Using the SMART goal framework is an effective strategy for program leaders and staff to create more specific and attainable goals. This provides benchmarks against which staff can measure progress and stay motivated. When goals are too broad this can result in staff feeling overwhelmed and discouraged. SMART goals can help program leaders and staff to work with clear intentions about what is important and provide a method to gauge success.

Once you and the direct care staff are in agreement about a goal, you may need to determine the following action steps: (1) what the direct care professional will do to improve in a competency, (2) how they will do it, (3) when they will do it, (4) what you will do to support the direct care provider, and (5) how you will follow up on the established goal. For the above example, the learner will follow the CDC guidelines for handwashing by using the poster in the classroom as a guide after every single diaper change. As a coach, you will make sure to ask what the learner feels they need from you to implement the practice. Together, you and the learner should determine what resources the learner needs to be successful. If the handwashing poster is missing from the room the staff member works in, you can assist by promptly placing a new poster above the sink. As the coach, you will also observe the staff member in two weeks to determine if handwashing practices have improved.

The above example with handwashing is fairly simple, but some caregiving practices are more likely to be interpreted differently and therefore can be difficult to understand. You, or a coworker who is skilled in this competency, can model what a particular practice looks like. For example, a coach and learner establish that the learner’s goal will be to narrate and respond to toddlers’ gestures. As part of their action plan, they will want to plan a time when the coach can model the skill so the learner can observe and practice with feedback.

The goal helps to focus on a specific practice, but the action plan provides a roadmap for how a staff member’s goals will be accomplished.

Goals that are easier to attain, may be completed in a week or two, while other goals may take several months to attain. Overarching goals such as, “The staff member will obtain their CDA within 12 months of being hired”, can be broken down into smaller goals that can be achieved in a shorter time-frame. This is why an action plan is also so important, because it will help determine whether a goal needs to be broken down. Planning time for follow-up and feedback is critical so that program leaders and staff are given the opportunity to measure progress and decide if any established goals need revised.

Implement the Practice

If you and a direct care professional decide that there are strategies, such as modeling, that need to be completed before the learner can implement the practice, the coach’s role in this step is to carry out that part of the action plan. This ensures that the learner has a clear understanding of what to do and that you have provided needed support. After modeling, follow up using open-ended questions to reflect with the learner. Reflection after modeling allows you to self-assess your ability to coach and model, as well as observe the effect your modeling had on direct care professional’s learning.

Once you have wrapped up follow-up conversations, plan a time for when the direct care professional would like you to observe them implementing the new practice. You should schedule follow-up observations and sessions based on when the staff member expects to have had enough time to practice and show change toward the goals. This may be a week, a month, or longer. When a goal is around a critical skill that when not practiced puts children at risk of harm, you will need to follow up very soon. During this follow-up observation, discuss the improvements in practice that you observed or reflect with the staff member on the differences that you expect to see. Be prepared to readdress resources and supports the learner may need if the goal was not achieved. A follow-up observation allows you to reassess competency and support the circular process for goal setting.

Modeling

It is natural for individual learners to more easily achieve some concepts and to struggle to learn and implement others, and this is not a bad thing. Some practices are more complex and conceptual while others are very straightforward. For staff who have core knowledge but lack putting concepts into practice, you will want to model so they can observe what the practice looks like in the context of their work. Though planning and face-to-face conversing is very important, all staff members (even those not having challenges) should have opportunities to observe you or other identified coworkers implementing best practices. You may need to arrange for an additional staff member to be present so ratios are maintained and the learner can focus with you. Another way for coaches to model is through “just-in-time” and “on-the-fly” coaching—both concepts coined by Dathan Rush and M’Lisa Shelden that are specific to coaching teachers (2011).

Just-in-time coaching occurs when the coach steps into a naturally occurring situation to model and help out in the moment. For example, if, during a scheduled observation, the coach sees a staff member struggle to help a toddler transition from free play to mealtime (the child kicks, screams, and won’t get up from the floor) the coach can step in to help and model appropriate strategies to meet the objective of safely helping the child transition. Modeling specific practices for staff (whether planned or just-in-time) is an effective coaching strategy that helps bridge knowledge with practice. Modeling is most effective when a coach explicitly communicates with the staff member that they plan to model a practice before doing so. For example, before modeling occurs in the situation above, you could verbally prompt the staff member so that they understand they are about to receive modeling by saying, “I’m noticing Sophie is really struggling with this mealtime transition, I would like to model a strategy that can be really helpful with calming and preparing a toddler for a transition. Watch as I lead Sophie through a deep breathing exercise.” 

