Question Dissection

This week, I had the opportunity to observe in Allison’s classroom.  She was teaching a lesson on maps, making sure students were familiar with features such as the key, scale, and compass rose.  She used foldables to make the activity more interactive and had their large world map as a reference.  Her goals for the lesson were appropriate, but between procedures, classroom management, and the content of the learning experience, there were a number of directions our coaching conversation could go.  As I looked back on my observation notes, I decided one high-yield conversation we could have would be about students’ higher-level thinking.

Having determined an area of focus for our debrief, I thought about approaches that might be useful.  I’ve been working with Allison for some time, so she’s had lots of modeling, and I’d made plenty of recommendations.  It was time to go beyond these coaching moves and give Allison more responsibility.  I decided that asking questions that probed Allison’s thinking was the way to go.  And it was worth spending the time to come up with just the right question so that our time together would be well-spent.  After going over several possibilities, I settled on this question:  “As you think back on the lesson, what might have been some of the times when students were engaged in higher-level thinking?”  I wrote it on a sticky note and tucked it in my pocket so I could peak at it before our session and have it handy just in case my mind went blank.  I knew it would be the pivotal point in our coaching conversation.  And it was.  Allison’s eyes opened wide after I asked the question as the realization dawned that there were few examples she could pull from her lesson in answer to the query.  I wasn’t trying to put her on the spot, but rather to help her to come up with this realization herself instead of having me make a judgment that might not sit well.

Let’s take a moment and dissect the question I asked Allison.  This question dissection can help us identify question characteristics* that support teachers’ thinking during a coaching conversation.

The question begins with an invitational stem “As you think back on the lesson…..” This phrase sends the teacher’s mind back to the lesson and welcomes reflection.  It also has an embedded positive assumption that the teacher is already taking that thoughtful, reflective stance.

“What might have been…”  This phrase includes the tentative word might that lowers feelings of risk.  Teachers sense that you are open to any possibilities they might pull up.  Might suggests unrestricted thinking. 

“What might have been some of the times….”  The plural word some steers teachers away from thinking there is one right answer and instead opens them up to considering multiple possibilities.  Using plurals also builds trust in the relationship and increases feelings of teacher responsibility; the teacher does not feel she is playing “guess-what-is-in-my-head” when responding to the coach’s questions.

“What might have been some of the times….” also phrases the question in language that expresses a positive assumption that the teaching did indeed include these times.  Positive language assumes capability and empowerment.  Questions that grow from positive assumptions encourage teachers to explore their own intentions, enhance understanding, and support a respectful relationship between teacher and coach.

“….students were engaged in higher-level thinking?”  The rest of the question gets specific about the topic of inquiry.  In any coaching conversation, there are multiple directions that could be taken.  Think about the needs of students first when determining this focus, and take into consideration what this teacher knows and is able to do.

One final characteristic of a good question doesn’t come across in the print on this page.  That is the tone of voice.  As a coach, it’s important to monitor your voice quality during a coaching conversation.  That firm “teacher voice” that got your students’ attention and let them know you meant business will not get you far in a coaching conversation!  Use an approachable voice, one with lilt and melody, rather than a flat, firm voice.  To wrap your head around this one, think about the different tones of voice a parent might use when asking their teenage daughter this question:  “Why are you home so late?”  Try out the worried tone, the accusing tone, the angry tone, and the frustrated tone.  It’s clear that the way we use our voice when asking a question can make a big difference!

By selecting a meaningful topic for the conversation, monitoring voice quality, using plurals, tentative language, and invitational stems and expressing positive assumptions, coaches encourage teachers to consider students’ responses to instructional practices.  It can be difficult, however, to keep all of these principles in mind during the flow of a coaching conversation!  If you want to improve the effectiveness of your questioning, you might choose one of these principles to focus on at a time. 

When a teacher is ready to take on more responsibility, asking questions can be an important part of your coaching conversation!
 

This week, you might want to take a look at:
Speaking of questioning, let’s take a look at some resources to help teachers refine their own questioning:

Check out this video about questioning in the language arts classroom:

 
https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/structuring-questioning-in-classroom

Or this one about questioning in math:

https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/professional-development-teacher-evaluation

Questioning the text is one of the comprehension strategies identified by Brenda Powers:

http://www.choiceliteracy.com/articles-detail-view.php?id=85

Here’s a reference form from “The Sisters” about the comprehension strategy of asking questions:

http://marcy.mpls.k12.mn.us/uploads/rrf_comprehension_ask_questions_throughout_the_reading_proce.pdf

That’s all for this week – Happy Coaching!

*These suggestions are drawn from Cognitive Coaching, by A.L. Costa and R.J. Garmston. 

Ask the Expert

Yesterday I went to the dentist.  This was my first visit since our relocation, so I had some trepidation.  My husband had assured me I would like this dentist’s style – her great customer service, her clear descriptions of possibilities and procedures.  Still, I felt unsure.  I like my teeth and want a dentist who likes them too!  When I met Dr. Bryant I knew I was in expert hands.  Our initial consultation  was held in a comfy room without any equipment; then I was shepherded into the photo center.   After lots of digital photos of my mouth from every angle (“Smile!”  “Smile again!”  “Chin up – smile once more!”), the x-ray machine went into operation, and all the images were projected on a big screen.  Dr. Bryant revealed the unexpected and unwanted:  I had a cavity.

Now, I pride myself on having good teeth.  The word “cavity” is not in my vocabulary!  Sensing my disquiet, Dr. Bryant said, “You could wait until your appointment in six months and see what is happening.  But I would recommend taking care of this right now.”

I did not phone a friend.  I did not poll the audience.  I had the expert in the room, and even though she was saying something I did not want to hear, I trusted her judgment and scheduled the follow-up appointment. 

I thought about this experience as I sat down to write about the coach’s role in making recommendations.  When coaches make recommendations, they are taking on an expert stance.  Studies indicate that taking the consulting role and offering suggestions to improve instruction can be an effective coaching practice.  When coaches review available data, including classroom assessments and observations, and then access their relevant background knowledge and experience, making recommendations can appropriately scaffold teachers as they develop new instructional strategies. 

In the GIR model, making recommendations is most prevalent near the beginning of a coaching cycle and then decreases sharply as coaching progresses.  Not all teachers need or want recommendations, but for those who are looking to you for your expert guidance, making recommendations fills an important role.  By making recommendations, coaches encourage teachers to attend to important instructional goals and support continuous improvement.

When it comes to caring for my teeth, I want the opinions of an expert.  There is too much at stake.  Similarly, there is much at stake in our educational encounters with children.  Coaches can support the use of high-yield strategies as they make recommendations that are tailored to the context.  When teachers ask for recommendations, they are looking to you as an expert.  If you are at this point in the coaching cycle, smile and feel confident that you should take that expert role!  

 

Look at:

 

*This video with tips for classroom management - the100% Technique from Teach Like a Champion:  (Remember that sharing a video can provide a model – the most highly-scaffolded coaching move!)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EC0ltKOwF_A

 

*Marzano’s tips for highly-engaged classrooms:  (scan the blue topics for a quick overview)

http://www.marzanoresearch.com/archive/HEC_tips_archive.aspx

 

*Suggestions for setting up Math Workshop (you can skip their plug for a specific program!):

http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/top_teaching/2010/05/math-workshop

 *Doug Fisher’s thoughts about teaching with complex texts:

http://www.reading.org/general/Publications/blog/BlogSinglePost.aspx/engage/2013/01/29/text-complexity-thinking-about-scope-and-sequence

 

*Dick Allington’s Big Six:  (Six steps educators can do to get students reading)

http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/finding_common_ground/2012/03/roadblocks_to_reading_an_interview_with_richard_allington.html

That’s all for this week – happy coaching!

What’s in Your Backpack?

My family is a family of backpackers.  Each spring we strap on our backpacks and journey into the great outdoors.  It’s wonderful now that my kids are grown and can carry their own full backpacks.  I especially appreciate having my 6’2” construction-worker son, Matt, along.  You should see the size of Matt’s backpack!  Oh the things he can heft and carry!  But that, of course, hasn’t always been the case.  We started backpacking when our kids were young, and our youngest daughter, Erin, could barely carry herself up the mountain.  But wanting her to feel a part of the activity, we strapped a little backpack on her back and filled it with an item essential to the well-being of the group – Styrofoam cups.  She was doing her part in a way that fit her capacity, and boy did she feel proud!  Once she had an assignment on her shoulders (literally), her pace picked up and her whining stopped (well, nearly!). 

Like backpackers on a journey, teachers need to be equipped with essentials.  Coaching is about outfitting teachers for the learning journey they take with their students each year.  We model how to use the map, demonstrate the key and the legend, and make sure they have the necessities loaded in their backpacks.* A key here is to be very thoughtful about what a teacher is able to carry.  In previous posts, I’ve talked about making recommendations – an important coaching move that supports teachers near the beginning of a coaching cycle.  Making recommendations is a way to help teachers load their packs with just the right tools for the job.   For coaches, making recommendations often comes very easily – sometimes too easily. 

Recently I was working with a novice teacher who was fed up with the rote phonemic awareness exercises she was doing with students.  She had a black blinder full of lists of words, and she marched her students through one list each day, like her experienced colleagues who had given her the binder.  What she wanted was richer and more authentic experiences to develop her kindergartner’s phonemic awareness skills.  Well, she had asked just the right person!  I love teaching phonemic awareness and shared lots of good ideas for authentic activities – lots and lots and lots (and lots).  Near the end of our conversation, I noticed the “deer in the headlights” look in the teacher’s eyes.  I had done it – I had overloaded her backpack!  And I had learned a lesson for myself about the gradual increase of responsibility.  I quickly tried to unload her backpack and leave just one idea for her to start with.

These days, our daughter Erin can carry her own load and often sets off on a backpacking trip without her family along to lead the way.  Like the teachers you work with, she has developed the capacity to carry all the essentials needed for the journey! 

This week, you might want to take a look at:

Diane Sweeney’s thoughts about the Gradual release in coaching:

http://dianesweeney.com/coaching-instructional-practice-and-student-learning-a-braided-approach/

The presentation, “Mathematical Modeling: The Core of the Common Core State Standards” at:

http://www.nctm.org/uploadedFiles/Lessons_and_Resources/Core_Math_Tools/CMT-Chicago-2012-Hirsch.pdf

A video example of close reading in a 10^th grade classroom:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XFRClI2q18Y

Download your own personal professional development module on text complexity from:

http://www.textproject.org/professional-development/teacher-development-series/

*adapted from Keene E.O. & Zimmermann, S. (1997), Mosaic of Thought, Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann

Your Bag of Tricks

What’s your most natural coaching move?  Your go-to move that happens almost without thinking when you start talking with a teacher?  If you said, “Making recommendations,” you’re in good company.   You were probably hired as a coach for your school because of your expertise and experience, so you have a big bag of tricks to choose from when making recommendations.  The challenge is to consider that repertoire thoughtfully and provide the right recommendation at the right time, acknowledging both what the students need and what the teacher is able and willing to do.  When planning a coaching conversation, if you’ve determined that recommending is the right coaching move, you may want to consider these four categories of recommendations:

Making recommendations about instructional strategies.  As a coach, you may want to recommend a specific teaching strategy that addresses student needs.  For example, you might decide to suggest that students spend less time with word work and more time reading connected text.  This recommendation encourages the teacher to move from isolated skills instruction to contextualized practice.   An instructional strategy I find myself regularly recommending is “Turn & Talk.”  Because this strategy is helpful for learners of all ages, no matter what the content, it’s one of the more useful strategies in my bag of tricks.  Don’t forget the trick of gathering formative assessment data – another ubiquitously-appropriate instructional strategy that is often overlooked.   

Making recommendations about content or skills.  Making recommendation about skills or content for upcoming lessons supports teachers in the instructional design process.  For example, this recommendation reminds the teacher of a need that has been thus far neglected:

Your insights about Caleb’s comprehension will be helpful as you plan instruction.  We do see evidence that vocabulary instruction would be helpful to Caleb, so it is appropriate to include it.  Before too long, you’ll also want to address his word recognition needs, so let’s think together about that a bit. 

The coach first acknowledges relevant insights the teacher has shared, building the teacher’s confidence and strengthening feelings of trust in their relationship.  She then nudges the teacher to consider additional skills the student needs to develop. 

Making recommendations about the developmental processes of learning.  Learning is a complex process!  Understanding the ages and stages of learning can help teachers make wise instructional decisions.  It’s also helpful to see how developmental processes from different academic areas interact; for example, a student’s growth as a reader supports his growth as a writer, and vise versa.  Students who can reason abstractly when doing algebra are ready to think more abstractly about literary themes.  As students’ skills develop, they do not focus on one discrete skill at a time - learning is a complex conceptual mix!  Having an understanding of learning development is essential for planning effective instruction.  This understanding becomes especially critical when designing intervention that accelerates a student’s growth along the learning continuum. 

Because of the complexity of the learning process, teachers may benefit when coaches make specific recommendations about how instruction should change over time to support students’ movement through the developmental process.  In addition to making recommendations about instructional design that align with students’ development, you may want to recommend professional reading to increase the teacher’s understanding of these processes.

Making recommendations about the standards, curriculum, or resources being used.  During this time of change, teachers are looking to their coaches about how to implement the Common Core State Standards.  Take this as an opportunity to emphasize the importance of having clear learning objectives when designing instruction.  Learning objectives may be crafted using knowledge of developmental learning processes, or they may be lifted from the standards.  In either case, coaches might make recommendations about specific objectives that would enhance student learning. 

The coach might also make recommendations about resources that align with the abilities and interests of the learners. Because the coach may have greater familiarity with resources that are available, such a recommendation could be helpful. You can combine your recommendation of a resource to use with suggestions about how to use it.

By making recommendations about instructional strategies, content or skills being taught, the developmental processes of learning, or the standards or resources being used, coaches can encourage teachers to attend to important instructional goals.  Making recommendations can be a very helpful coaching move, especially when you are thoughtful about what the teacher knows and is able to do.  Rather than making recommendations spontaneously, you might think about these four categories as you plan a coaching conversation.   You’ll likely end up making just the right choice from your large bag of tricks!

 

This week, you might want to take a look at:

(Or Listen to)  A podcast from Diane Sweeney about coaching using student work:

http://www.choiceliteracy.com/articles-detail-view.php?id=1156

Are students into Tweeting?  Look here for suggestions about having students summarize important content in 15 words or less!
 
http://dogtrax.edublogs.org/2012/10/21/student-research-projects-in-a-tweet/

Or chart out another blog for some great ideas about student self-assessment:

http://chartchums.wordpress.com/

And speaking of self-assessment, it never hurts to take a good look at ourselves and find room for improvement.   Look here for some food for thought:

http://lifehacker.com/5967786/how-to-do-a-proper-self+review-and-identify-your-professional-pain-points-before-your-boss-does