SCM Teacher Skills Skill Progression
Two-level teacher skill progression used by School Coaching Managers. Level 1 skills are foundational (what every teacher should do); Level 2 skills represent deeper, more advanced practice. Organized by instructional domain and sub-domain.
Intellectual Preparation
| Sub-Domain | Level 1 Skill | Description | Level 2 Skill | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pre-Unit | Complete Mastery Checks | Teacher completes all unit mastery checks on Podsie prior to unit launch | Complete Unit Unpack Protocol | Teacher completes Unit Unpack protocol to prepare for the unit (this does not exist yet, digitally) |
| Complete Assessment(s) | Teacher completes all unit assessments on Podsie prior to unit launch | |||
| Fluency | Prepare Fluency Materials | Teacher preps and prints all fluency sheets for the following week | Complete Number Strings Internalization | Teacher completes intellectual preparation to lead number strings lesson(s) (this is in process of being designed now) |
| Pre-Lesson: Small Group | Prepare SGI Materials | Print practice problems for each student, have worked example visible, gather other tools/anchor charts | Prepare for CFU (Check for Understanding) | Know exemplar response to CFU questions |
| Select Students for Small Group | Teacher uses Podsie to select students for Small Group Instruction (this will soon be automated?) | Prepare to Respond to Student Errors | ||
| Complete Worked Example and Practice Problems | Teacher completes worked example and practice problems as a student | |||
| Pre-Lesson: Inquiry Group | Prepare Inquiry Materials | Teacher preps and prints all inquiry materials needed for every inquiry group planned (markers, chart paper, etc.). | Review Answer Key for Misconceptions & Backup Questions (Hints and Extensions) | Teacher reviews answer key for key concepts, precise math terminology, potential misconceptions, and prepares a similar-but-easier question for stuck groups and to push for multiple representations |
| Select Students for Inquiry Groups | Teacher uses Podsie to select students for Inquiry Groups (this will soon be automated?) | |||
| Complete Inquiry Task(s) | Teacher completes inquiry task(s) as a student | |||
| Post-Lesson: Data Review | Review Student Work on Podsie/Mathly | Teacher looks at individual student work on Podsie to determine who did/did not complete a mastery check, who is stuck on a mastery check, and to consider who should be in small groups and for 1:1 coaching |
Lesson Launch
| Sub-Domain | Level 1 Skill | Description | Level 2 Skill | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Classroom Entry | Greeting Every Student by Name | Teacher greets every student, by name, as they enter the classroom | ||
| Fluency/Warm-Up | Minute Drills | Teacher introduces fluency practice using challenge and timer | Lead Whole Class Warm Up: Released NYSE Question | Teacher uses a spiral review question (i.e. NYSE released item) to review a key concept/standard/misconception the large majority of the class is struggling with |
| Data Share | Attendance & Lesson Completion Data Share | Teacher shares attendance and lesson completion data from previous day, including class-wide trends and individual data (i.e., lesson completion, Podsie completion, etc.). | 1:1 Data Conversations with Students | Teacher holds 1:1 data conversations with students during the lesson to discuss their current performance level and to set goals for growth |
| Celebrations | Individual & Class Celebrations | Teacher leads authentic and joyful celebration for individual student growth and/or achievement, student of the day, assessment growth, etc. | ||
| Goal Sharing | Work Time Goal | Teacher builds whole class investment by sharing class-wide goal for the day ("Today, our class goal is for everyone to finish Lesson 5!"). | ||
| Transition to Independent Work Time | Gathering Materials Routine & Procedure | Teacher cues transition to independent work time (transition to get materials, open laptops, etc). Teacher plays calm music to create focused work environment. |
1:1 Coaching
No skills defined yet.