On-the-fly coaching refers to the quick reflection and feedback that occurs when the coach has stepped into model to help the learner. For the example above of a toddler resisting transition to mealtime, once the child is settled in, the coach may ask the staff member, “What helped [child] decide to come over to the table?” This prompts the staff member to become aware of what was either effective or not effective and prompts the coach to give feedback, as appropriate, such as, “When you comforted [child] and talked to her about how she gets to eat her meal like all her friends, she came around to transitioning more easily.” This positive reinforcement helps learners become aware of their strong skill sets and encourages them to continue with these practices.

Use VLS Tools to Support Goal Setting and Achievement

You were introduced to VLS Tools in the Learn section of Lesson Two, and the Competency Reflections are particularly valuable in driving goal setting and improving staff members’ practices.

As a coach, one of the key ways you can assess a staff member’s or provider’s knowledge and skills in a particular area is by completing the Competency Reflection within each course. The Competency Reflection is a tool that can be used by the staff member for self-reflection or by the coach to assess and document competency in a set of practices. Each Competency Reflection contains a set of competencies (behaviors, attributes, and skills) that represent essential best practices related to its Foundational Course, some of which can be directly observed and others that require conversation or an observation of the environment. The Competency Reflection is designed to help you document a staff members’ or providers’ growth over time. As you complete the tool, you will be asked to rate each competency as E (emerging), D (developing), or M (mastered). This continuous improvement framework allows the Competency Reflection to a be useful tool for both new and seasoned staff and providers. It is also a useful tool to facilitate goal setting and to document a staff member or providers improvement over time. The following key practices will support you in completing the Competency Reflection efficiently and effectively.

• The Competency Reflection is most effective when used over the course of several observations. You will likely observe the staff members several times during a course. Completing the Competency Reflection over the course of several observations will provide you with a comprehensive evaluation of the staff member’s knowledge and skills.
• Be aware of you own biases and expectations and take steps to eliminate biases prior to assessing a staff member’s competency (i.e., are your expectation for a particular practice too high, is your judgement clouded by a prior observation, do you feel stressed or overwhelmed at the time of the observation).
• Use the notes column in the tool to take brief notes on what you observed or discussed about particular competencies, as needed. You do not need to take notes for every competency associated with a particular course, therefore you should include the competency number (e.g.,1.7) and date next to your notes to clearly indicate which competency you are referring to. Notes can be particularly helpful in instances when the caregiver shows mixed practices.
• The activities within the courses are meant to support staff’s competency in a course as well; therefore, you can use the information gathered on activities to support your rating and documentation of competencies on the Competency Reflection.

Now, read how Claire, a coach, uses the Competency Reflection, Course Guide, and End of Course Assessment to support goal setting and succeed in meeting goals for Ryan, a staff member.

The scenario with Claire and Ryan highlights the circular nature of goal setting and goal achievement and the need to be flexible depending on where the learner is in the process. Notice how Claire primarily used reflective, open-ended questions to prompt Ryan to think about his actions rather than accusatory statements such as, “You didn’t give specific positive feedback to the children.” This coaching strategy helps learners become more aware of their practices and instills independence for growth in their work.

There is no magic formula to determine when to schedule a follow-up observation, when to meet next, and how much time a staff member needs to show progress with a goal. This will be individualized; use your judgment to determine if more frequent follow-up is needed, such as instances where you observe very concerning practices or breaking program policies. For staff in training, use the Course Guides to help you plot out how quickly coursework should be completed, especially if your program has a specific timeframe in which all orientation or training requirements must be complete. Building on previous lessons, develop trust with staff so they can openly share if there is an issue with the expectations placed on them—or even if they don’t find your coaching helpful.

Remember, goal setting is a cyclical process, a continuous cycle of improvement. The learner will feel invested in this process if you acknowledge the hard work and effort they have put toward changing practices. As a coach, you should determine how you will celebrate goal achievement. Even when goals have not been fully achieved, you can still recognize and celebrate milestones and accomplishments.

Coaching Challenges

You may have already experienced instances where a staff member is slow to show growth or is not getting it. These are sometimes difficult and uncomfortable situations, and your role is to create an environment that allows staff to grow and learn over time. However, ultimately staff choose whether or not they will take advantage of these opportunities and to what extent they benefit. A staff member with a pattern of choosing to not fully participate in your program’s professional development warrants a conversation with your program administrator.

