Saturday, November 9, 2013

The Horse Trainer

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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