A
book I was reading this week has a description of an extraordinary horse
trainer. Rather
than “teaching them who was boss” and tying the horses up to learn to respect a
rope and halter, this trainer’s method was markedly different. Here’s the author’s description:
Ben looked
at the horses for a while and then climbed into the small corral where the
colts were. The young horses moved over near the fence, putting as much
distance as possible between themselves and Ben….He did nothing while the
horses wandered around the perimeter of the corral, looking for a way out.
Occasionally they’d look back at Ben. He stood there quietly. He moved to the
middle of the corral and stretched out his arms like a big human scarecrow. He
started to talk to the colts, quietly and calmly…Finally, one horse moved
closer to him, perhaps losing its fear or becoming curious about what Ben was
doing….
After a
while, Ben actually lay down on the ground, right on his back, looking up at
the sky. He remained in that position a long time, his patience seemingly
endless. Gradually the horses all moved
closer, perhaps because he appeared less threatening stretched out on the
ground like that…. He was coaxing the horses to trust him. He was allowing them
to take their time and become comfortable with him in a way that bonded them as
partners.*
The author concludes the description
by saying that the horses this trainer worked with “ended up being some of the
best horses we ever had.”
I couldn’t help but think about coaching
while reading this account. As we’ve
discussed previously, so much of coaching depends on first establishing a
relationship of trust. I’ve also noticed
that as we make ourselves more approachable, our effectiveness increases. The horse trainer made himself vulnerable by
standing with arms outstretched in the middle of the corral and later by laying
down on the ground in the midst of the horses.
When coaching, modeling is a way that we make ourselves approachable and
vulnerable. We say, “Here I am, for
better or for worse. Let’s examine my
practice together.” Teachers may respond with curiosity at first, but such
interactions establish connections that open avenues for other types of
coaching moves. When we make recommendations while coaching, we’re
more approachable if our recommendations occasionally include examples of
lessons gone awry.
The next time I run up against a resistant
teacher – one who is pulling at the halter, so to speak – I’ll remember the
methods of this gentle horse trainer and move forward with patience. Being humble and approachable usually pays
off.
*
From I Knew Their Hearts, by Jeff
Olsen. pp. 7&8
This
week, you might want to take a look at some resources for independent reading:
Scholastic Book Wizard provides
leveling information for most titles (lexiles, DRA, Guided
Reading, or Grade Level Equivalent):
An article about buddy reading with
older peers:
A podcast about reading workshop with
high school students:
Positive Peer Pressure to Read in
Middle School:
A
1 min. video that shows how to involve families in classroom reading time
(D.E.A.R. Reading – Family Style!):
That’s it for this week. Happy Coaching!
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