Learning from Thumper

Remember Thumper in the movie Bambie? His mother offered sage advice: “If you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all!” I like to take that advice one step further: “If you can say something nice, do it!” When a sincere compliment comes to my mind during a coaching conversation, I share it! Authentic, specific praise is encouraging, and we all benefit from encouragement!

However, you’ve probably been warned: Praise can sometimes backfire as a coaching move. We don’t want to create “approval junkies” (Nelsen, 2009) with a need to please or fear that they might not. That is why, when coaching using the GIR model, we move beyond affirming. At the affirming phase, those we coach may be unsure and looking for confirmation of their practice. Praise, however, is simply a deserved compliment for something that went well.

Notice that I said something that went well. Effective praise is not a compliment of someone; it is a compliment of something. Dweck and Kamins (1999) provide this alliterative reminder: Use process praise, not person praise.

So after observing a fantastic first grade lesson on pictographs, I didn’t say, “Good job, Lauren!” or “You’re an awesome teacher!” I said, “Having the pictures in the graph represent two objects really made students think.” (Well, okay, maybe I did gush a bit and say what a great idea it was, too!) Similarly, during a debrief conversation after a kindergarten lesson on the continents, rather than telling Shelby she was amazing, I talked about the effectiveness of the various activities she involved her little thinkers in.

Praising process has been shown to be beneficial to children’s motivation and can promote autonomy rather than reliance (Henderlong, & Lepper, 2002). I’ve found that praising teachers in this way has similar results (Collet, 2012). Saying something nice is sage advice.

Collet, V. (2012).  The Gradual Increase of Responsibility Model: Coaching for

Teacher Change.  Literacy Research and Instruction, (51)1, 27-47.

Henderlong, J. & Lepper, M.R. The effects of praise on children's intrinsic motivation: A review and synthesis. Psychological Bulleting, 128(5), 774-795.

Kamins, M. L. & Dweck, C.S. (1999). Person versus process praise and criticism: Implications for contingent self-worth and coping. Developmental Psychology, 35(3), 835-847. 

Nelsen, Jane. (2009). Encouragement: What does it mean and how is it done? Downloaded March 27, 2015 from http://blog.positivediscipline.com/2009/09/encouragement-what-does-it-mean-and-how.html.

This week, you might want to take a look at:

April is National Poetry Month! Celebrate by exploring these ideas:

12 great activities for using poetry in the classroom (scroll down to the 12 great activities part!): 

http://www.edutopia.org/blog/brisk-bright-approaches-poetry-month-brett-vogelsinger

A sampling of lessons and ideas about poetry (excerpts from books) free from Stenhouse:

http://www.stenhouse.com/assets/pdfs/poetrysampler.pdf

Hint cards in math:

https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/hint-cards?utm_campaign=digest&utm_medium=email&utm_source=digest

EdCamp and ScratchEd as playful learning for teachers (I’d skip to the paragraph before “Happy Campers”):

http://www.edutopia.org/blog/changemakers-playful-learning-teacher-networks-philipp-schmidt

p.s. Those in NWA can attend an EdCamp April 11 by registering at: http://edcampnwa.org

Weddings, Colors, and Coaching

Today’s coaching conversation was about wedding dresses, reception venues and color choices. That may not sound like a coaching conversation to you, but it got me farther than most of the previous discussions I’ve had with Abby.

Last night, I was thinking about each of the teachers I’m currently working with. Allison – check. Alyssa – check. Cammi – well, I think our trajectory has improved recently. Julie – ready to fly! Kelly – so much growth in recent weeks! Abby – wait. I paused in my mental check list. Abby’s instruction didn’t really seem to be changing in the ways we had talked about. Why?

As I walked into school this morning, I realized that the most important thing I could do today was make a personal connection with Abby. I thought about the time months ago when we had exchanged high-fives after an awesome lesson. Things had somehow derailed since then; I didn’t feel like we were really connecting. Recommendations seemed to be bouncing off, and asking questions wasn’t getting the ball rolling, either. I had a sneaking suspicion that a more personal approach was needed.