Small Group Instruction
| Sub-Domain | Level 1 Skill | Description | Level 2 Skill | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lesson Launch | Set Up Physical Environment for Learning | Sets up seating arrangement and materials so students can see the teacher and the worked example and the teacher can easily monitor students when they work on their own | Use Visual Anchors | Displays and uses visual anchors (anchor charts, reference sheets, vocabulary supports) to help students understand content. |
| Facilitation of Worked Example | Explain Steps of a Worked Example in Sequential Order | Follows the slides to break multiple step of the Worked Example problem into sequential, logically ordered steps. | Use Teacher Wait Time | Teacher provides wait time for responses before posing a new question, moving on, or unpacking a misconception |
| Articulate & Stamp the Big Idea of Worked Example | Articulate key learning in transferable terms | Facilitate Student-to-Student Relationships | Create structures and opportunities for students to interact positively with each other. | |
| Use Precise Mathematical Vocabulary | Convey content using precise mathematical terminology | Normalize Mistakes as Learning | Explicitly state that errors are part of learning and respond to mistakes or misconceptions as opportunities to learn | |
| Use Concise Language | Use only necessary words and steps; do not include details students do not need. | Promote Growth Mindset | Frame ability as developable through effort | |
| Accurately Explain Mathematical Concepts | Conveys mathematical content accurately | Lead Turn & Talk / Partner Discussion | Lead a turn and talk and short group conversation to address misconceptions/errors. | |
| Ask Check for Understanding Questions about Worked Example | Following the slides, the teacher asks questions to check for understanding at strategic points during the Worked Example | |||
| Student Work Time | Facilitate Student Independent Practice | Support students as they work on their problem on their own | Respond 1:1 to Student Error | Respond 1:1 to students to address error/misconception. Use questioning to help students unpack their error. |
| Notice Student Error & Prompt to Use Worked Example | Review student work as students are working on their own, identify when they have a misconception or error, and prompt students to use the worked example to support them |
Inquiry Groups
| Sub-Domain | Level 1 Skill | Description | Level 2 Skill | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Launch | State Inquiry Norms Explicitly | Teacher explicitly states norms: "Everyone speaks, everyone writes, anyone can explain team's strategies" | Inquiry Happens During All Periods (no matter if single or double) | (When only one teacher) Small groups & inquiry groups happen concurrently during class |
| Inquiry Happens Only During Double Blocks | (When only one teacher) Happens only during double block periods (where one period implements small groups & other period implements inquiry) | |||
| Teacher Facilitation During Inquiry | Check In After ~5 Minutes | Teacher checks in with groups after approximately 5 minutes of work time and provides feedback on process, not answers (e.g., "I notice you're stuck—have you re-read the problem together?") | Use Facilitative Questioning (Not Rescuing) | Teacher uses prepared facilitative questions ("What do you think?" "How could you check?" "Does your partner agree?") and resists the urge to explain or solve for students |
| Monitor for Visible Collaboration | Teacher circulates to ensure all students are writing (all marker colors visible) and that clear strategies—not just answers—are visible on chart paper | Push Thinking with Teacher Marker | Teacher uses a distinct color marker to pose questions, highlight key ideas, or push group thinking forward—without solving or writing steps for students | |
| Facilitate Use of "Understanding the Question" Protocol | When students are stuck, teacher directs them to the Understanding the Question protocol rather than providing hints or answers | Elevate Student Language with Precise Math Terminology | Teacher names and reinforces precise mathematical vocabulary during check-ins and group conversations | |
| Synthesis | Cold Call Group Members to Explain | Teacher cold calls different group members to explain different parts: what the problem was asking, the team's strategy, and how they solved it | Mobilize Knowledge Across Groups | Teacher uses structures like gallery walks or fishbowls to highlight and compare strategies across inquiry groups |
Lesson Closing
| Sub-Domain | Level 1 Skill | Description | Level 2 Skill | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Closing Routine & Procedure | Close Lesson with Urgency | Teacher uses timer, competition (i.e. rows competing with each other) and voice modulation to communicate urgency and lead an efficient close to the lesson | ||
| Materials Routine & Procedure | Lead Efficient & Safe Clean-Up | Teacher leads students to clean up materials and transition to the next class in under 2 minutes. | ||
| Celebrations and Reflection | Close Lesson with Celebrations | Teacher celebrate student growth, learning, progress and achievement to close the lesson | Student Self-Evaluation | Provide time for students to reflect on and evaluate their work quality and identify what they have learned. |
