Mindful, Practice-Based Coaching
Group Time Video
Teacher Skills and Strategies Checklist/TPOT Scores/Implementation Plan
Reflect on the following skills and strategies. Mark each strategy as consistent (i.e., a practice that is a fluent part of your teaching and used regularly), inconsistent (i.e., a practice that you implement sometimes or without regularity), or not yet (i.e., a practice you are not currently using in your classroom). Following the TPOT observation mark each strategy in the TPOT column as + (strategy/practice implemented during the TPOT observation) or – (strategy/practice not implemented during the TPOT observation). This checklist will be used to help the teacher and the coach identify the focus for implementing SEFEL strategies. Use the notes column to document discussion of the self-assessment and TPOT observation.
Key: C = Consistent I = Inconsistent NY = Not yet
TPOT: + = Yes – = No
Schedules, routines, and activities
C I NY TPOTNotes
- Daily schedule is posted at eye level with visuals and reviewed throughout the day so that children are aware of the activity sequence (i.e. talk to children about what is happening next and refer to posted visual schedule).
- Teacher-directedactivities are shorter than20 minutes and children are actively engaged most of the time (i.e. materials prepared ahead of time; activity modified or changed if most children lose interest; fine and gross motor movements incorporated; verbal and visual supports provided). (SR3)
- Activities have a beginning, middle and end (SR6)
- There is a balance of both child-directed and teacher- directed activities as well as large and small group activitiesthroughout the daily schedule (i.e. allows time for children to explore materials on their own during center play; teacher provides individualized teaching in small groups). (SR7)
- Prepareschildren when changesto the schedule occur and provide alternate activity (i.e. verbally explain, “We are not going to be able to go outside today because it is raining, so we are going to go to the gym,” and place a stop sign over outside time on schedule). (SR8)
- Redirects children or modifies activities when children are withdrawnor off-taskto more productive activities (i.e. use rhymes such as “Hocus, pocus, everybody focus” to bring attention back to teacher/activity). (SR9)
- Children needing extra support use an individual schedule or cues. (SR10)
Transitions
C I NY TPOT Notes
- Teaches childrenthestepsand behavior expectationsof transitions and provide lots of opportunity to practice (i.e. review steps for washing hands during circle time; post individualized picture cues). (TR1), TR4)
- Provides individual and/or wholeclasswarningsprior to transitions (i.e. give a verbal 5 minute warning and set a timer. “When the timer goes off it is time to clean up,” five fingers countdown). (TR2)
- Uses transitionstrategiesthat ensure children are activelyengagedin the transition (i.e. sing songs while moving between activities; provide books/games that reinforce academic concepts while waiting). (TR3)
- Individualizes directions to start the transition. (TR6)
- Guides individual children who need help transitioning. (TR7)
- Gives children activities to fill wait time during transitions. (TR8)
Supportive conversations
C I NY TPOT Notes
- Acknowledges children’s communication. (SC1)
- Uses children’s names. (SC2)
- Has brief conversations with children (3 turns). (SC3)
- Joins in play and has brief conversations about play. (SC4)
- Uses positive and supportive tone. (SC5)
- Responds to children’s ideas with questions and comments. (SC6)
- Joins in play to expand interaction with other children.
- (SC8)
- Has extended conversations about children’s ideas (4+ turns). (SC9)
- Uses alternative strategies to communicate with children who need support. (SC10)
Engagement
C I NY TPOT Notes
- Guides children to choose activities and engage. (ENG1)
- Uses developmentally appropriate activities. (ENG2)
- Communicates at eye level with the children almost all of the time (i.e. in close proximity to children and actively engages in activities with them). (ENG3)
- Structures large group so children are actively engaged. (ENG4)
- Guides children to select activities or use materials to promote engagement (i.e. get the attention of a child who is not cleaning by inserting his or her name into the Clean-up Song, provide a visual cue to prompt them to pick up toys). (ENG5)
- Provides choices and options when possible during large group, small group, and center times. (ENG6)
- Provides positive descriptive feedback and/or choices when challenging behavior is occurring in the classroom (i.e. “I see you are having a hard time sitting in circle. Do you need a chair, or would you like to go to our safe space?”). (ENG8)
- Redirects children or modifies activity when children are withdrawnor off-taskto more productive activities (i.e. use rhymes such as “Hocus, pocus, everybody focus” to bring attention back to teacher/activity). (ENG9)
Providing directions
C I NY TPOTNotes
- Usesdirectionsthat areshort,simple and specific (i.e. “Use your walking feet”). (PD1)
- Tells children what to do rather than what not to do.
