When I
get a phone call during working hours from my daughter, Sara (a reading
specialist), it often begins with the words, “Will you be my coach for a minute,
Mom?” This week, she wanted to talk
about her end-of-year assessment plan.
Turns out she was already formulating a solid design for this testing. She just needed a sounding board so she could
fine-tune her ideas and get a few words of affirmation. So I listened, summarized what I’d heard, and
asserted that I thought the plan was a good one. That was all she needed and wanted.
Providing affirmation has an
effect that is important for teachers and also for their students. As coaches confirm teachers’ decisions, teachers’
self-efficacy increases. Developing this
characteristic is important, since teachers’ self-efficacy correlates highly
with increased student achievement.
Teachers with a feeling of efficacy believe that if they work hard, students will learn. They believe they have the necessary knowledge and skills to provide effective instruction. Teachers with self-efficacy are more resourceful and perseverant and exhibit cause and effect thinking. Efficacy positively influences the effort that teachers expend while working with students. Teachers with professional efficacy are also more likely to modify instruction in response to students’ needs.
Affirmation
from coaches supports an attitude of efficacy and is especially pertinent for
teachers when they are acquiring new skills or learning new content (such as
the Common Core). When teachers are
making sound instructional decisions but are still looking to their coaches for
confirmation, affirming is an effective coaching move, like a metaphorical pat
on the back.
Recently,
I had a chance to debrief an observation with a novice teacher whose abilities
were blossoming. Many of my comments
simply affirmed the excellent learning experiences she had designed and enacted. As our conversation drew to a close, the
teacher looked at me with a glowing smile and said, “I
just feel like I have so much more self-efficacy than I did back then. I have grown so much as a teacher!”
One
of the rewards of coaching is the chance to help teachers recognize their own
growth. When you see the great things teachers are
doing, it feels good to talk with them about their successes! Giving a metaphorical pat on the
back through words of affirmation is a good feeling – for both you and the
teacher you are supporting.
This
week, I’ve put together a few resources in honor of National Poetry Month:
This short
video clip talks about the why and how of using poetry:
http://www.stenhouse.com/shop/pc/viewprd.asp?idProduct=9651&r=n278
Here
are 30
ways to celebrate national poetry month – some just for you and some to share
with your class:
In
honor of national poetry month, find the right poem and a lesson to go along
with it at (search by topic or technique):
http://www.poemfarm.amylv.com/p/find-poem-by-topic.htmlhttp://www.poemfarm.amylv.com/p/find-poem-by-technique.html
Art and
Poetry make a great combination. Check
out the project idea at:
That’s it
for this week! Happy Coaching!
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