In every classroom, there’s a
student who needs support in staying focused.
It’s the student who could potentially have great answers if only he
stayed engaged in the conversation. To
help such a student establish a pattern of participation, I would sometimes
have a whispered conversation with him before group discussion. I’d let him know that I had a question in
mind that I was going to be asking him later on because I knew he’d give an
answer that would benefit the whole class.
Then I’d tell him the question. That
conversation honored the student’s ability, gave him a purpose for paying
attention, and provided a focus for his thinking. It usually paid off with meaningful
participation in the discussion, and it helped to establish an important habit
of the mind.
Similarly, providing a focus to the
teacher you are coaching can pay off as you model new approaches. Because teachers are busy people, the teacher
you are working with may feel inclined to multi-task while you are modeling
instruction in her classroom. But that
multi-tasking means that your modeling is not as effective as it could be. It is really hard to focus on observing while
doing something else at the same time. Selecting
a specific focus for a teacher to watch for during modeling provides a target
for her attention. We honor the teacher’s
expertise when we honestly say, “I’m really interested to see what you notice
about this.” Yesterday, I was talking
with an experienced coach who said her modeling became more effective when she
gave the teacher she was working with something specific to watch for. “When I could tell her something specific,”
she said, “it was like she had that purpose.
She knew to watch for that. It
was that accountability.” She said it
was “like we tell the kids – ‘I’m going to call on you in a minute and I want
you to have something to say.”
Ensuring that there is a specific
focus when we model enriches the post-modeling conversation. When the teacher can refer to notes she’s
taken while observing, she is a more active participant in the
conversation. It turns the tables on the
coaching conversation in a positive way, with the teacher often taking the lead
to bring up things she’s noticed. I love
it when the teacher is the one doing most of the talking! I’ve learned that, just like in the
classroom, the one doing the most talking is the one doing the most learning!
This
week, you might want to take a look at:
A blog about infusing wonder into
the curriculum. Lots of great ideas
inspired by the quote: ““I’m more interested in arousing enthusiasm in kids than
in teaching the facts. The facts may change, but that enthusiasm for exploring
the world will remain with them the rest of their lives.” Read more at:
Quick, while it’s still January –
take a look at these ideas for setting reading resolutions:
And,
continuing in the spirit of resolutions, a reflection tool that can be adapted
for use with students or teachers to help them think about their year and their
own learning:
This
podcast about tech tools for our youngest learners:
A video about using “hint cards.” Students decide when they need scaffolding
and get it for themselves (the example is a math classroom, but this idea could
be adapted for any content):
That’s it for this week. Happy coaching!
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