- Describes activity expectations before beginning activity. (PD4)
- Redirects children or modifies activity when children are withdrawnor off-taskto more productive activities (i.e. use rhymes such as “Hocus, pocus, everybody focus” to bring attention back to teacher/activity). (PD5)
- Checksinwith children to make sure theyunderstand thedirections (i.e. ask children to repeat directions or give the directions to another child)cue to prompt them to pick up toys). (PD6)
- Individualizes directionsfor children who needmore support (i.e. When a child does not respond to a whole group direction such as “Get your coats and line up” the teacher repeats the direction in smaller steps – “Get your coat. [pause] Line up.”). (PD7)
Collaborative teaming
C I NY TPOTNotes
- All adults engage with children during activities/routines. (CT1)
- Adults use positive tone with each other. (CT2)
- Adults know what to do in the classroom. (CT3)
- All adults entering room engage with children. (CT4)
- All interactions between adults are related to the classroom. (CT5)
- Roles are shared between adults. (CT6)
- All adults provide instruction. (CT7)
- Children initiate positive interactions with all class adults. (CT8)
Behavior expectations
C I NY TPOTNotes
- Establishes and displays no more than five rules for a given area (circle or center area, hallways, outdoor play areas, bathrooms, etc.), connecting them throughout the dayto the school’s or LEA’s behavior expectations. (TBE1)
- Reviews and facilitates learning of posted behavior expectations and rules with children prior to and during individual-, small-, large-group activities, and during transitions. (TBE2)
- Gives whole-class reminders of behavior expectations. (TBE3)
- Gives individual children reminders of expectations during small group or play. (TBE4)
- Comments on positive behavior, referring to the rules. (TBE5)
- Uses naturally occurring opportunities to facilitate discussions which will allow children to think critically about the importance of following behavior expectations and rules in the school environment. (TBE7)
Positive descriptive feedback
C I NYTPOTNotes
- Gives positive descriptive feedback for transitioning.
- Gives positive descriptive feedback for skills, behaviors, and abilities. (SC7)
- Gives positive descriptive feedback for engagement.
- Gives positive descriptive feedback for following directions. (PD3)
- Adults give each other positive descriptive feedback about their classroom work. (CT8)
- Gives positive descriptive feedback, referring to the behavior expectations, throughout day. (TBE6)
- Gives positive descriptive feedback for using social skills and appropriately expressing emotions (TSC6)
- Gives positive descriptive feedback for children who are working together, helping each other or engaging in friendship behaviors. (FR2)
- Gives positive feedback and publicly recognize children who have been “good problem solvers.” (TPS6)
Teaching social-emotional competencies
C I NY TPOT Notes
- Uses naturally occurring opportunities to teach social emotional skills throughout the day. (TSC1)
- Provides children with planned opportunities to practice friendship skills (i.e. working together, role playing).
