What to say in a short presentation

Recently, Instructional Coach Kristin Wissner wrote me the following question:
“I've been given about 30 minutes to present the whole idea of coaching to our staff. My principal wants them to understand the bare essentials of coaching and what to expect when I meet with them to discuss what I've observed. There is SO much on coaching that I could share...what should I focus on so that teachers fully understand what's going to be happening?”
Since this seems like a question others might be interested in, I’m posting my response here. I’ve lifted many of these ideas from my upcoming book on Instructional Coaching, for Corwin Press.
Presenting the idea of coaching to a group is not an easy task, but there are some basic things you probably should consider. First off, keep in mind that when you are first meeting teachers, your philosophy of coaching is as important as what they have to share. If you stand in front of your school and give the impression that you are a superior expert there to fix inferior teachers, those few minutes of the presentation might significantly reduce the chance that you will be successful. Thus, you’ve got to be extremely careful to communicate your deep respect for the profession of teaching.
I think that 30 minutes is plenty of time to share some big ideas. The main purpose of this presentation is to enroll teachers in the coaching process, not to explain every aspect of coaching. I suggest you prepare a single-page handout that summarizes key information. The handout might contain information regarding the tools you have to share, your philosophy, your policy regarding confidentiality, data from previous successes within the school, district or nation, and your contact information.
During the presentation, you might begin by thanking teachers for their time and attention, and provide a quick advance organizer about what will be discussed during the presentation. Then communicate in some way that you empathize with teachers and their many challenges. You might show a humorous video clip or cartoon to encourage the group to be open to the topics about to be discussed.
In the presentation proper, I suggest you provide a brief overview of the tools you have to offer, a quick summary of what the research says, and perhaps some data from the school that shows the impact of coaching in the past if such data exists. Additionally, you could explain how coaching works, the partnership philosophy, and the confidentiality of the coach—teacher relationship. If possible, it is a good idea to have teachers who have benefited from working with you to share their experiences, and to speak on behalf of your work. If there are no teachers available to speak, you could show a video clip containing teachers’ testimonials or even better, students’ testimonials. When it comes to persuading teachers, the only thing more powerful than the voice of a fellow teacher is the voice of a student.
At some point during the presentation, you should ensure that every teacher has a form that they can complete privately to indicate whether or not they are interested in working with the coach. I have found that people are much more likely to commit to coaching if they are able to do it privately on a form. You can download an example of one from the tools section of www.instructionalcoach.org.
When setting up the presentation, you also have to be careful about what is said before and after you. No matter how well-constructed and effectively delivered your talk might be, it could lose a lot of its impact if the person introducing you or speaking afterwards has a heavy handed approach that might be perceived as disrespectful toward teachers. If you can, you need to ensure that the messages communicated around your presentation are consistent with the partnership approach to change.
All in all, a lot can be accomplished in a short presentation. The most important thing to remember is that your purpose is to enroll teachers, not to explain everything. If teachers understand that you have a valuable service and that you respect and believe in them, there is a good chance that they will be excited about working with you.