Some common challenges coaches observe include:

• A staff member whose lesson activities do not reflect understanding of content
• A staff member who does not demonstrate practices despite acceptable lesson activities or course completion
• A staff member who consistently struggles to complete coursework or follow through with identified action steps

The reasons these occur are varied, but some common factors are: (1) the staff member didn’t thoroughly read and complete the coursework, (2) the staff member does not comprehend course content, (3) the staff member understands the content but does not translate this to their own practice, (4) the staff member does not have sufficient time or access to complete activities or actional steps, (5) the staff member does not have enough input in the goal-setting and action-planning process, (6) the staff member generally feels undervalued and underappreciated.

If a staff member flat out tells you they didn’t read or spend much time doing lessons, they need to reread and recomplete coursework. Give guidance on how their work should be different this time, and make sure they actually have time allotted in their work schedule to do it.

If the staff member has sincerely put the time and effort into coursework completion but still does not comprehend or put this knowledge into practice, you need to model what these practices look like. Arrange for this to happen and consider just-in-time and on-the-fly coaching during your next observation. If, despite modeling and practice with feedback, the staff member still shows little or no growth, have an honest conversation with them. Your goal isn’t to accuse them or make them feel bad. Think of it as an opportunity to get to know their learning style better and importantly, ask for feedback about your coaching. It is sometimes easier to initiate these conversations when you say things like, “I feel like I haven’t helped you. What can I do differently?” or “I feel like I’m unsure of your learning style. What helps you most?” Err on the side of empathy in such situations in the event the staff member has a learning disability they have not disclosed, difficult personal circumstances that may be affect their work, or other challenges. Though they do not have to share such information with you, this approach lets them know you are in this together and willing to be flexible. If a staff member discloses a learning disability or need for accommodations, work with your administrator. If the staff member has constructive feedback regarding your helpfulness as a coach, work with them to learn what you can both do to better help them meet their goals.

To determine if you provide the right balance of autonomy and more directive guidance, be reflective and evaluate your own work. Do the staff members you coach generally make good progress and feel happy to have your help? Or is there a pattern of staff in your program not meeting expectations and demonstrating poor follow-through? Staff members can lack motivation if you are too directive and do not provide enough autonomy. The remedy is improvement of your own coaching practices, especially when staff generally show commitment to their work, but show little interest in having your support. Thoroughly reflect on the information in this course and, though it may be uncomfortable, honestly complete the Coaching Competency Reflection in the Apply section to help identify your action steps for improvement. You can also speak to your administrator for feedback. If a staff member chronically shows minimal interest in their work, not just in their collaboration with you, you and the program administrator need to discuss what steps to take to create an atmosphere of success for the staff member.

When an entire program’s staff generally feel undervalued and underappreciated, this means there are more program-wide concerns to address. When this is the case, there is likely a lot of turnover, burnout, and generally a negative feeling among staff members. These issues should be discussed with your program administrator. While there are many parts of employee happiness you cannot change, as a program leader you can directly advocate for reasonable changes to support staff in providing high-quality care. When there are problems, present these to your administrator with doable solutions or a willingness to create improvements together.

See

Listen as coaching experts describe how the Virtual Lab School can be used to support the goal setting process.

Do

One challenge many coaches face is being the only person in a program in that role. If you work in a program where there is a separate administrator, that person is likely someone who can empathize with your responsibilities and challenges. But many coaches work independently and will need to utilize all available resources to support their work. You previously read that one key difference between the VLS Direct Care and Training and Curriculum Specialist lessons is the format. While all lessons, regardless of track, follow the LEAD (Learn, Explore, Apply, and Demonstrate) structure, the coaches’ lessons use a Teach-Model-Observe framework. Review how the Teach-Model-Observe framework and the VLS learning management system supports coaches, and use these parts of T&CS lessons to guide your work with staff.

• Use the Teach parts of lessons to know the most important concepts and practices you should use to support staff.
• Refer to the Model section for ideas on how to role model for staff so they learn the key practices discussed in the Teach sections. In our previous example, Claire had Leah model for Ryan. This is a good way to support direct care staff and help them network with other colleagues who can help them. Utilize other team members with proven competence to help provide learners more opportunities to observe others.
• Review the Observe sections to watch videos of scenarios, some demonstrating best practices, and some where you are asked to problem-solve how to handle less-than-ideal situations. Some lessons have a See-Say-Do table in the Observe section. These are mini scenarios where you can review examples of staff practices (See), examples of how you would initiate a coaching conversation (Say), and actions both you and staff members can take to improve a practice or belief (Do).
• Use the VLS learning management system to assess how staff members are progressing in their lessons and to give feedback on activities, as appropriate. Completion alone does not mean that staff members are progressing in the coursework. Schedule time with staff members if you see concerning activities that indicate they did not learn key concepts for particular lessons or if they are not completing coursework in a timely manner.