Five-minute coaching tool
Cognitive Load Coaching Check
Reduce unnecessary cognitive load while preserving rigor.
Coaches reviewing a lesson or professional-learning task
Use this when you need a focused next move.
Time
5 minutes
Source
Tips 6 and 8: working memory and managing cognitive load
In five minutes, leave with
One cognitive-load adjustment and one evidence check.
Work the tool
Answer three core questions.
Protect the target
What must learners attend to and remember?
Find the competition
What information, direction, visual, or task demand may be competing for attention?
Make one adjustment
What can be removed, chunked, modeled, or sequenced differently, and what evidence will show whether it helped?
Two optional prompts
- What prior knowledge can reasonably be assumed?
- Which support should fade as learners become more familiar with the content?
Finish line
Turn your thinking into a usable coaching move.
Write one adjustment and the student evidence you will check after the change.
See a worked example
Keep the worked example and remove decorative animation from the slide. Reveal one step at a time, then check whether more students can explain the next step without prompting.
Connect to the book
Keep building the practice.
Use the related chapter or article to understand the principle behind the tool.
Use this with your team
Bring the tool into professional learning.
Dr. Matt Rhoads consults with school district leaders and instructional coaches to turn coaching priorities into practical routines, tools, and measurable next steps.
25 Tips for Instructional Coaches and Leaders 