Celebrate improvements, monitor and adjust actions as needed
All team members have a role in monitoring progress when a plan is being implemented. Use the He Pikorua practice principles to guide the activities and practices involved.
Whānau and educator input and involvement throughout the plan
The agreed plan must be implemented and progress monitored authentically. Team members must act with respect for the kawa and tikanga that are important to mokopuna, whānau and the early learning service, school or Māori medium, kaupapa Māori kura and community.
When supporting at an individual level, whānau and educators take an active role in ensuring that implementation support and activities are:
- undertaken in the context of the daily routine and activities of the mokopuna
- strengths-based and promote well-being
- age-appropriate, motivating and meaningful
- adjusted where needed, based on feedback from team members.
Track progress and make adjustments
Continuing to collect information throughout helps to track progress and successes, and enables informed decision-making about adjustments that might be needed. Ensure there is good communication between whānau and other team members, to share progress and make any changes as and when required.
When challenges in the implementation of a plan arise, use strengths-based approaches to support finding solutions.
Coaching to support ongoing implementation
Coaching is about leading people to discover a solution that works for them, not telling them what the solution is. It’s about facilitating the process and providing feedback and direction, so that people can be the best they can be.
Coaching can create a supportive environment that develops critical thinking skills, ideas and behaviours about a subject. Although it is closely tied to training, coaching is more personal and intimate.
“Coaching is an adult learning strategy that is used to build the capacity of a whānau or colleague to improve existing abilities, develop new skills, and gain a deeper understanding of their practices for use in current and future situations.”
(Adapted from Rush, Shelden, and Hanft, 2003).
Implementation within the tiered support model – whole-school or whole-service
At a systemic level, it can be helpful to use team implementation checklists to assess whether the plan is being implemented with integrity. For example, PB4L School-Wide has several tools designed for this purpose.
Strengthening adult capability and confidence
As part of the action plan, team members may have identified the need for professional development to build their skills and knowledge. Supporting this development can improve success when implementing an action plan.
Examples of training for professional development include:
- Understanding Behaviour
- Responding Safely workshops
- Incredible Years Teacher/Parent programmes
- Oral Language development in the classroom.
Examples monitoring and sharing from practice
A practitioner arranged to meet with whānau at their home to discuss their progress towards an agreed outcome. The practitioner listened to the whānau reflecting on what they have been able to do since the last discussion and made supportive and positive observations about their progress. Through this process the practitioner supported the whānau and encouraged their engagement with their intervention plan. This conversation enabled problem-solving around a further concern that the whānau raised, and provided the opportunity to agree on next steps.
A Speech and Language Therapist has supported the kaiako in an early learning service to use agreed strategies to promote oral language and early literacy development. Through video coaching, the kaiako looked at everyday conversations and literacy activities to strengthen their confidence and their use of ‘ABC and Beyond’ strategies within their teaching routines. The kaiako were able to identify key changes and take the lead in reflecting on and improving their practice.
A practitioner coaches a PB4L-SW Tier 1 Team to use their Team Implementation Checklist (TIC). They use the TIC to:
- help develop, implement, monitor and revise the process for building a positive school-wide culture
- help sustain their motivation and energy.
The TIC clearly shows the school’s progress towards implementation, and they’ve been able to review their action plan and agree on next steps.
The TIC data also highlights some challenges, and indicates that senior management has started delegating tasks and attending fewer meetings over time. This realisation leads to an open and honest discussion about the need for ongoing commitment from senior leadership. As a result, the principal and senior team agree to refocus their attention on PB4L–SW and to be stronger advocates for the initiative in staff and community contexts
As the plan is put into action, the lead practitioner checks in with each team member early on to see how work is progressing, and how the mokopuna is responding to the interventions. If challenges have arisen, the team might decide to prioritise certain strategies to ensure they can be built on to increase confidence and capability. Once the initial strategies are working well, the team can build on this momentum. This approach can prevent a plan from derailing and keep the team focussed on success.
Top tip
The GROW model of coaching
Coaching for the first time can be quite daunting, but using proven techniques, practice and trusting your instincts, you can become a great coach. The GROW Model is a simple yet powerful framework for structuring coaching sessions. GROW stands for:
- Goal: What do we want to achieve?
- Reality: What’s the current situation?
- Options/Opportunities (or Obstacles): What can we do?
- Way Forward: What will we do?
Top tip
Video to capture successful strategies
Video modelling and reflection is a useful tool. Support whānau and educators to video their interactions with mokopuna. Educators can view their footage and reflect on successful strategies. They can discuss next steps, which can feed into further strategies.