Culture
| Sub-Domain | Level 1 Skill | Description | Level 2 Skill | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Building Relationships | Address Students by Name | Teacher learns 100% of student names and gender pronouns and addresses them, by name, in every interaction | Build Personal Rapport | Show care for students beyond academic content |
| Celebrate using Specific Praise | Teacher narrates and celebrates by citing specific and observable student/class actions and achievements. | Emotional Regulation | Maintain calm, supportive approach consistently throughout interactions | |
| Celebrate Whole Class | Teacher implements whole-class celebrations (such as student of the day, trophy, and/or whole-class rewards) | Learn About and Value Student Identities | Learns about and values the identities and cultures of their students, intentionally incorporating what they know about their students into their teaching | |
| Assure & Affirm | Teacher expresses confidence in student's ability to be successful | Identity Awareness and Self-Reflection | Understands how identity and positionality influences their teaching, engages in self-reflection about biases and patterns. | |
| Giving Clear Directions | Attention Grabber | Teacher has a signal they use to consistently gather, grab the attention of 100% of students | Observable Directions | Describe what student success looks and/or sounds like. |
| Specific, Observable Directions | Teacher gives clear directions describing specific, observable behaviors they want to see from students. | Multi-Modal Directions | Use multiple methods to deliver directions (i.e. verbal + visual, verbal + demonstration, verbal + written, etc.) | |
| Concise + Sequential Directions | Teacher gives directions using as few words as possible. Teacher gives directions in sequential order that students will follow (e.g., "when I say go, first put your pencil down, second...") | Student-Led Directions | Empower and equip students to help lead and guide directions, including when students are working together without a teacher (i.e. in inquiry groups) | |
| Rationale | Teacher shares the rationale behind directions ("because every minute counts, we will work on our paper passing procedure"). | |||
| Scan & Positive Narration | Teacher pauses and looks to see students are following each part of the specific, observable direction. Teacher specifically names the individual student(s) and groups that are meeting a specific part(s) of the given direction(s) immediately following giving a direction. | |||
| Teaching and Reinforcing Routines and Procedures | Introduce Step-by-Step Classroom Routines | Teacher breaks multi-step routines, procedures, or tasks down into sequential, logically ordered steps and explicitly teaches them. | Foster Student Ownership of Culture | Involve students in creating and maintaining classroom norms |
| Routine or Procedure Practice | When introducing a new routine or procedure, teacher facilitates practice with students, such that all students follow the routine + procedure. | |||
| Build Urgency | Teacher uses timers and challenge to build urgency in practice ("Group A put their laptops away in 45 seconds, I wonder if Group B can do it in 40 seconds?"). | |||
| Responding When Students Aren't Meeting Expectations | Keep Corrections "Off-Stage" | When giving individual kids a re-direction, teacher does so privately, quietly and "off stage" | Support/Reminder Non-Verbal Cues | Use non-verbal physical cues to acknowledge, encourage, or remind students. |
| Use Proximity (Non-Verbal Cues) | Teacher uses physical proximity to student(s) to silently address off-task behavior (standing closer, hand on desk, etc.). | Anonymous Group Reminders | Give a brief, positively framed reminder and/or anonymized statement of encouragement. | |
| Use a Calm Voice, Neutral Language When Addressing Off-Task Behavior | Teacher addresses off-task behavior using neutral language and calm voice (can be individual or whole group) in a way that maintains a student's dignity. | Curious 1:1 Interaction | At the start of an interaction with a student not meeting expectations, ask a question to try to understand their barrier or unmet need. | |
| Positive Redirection | Restate the expectation clearly, maintaining a high expectation. | |||
| Building a Culture of Achievement | Communicate High Expectations | Frame tasks as challenging yet worthy while maintaining rigorous standards | Emphasize Collective Success | Frame learning as community endeavor where all contribute |
| Encourage Academic Risk-Taking | Create conditions where students attempt challenging work safely | |||
| Model Enthusiasm and Curiosity for Learning | Demonstrate genuine excitement and curiosity about content and learning | |||
| Student Goal-Setting | Support students in establishing and tracking goals | |||
| Normalize Mistakes as Learning | Explicitly state that errors are part of learning and respond to mistakes or misconceptions as opportunities to learn | |||
| Promote Growth Mindset | Frame ability as developable through effort | |||
| Specific, Actionable Feedback | Provide clear next steps for improvement tied to standards or success criteria |