Friday, May 10, 2013

Interdepence: Reaching Together


"The only time we waste is the time we spend thinking we're alone.” 
                                                                           Mitch Albom
 
If 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!

 

 

No comments:

Post a Comment