Tips for Teacher Coaching with Video

“I don’t like how I sound or look on camera, and every time I listen or watch myself I cringe.” If you’re using video to coach teachers, you’ve probably heard phrases like this every time you've mentioned that a video camera will be involved in fostering improvement.

Recording a short video for a social media post is easy. Most people feel comfortable with it because the stakes are low. But when asked to record a video for professional development, perceived risk is higher, anxiety increases, and fight or flight defense mechanisms kick in. At that point, it's the coach's responsibility to help learners feel more comfortable with video.

Here are some tips

1. Build trust and show people what it's like to work with a supportive coach before any camera involvement takes place. Talk with individuals about why video makes them nervous - and how to overcome those fears.

2. Enforce the understanding that video recordings are private between you and them. In fact, encourage them to record short videos of themselves teaching, or speaking, and have them delete those videos immediately after watching them as a method for creating comfortability with the process.

3. Prepare them fully for the first day of recording. Show them what camera or mobile device you’ll be using, what angle you’ll be recording from, and if possible, switch roles preemptively - have them record you giving a short 2-3 minute presentation. Modeling is a great tool to create comfort for others with both you and video.

4. If they still feel uncomfortable after the first session is recorded, have them watch the footage on their own, making a note of both the behaviors that they find troublesome and that they’re doing well. Next, review the video with them, focusing on the things that they've marked as positive.

5. Always set a goal for what you’ll be looking for in each recording session. Start by setting one or two goals, and focus on providing feedback pertaining to only those goals when rewatching the video. This can reduce ambiguity and feelings of insecurity.

Lastly, Vosaic is the only tool that allows you to tag clips on a video. Each tagged clip has a duration that you determine, making the process of reviewing marked moments highly effective and efficient.