"The
only time we waste is the time we spend thinking we're alone.”
Mitch
AlbomIf you’ve been using the Gradual Increase of Responsibility Model as a visual to support your coaching, you may have noticed that the final outcome is interdependence and collaboration. I’ve been thinking a lot about what that means at the end of a coaching cycle. Interdependence denotes a connection and a reciprocal relationship – a relationship where people are reliant on and responsible to each other. There is mutual dependence. What is it you depend on teachers for?
Do
you depend on them to bring their deep knowledge of students to the table when
you meet – that understanding that comes from kid-watching day after day? Do you depend on them to bring ideas that you
will consider together – ideas that may even push back on your own at times? Do you depend on them to bring their
problem-solving skills so that you can come to solutions that neither of you
could have figured out independently? As
I work with teachers who have become my collaborators – my co-laborers – these
are some of the things I have come to expect and look forward to.
The
constructive interdependence that we experience at the end of a coaching cycle
is a relationship where both coach and teacher offer valuable perspectives. Interdependence increases as teachers rely
less on the coach and engage more in shared dialogue with both the coach and
other teachers. Interdependent
colleagues accept ideas from others and bring insight to their interactions. This notion of constructing meaning as a
shared enterprise is central to a socio-cultural stance for learning. Coaching embodies the role of social
interaction in instructional improvement.
Mutual respect that has been built over the course of a coaching cycle pays
rich dividends as you work together with colleagues on the complex issues that
we face today as educators. The insight
and power that we gain from working together is one of the enduring assets of a
successful coaching cycle.
This
week, you might want to take a look at:
Myth
Busters! 18 Myths about education:
And
some thoughts at the conclusion of Teacher Appreciation Week:
Why
Teachers are Important:
More
for teacher appreciation week (you're still a teacher, too!):
And
one more:
That’s
it for this week. Happy Coaching!
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