My Coaches' Couch: How was your day?

Last week’s blog post talked about the importance of being specific when making recommendations. Well, as it turns out, specificity is important when asking questions, too!

Facebook recently led me to a blog post about one mommy’s frustration with her husband’s circadian, “How was your day?” query. In her post, the author detailed how many things her day was – one baby-snuggling moment was so perfect, she thought they should adopt four more children. The next moment her senses were bombarded with the crying, messy, never-ending busy-ness of mommying and she felt ready to give away the three children they already had! How could she respond to the question, “How was your day?”

Similarly, the teachers we work with and the lessons they teach are filled with the best of times and the worst of times. If we ask, “How was your day?” we are likely to get a very non-specific answer. But if we ask, “When did you feel successful today?” We’ll probably get a thoughtful response.

Recently, I discussed with some coaches the kinds of specific questions they were having success with. Here are a few they mentioned:

Did you have any “light bulb” moments today? Did your kids?

When were you proud today?

Who made you smile?

Who changed today? Who grew in a skill?

What surprised you today?

What happened today that made you laugh out loud?

Did anything happen today that made you want to pull your hair out?

When were the students confused?

How was (student)’s participation?

How was the noise level in the classroom?

How did transitions go?

When did you feel frustrated today?

How did guided reading go?

What was something that went totally different than you anticipated?

What can I help you do right now?

Is there anything you wish you could change about today?

Probing questions, designed to narrow a teacher’s focus, especially benefit from the characteristic of specificity. Even questions like, “What are some different ways you might help students understand?” that inquire and are designed to open teachers’ thinking and engender broad responses, benefit from an element of specificity.

Asking specific questions is an art that requires some practice. So, when you’re sitting in the teachers’ lounge on Monday, you might try asking, “Did anything happen this weekend that made you laugh out loud?” rather than, “How was your weekend?” You might get a funny look at first, but you’ll probably end up having a good laugh yourself, and your friend will know that you really wanted to listen. In the hall after school, you might ask, “Was there anything that really frustrated you today?”

Asking questions like these may feel a little weird at first, but the more attention you give your questions, the more meaningful the answer will become. Planning two or three specific questions (word-for-word, written down) before a coaching conversation can increase the chances that you’ll start conversations that lead to improved learning – for both teachers and students.