- Uses a variety of strategies to teach social emotional skills. (TSC3)
- Uses group settings (both large and small) to teach social emotional skills. (TSE4)
- Uses and models expected behaviors while describing the behavior. (TSC5)
- Facilitates children’s reflection on their use of social emotional skills. (TSC7)
- Gives positive descriptive feedback for using social skills and appropriately expressing emotions. (TSC6)
- Individualizes social emotional skills instruction for specific children. (TSC8)
Teaching friendship skills
C I NY TPOT Notes
- Encourages children to play together. (FR1)
- Uses multiple strategies and materials (discussion, puppets, books) in group activities to teach friendship skills (helping others, taking turns, organizing play). (FR3)
- Provides children with planned opportunities to practice friendship skills (i.e. working together, role playing). (FR4)
- Explicitly teaches how to initiate and respond to peers. (FR5)
- Provides individualized assistance to help children maintain interactions. (FR6)
- Supports peers to help friends learn skills (peer buddies, play routines and roles). (FR7)
- Models friendship skills in interactions with children and other adults. (FR8)
- Facilitates children’s reflection on use of friendship skills. (FR9)
- Individualizes social emotional skills instruction for specific children. (TSC8)
Teaching children to express emotions
C I NY TPOTNotes
- Uses a variety of strategies to teach emotion words.
- Teaches multiple positive and multiple negative emotions. (TEE2)
- Include instruction using a variety of materials (books, puppets, games etc.)and strategies to recognize feelings in self and others in the daily lesson plan. (TEE3)
- Labels and helps children talk about emotions. (TEE4)
- Provides children with strategies to use when they are angry in order to calm down. (TEE5)
- Models or labels own emotions or ways to express emotions. (TEE6)
- Teaches children to respond to others’ emotions. (TEE7)
- Individualizes emotion instruction; procedures and materials vary for specific child. (TEE8)
Teaching problem solving
C I NYTPOTNotes
- Supports children as they work through the problem-solving process in naturally occurring situations. (TPS1)
- Engages children in generating solutions to common classroom problems. (TPS2)
- Explicitly teaches problem-solving steps using visuals.
- Provides visual reminders about problem-solving steps and possible solutions. (TPS4)
- Notes problem situations and use those as examples during group situations to talk about how to problem solve. (TPS5)
- Facilitates children’s reflection on use of problem solving skills. (TPS7)
- Individualizes instruction and use different procedures and materials to teach problem solving based on children’s individual needs.
- Uses problem solving in interactions with children and model problem-solving steps. (TPS9)
Challenging behavior interventions
C I NY TPOTNotes
- Initiates functional assessment process (refers to team, starts taking data). (PCB 1)
- Collects data on behavior’s function and shares with team. (PCB 2)
- Gives the team classroom strategies for behavior plan. (PCB 3)
- Implements behavior plan strategies and components. (PCB 4)
- Collects data to monitor child’s behavior plan progress. (PCB 5)
Connecting with families
C I NY TPOTNotes
- Offers families ongoing opportunities to visit classroom. (COM1)
- Sends home periodic info from school or teacher.
- Represents families in the classroom (family photos). (COM3)
- Provides at least monthly info to parents about classroom. (COM4)
- Sends home regular celebrations of child’s accomplishments. (COM5)
- Individualizes communication to family based on knowledge of family situation. (COM6)
- Uses different methods of communication with different families. (COM7)
- Offers bi-directional communication systems (families have a space to write back). (COM8)
Supporting Family Pyramid Use
C I NY TPOTNotes
- Provides social-emotional information to families. (INF1)
- Provides families with community resources for social-emotional development AND challenging behavior.
- Sends home strategies for families on S.E. skills or prosocial behavior. (INF3)
- Works with families to develop home strategies to address challenging behavior. (INF4)
- Supports parents in taking behavior data at home (observation notes, ABC data). (INF5)
- Involves families on team to develop behavior plans.
- Individualizes to support families with specific social concerns about their child. (INF7)
Material has been adapted from the following sources:
Instructional Practices Checklists;
Center for Social Emotional Foundations of Early Learning;
Teaching Pyramid Observation Tool (TPOT), (Lise Fox, 2014)
1
NC Early Learning Network is a joint project of the NC Department Of Public Instruction, Office Of Early Learning
and UNC Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute