Friday, March 15, 2013

Precision


I have a book on my shelf called The Art and Science of Teaching.*  I like the title because it reminds me that teaching is an endeavor requiring a sophisticated blend of creativity, knowledge and exactness.  The questions we ask as coaches can help teachers attend to both the art and the science of their work.  A previous post discussed asking questions to help teachers access their creativity.  Today let’s dig a bit deeper about using questions to help teachers examine their thinking and make it more incisive.

As a coaching conversation unfolds, you can ask questions that take thinking to a deeper, more precise level.  These probing questions are specific to the content of the conversation.  During a planning conversation, when a coach asks, “What might you hear students saying if they understand that concept?” she invites consideration of the measurement of learning targets.  Her question takes what the teacher has just said (about her goals for students) and encourages the teacher to dig deeper (how are you going to know they’ve got it?).  Similarly, in a reflective conference after a lesson, a coach might follow up on a teacher’s comment, “They just don’t get it!” with the probing question of, “What are some examples of students’ confusion?” By asking this question, she is moving the conversation in a productive direction.  The coach encourages a closer look at evidence that could pinpoint students’ confusions or misconceptions, information that will be helpful as they consider plans for re-teaching.             

In these examples, questions lead to concrete examples of what could be and what has been.  These specific examples clarify both the coach’s and the teacher’s understanding.  Questions that ask for concreteness or request clarification can be used whether or not you’ve made a classroom observation. 

“What might you hear if…..” or “What are some examples of…..” can lead to opportunities for collaborative problem-solving and improved instruction.  Just be sure to fill in the “…..” with language very specific to the situation.  Our precise questions invite precise responses and express our genuine curiosity about the complexity of the art and science of teaching!


This week, you might want to take a look at some resources related to STEM:

Find Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math lessons.  Just select your grade level and area of focus, then choose from a wide variety of topics (don’t skip those marked “afterschool” – these hands-on activities that could be used in school, too!)



Literacy in STEM learning (from Reading Today):


A webinar on mentoring readers of science and technical texts: 


And for a smile, watch the 1 minute YouTube video about why we need STEM education:




Happy spring!


*Marzano, R. (2007).  The Art and Science of Teaching: 

No comments:

Post a Comment