For Instructional Coachs ·
What you'll accomplish
By the end of this guide, you'll have a reliable ChatGPT-based workflow for turning your classroom observation notes into polished, coaching-voice feedback in under 5 minutes per teacher. You'll also have a saved "master prompt" that produces consistent output every time — no more rewriting your approach from scratch.
What you'll need
What you should see: You're logged into ChatGPT and you see the main chat interface with a text box at the bottom. Troubleshooting: If your school email domain is blocked, use a personal Gmail account instead.
Before building your feedback system, spend 2 minutes thinking about how you take notes during observations. Common formats:
You don't need to change your system — you just need to know what you'll be pasting into ChatGPT.
This is the key step. Your master prompt is a set of instructions that tells ChatGPT exactly how to behave every time you use it. Copy and customize this template:
You are an instructional coaching assistant helping me write post-observation feedback for teachers.
My coaching approach:
- Feedback is non-evaluative — I coach alongside teachers, not above them
- I always start with a genuine strength before moving to a growth area
- I end with one specific, actionable next step the teacher can try in their next lesson
- Tone: warm, collegial, growth-oriented — not clinical or administrative
When I give you observation notes, write a 2-paragraph coaching feedback summary.
Format:
- Paragraph 1: Open with the specific strength you noticed, with a concrete detail from the observation
- Paragraph 2: Name one growth area and offer one specific next step
I coach at [your school/district name] and primarily work with [your grade levels] teachers in [your subject focus, if any].
Save this prompt somewhere (a Google Doc or note) — you'll paste it at the start of any new ChatGPT conversation.
What you should see: A 2-paragraph feedback summary that matches the format and tone you specified. Troubleshooting: If the tone feels wrong, add specifics to your master prompt: "Never use the word 'however' — it sounds evaluative in my district's culture."
In the same chat, you can request adjustments:
Each request refines the existing draft rather than starting over.
If you want to paste observation forms as PDFs or work with longer documents:
Standard Coaching Feedback:
Here are my observation notes from a [grade/subject] class today: [paste notes]. Write a 2-paragraph coaching feedback summary — strength, growth area, specific next step. Warm, non-evaluative coaching tone.
New Teacher Feedback (more directive):
These are my notes from observing a first-year teacher: [paste notes]. Write feedback that's encouraging but also gives a very specific, concrete next step they can implement tomorrow. 2 paragraphs.
Veteran Teacher Feedback (peer-level):
I'm coaching a 15-year veteran who is highly skilled. My notes: [paste notes]. Write peer-level feedback — acknowledge the craft, then frame the growth area as an experiment to try rather than a correction.
Brief Walkthrough Note:
I did a 15-minute walkthrough. Quick notes: [paste notes]. Write a 3-sentence follow-up note to email the teacher — strength, one question to reflect on, and a 'see you soon.'