Hello,
Coaching Colleagues –
You
might remember last week’s blog post, where you learned that my home is under construction. In the continuing saga of home improvements,
I decided I want a craft and scrapbooking area so that I don’t have to put
every photo and glue stick away between my infrequent binges of creative
pursuit. The problem with that thought
is, I have a relentless need for “a place for everything and everything in its
place.” Hmmmm…..what to do? Then, while browsing a magazine in the
check-out line, I saw a photo of a closet-turned-craft-center. Included were a workspace, pegboards,
shelves, drawers, and bins. Just close
the closet doors and – voila! – all the clutter is hidden! This seemed like the perfect solution. But how would I go about creating this
marvelous model of efficiency and order?
YouTube provided the solution with a short video clip of step-by-step
construction instructions. It’s amazing
what seeing someone in action can do!That brings me to the idea of vicarious modeling. Webster tells us that vicarious means “serving instead of someone or something else.” If modeling in the classroom isn’t possible or doesn’t seem like the best solution, a video clip can serve the purpose instead. You might have a video of yourself that demonstrates the strategy in another setting. Clips from video recordings purchased from publishers or professional organizations may also be useful. Or you could find a clip from one of the many free online sources (teachingchannel.org, choiceliteracy.com, or teachertube.com, + see below). Better yet, spotlight the instruction of another teacher in your building.
You
can start your own video collection for this purpose. Whenever you see something good going on,
ask, “Would you mind if I capture that?” then whip out your iPhone or other
friendly device and record away. Not
only do you have meaningful examples to share, you have built good will in the
building. Just be sure you don’t create
“coach’s pets.” Every teacher has an
idea worth capturing! Another bonus of
home-grown videos is the authenticity factor; when you see something happening
in your own school with your own student population, you are less likely to
discount the idea as something that wouldn’t work for you. As with “live” modeling, recordings need not
be perfect examples; learning occurs through reflecting on both successes and
less-successful aspects of lessons. Just
be sure to keep the focus positive, especially when using clips from colleagues’
classrooms.
When
video recordings are provided as instructional models, you might choose to view
and discuss clips during a planning or debriefing session. This allows for on-the-spot dialogue about
how to adjust and put the ideas into practice.
Pushing “pause” lets you draw attention to nuances that might otherwise
be missed. Sometimes, though, sending
the video in advance is the best solution, especially when your time with a
teacher is short. You can then use your
valuable time together to tweak and transform the strategy to meet the needs of
her learners. If you don’t have any face
time at all, you can share a link as part of an online coaching
conversation.
Video recordings provide an instructional model that allows the teacher to see best practices in action. For teachers of excellence, classroom instruction is always “under construction,” and providing a vicarious video model can help move the work along!
This week, you might want to take a look at:
*A
great app for capturing and sharing short video clips, Ubersense. Although designed
for coaching sports, this app works in the classroom, too. You can add voiceover, arrows, and captions
to draw attention to important features.
*A
companion to Lucy Calkin’s book, Pathways
to the Common Core, the site listed below includes videos of teaching methods
that support student learning with Common Core standards as a goal. More than 40 video clips are
available here:
*Coleman’s
video about close reading of The
Gettysburg Address (shared in last week’s post) has caused lots of comments
nationwide. Read Tim Shanahan’s reaction
to this and other topics related to the Common Core in his post, “The Common
Core Ate My Baby and other Urban Legends”:
My
colleague Jennifer Beasley shares her thinking about Common Core and gifted and
talented learners, as well as broader implications for these standards, in her
ASCD blog post:
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