Recognizing
patterns is a skill with broad application. Whether you’re a kindergartner
using attribute blocks, a mathematician working with calculus formulas, or a
meteorologist making predictions, being able to see beyond the details and
recognize the patterns in a situation means better problem-solving. This principle
also applies to teaching and coaching.
Coaching
conversations can easily get caught up in the
here-and-now, the details of one particular lesson. Although noticing the minutia
of instruction is important, these specifics are often more helpful when viewed in a
broader context.
This
week I had a conversation with a teacher whose instruction is usually very solid.
I’ve been in her room and been wowed by authentic student discussions on many
occasions. However, the lesson I happened to observe this week went awry. And
she knew it. Even before we got together, she had reflected on what went wrong.
She’d even gone back and retaught portions of the lesson. She’d recognized on
her own things that needed fixing. When we got together, however, the
conversation kept drifting back to the details of that lesson. She was frustrated
with it, but I knew that rehashing the particulars wouldn’t get us far.
After
affirming the changes she’d made when reteaching, I steered the conversation
toward looking for patterns. Yes, the definition she’d chosen for the
vocabulary word led to student confusion. But what was it about her response to their confusion that she
could learn from? As we talked, Stacy realized that her fixed focus on one
aspect of the vocabulary definition prompted her to go “fishing” for the answers she was
looking for. She began to realize that she had negated some students’ responses
because they didn’t “fill in the blank” in the way she was anticipating. I did
a little probing and a lot of nodding as Stacy made these discoveries.
For
Stacy, the conversation helped her articulate some things she already knew
about questioning and recognize habits she sometimes falls into when lessons
don’t go as she’s envisioned. She’s moving forward with increased sensitivity
to this tendency and a resolve to make a change.
Perseverating
on the details of a flopped lesson wasn’t what got her there. By looking less
at particulars and more at patterns, Stacy walked away with ideas about how to
transform her already-strong teaching.
This week, you might want to
take a look at:
Changing from “have to” to “get to” – the power of language:
The Literacy Shed has mini-lessons for writing with free video clips and images that support them:
Student-Centered discussion in the high school English class:
That’s it for this week. Happy coaching!
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