific evidence-based instructional practices within a learning exemplar. When sharing learning exemplars, it can be helpful to refer back to relevant national, state, or program learning guidelines and align feedback to behaviors in observational program assessment tools. 

Coaches can also use a learning exemplar to provide a snapshot of an ideal illustration of something the teacher can replicate. In this scenario, the learning exemplar is used as a way to provide the teacher with a visual representation. A learning exemplar that is focused on a specific instructional goal can be a more direct way to help a teacher with a specific goal.  Including links to exemplar videos and or artifacts in advance for the teacher to preview can make this process more efficient! During coaching sessions, the coach can provide mentoring prompts to help the teacher reflect on the exemplar in relation to their own practice as well as check the teacher’s understanding. 

Competencies you might use: 

• The coach refers to relevant national, state, or program learning guidelines during feedback conversations (e.g., Infant,  Toddler, and Three-Year-Old Early Learning Guidelines; Texas Rising Star Standards for Family Involvement)
• The coach prompts the practitioner to provide evidence that children were engaged or unengaged during interactions and instruction that are the subject of reflective conversation
• The coach connects demonstrations and/or articulations to previous professional development to support transfer of learning
• The coach refers to behaviors or standards within observational/program assessment tools used to track practitioner’s performance in order to reinforce the connection between practitioner’s performance data and implementation

Mentoring Prompts

• “What key learning objectives were demonstrated in the exemplar?”
• “What caught your attention as you reviewed [name of targeted learning exemplar]?”
• “Let’s connect what we saw in the exemplar, to the standards, and your instruction…”
• “Can you see yourself implementing these other strategies from [the exemplar]? What does that look like for you?”
• “What was your understanding from the exemplar?”