I headed down the blue hall thinking about Abby. Her room is at the far end, so I got caught up in other conversations before I got there. But there was still plenty of time before students arrived when I walked into Abby’s room. While catching up on yesterday’s lessons, Abby’s engagement ring caught my eye. “I know you got engaged over the holidays, but I don’t even know when you’re getting married,” I said. “When’s the special day?” That launched a conversation that included details of her winter-blue decorating theme, the perfect chapel she’ll be married in, and their search for a reasonably-priced location for the wedding party that will follow. Abby even pulled out her phone and showed me pictures of her in her gorgeous princess dress.

What did that five minute conversation have to do with coaching? Not much. But judging by her engaged smile and the warmth of her tone, I’m guessing that the next time we talk about instruction, those ideas will also be warmly received.

Sometimes sequins and beading are the stuff coaching is made of.

This week, you might want to take a look at:

This video about using questions to develop understanding:

https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/questioning-in-the-classroom?utm_campaign=digest&utm_medium=email&utm_source=digest

Teaching young children self-regulation and other executive function skills pays off with improved academic performance:

http://edsource.org/2014/study-self-regulation-helps-kindergartners/70196

Math lessons on proportions:

http://map.mathshell.org/materials/lessons.php?taskid=494&subpage=problem

http://map.mathshell.org/materials/lessons.php?taskid=483&subpage=concept

A multimodal autobiography project lesson plan (grades 9-12):

http://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/lesson-plans/life-multimodal-autobiography-project-1051.html#overview

Now here’s a great idea: Give politicians and business leaders first-hand experience of education:

http://billingsgazette.com/news/local/education/learning-plus-breakfast-hip-hop-and-a-side-of-drama/article_36460e32-e3c2-5055-8a76-444248c308e7.html

That’s it for this week. Happy Coaching!

Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah

Today, the student teachers I’ve been working with said goodbye to the little ones they’ve spent every weekday with for the past 19 weeks. They also said goodbye to the wonderful mentors who have supported them throughout the process.

I talked with the mentors about this final phase of letting go and what it was they did to wrap up the time together with their interns:

“I would just give her praise,” Andrea said. “I did that a lot in the end with her.”

“I feel like everybody needs praising,” said Abby. “And she has a lot of things to praise her for.” She elaborated: “I’m a very firm believer in finding the positive. I try to with my kids, and it was very easy to find things to praise her for.”

“It’s confidence building,” said Sandi. She then remembered an anecdote from a recent interaction with her intern. “What did she say to me one day?  Something like, ‘I can really do this!’  I said, ‘Cindy, why would you doubt that? You can do this!’  She feels, I think, that we've given her enough praise and confidence in here that she feels, ‘I can do kindergarten.’”

Whether it’s the end of a student-teaching placement or the end of a coaching cycle, affirming and praising are part of what effective coaches do. “Really?” you may be asking yourself. “I thought coaches weren’t supposed to praise.” Well, ladies and gentlemen, the findings of my research about whether praise is included in effective coaching are expressed in the words of a song: “It’s the truth! It’s natural! Everything is satisfactual!” When teachers are doing satisfactual things, it’s a Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah day, and praise is called for!

This week, you might want to take a look at:

In honor of Leonard Nimoy (Spock), here’s an NPR Podcast explaining the teenage brain: Captain Kirk vs. Spock:

http://www.npr.org/player/v2/mediaPlayer.html?action=1&t=1&islist=false&id=391864852&m=392590082

Weird books to draw in reluctant readers:

http://inkrethink.blogspot.com/p/weird-book-list.html

World explorers: Learning through drama

https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/explorers-lesson-plans?utm_campaign=digest&utm_medium=email&utm_source=digest

Download this Spotlight on Professional Development and the Common Core:

https://fs24.formsite.com/edweek/images/spotlight-on-professional-development-for-common-core.pdf

Reasoning about division and multiplication:

https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/multiplication-division-in-the-core?utm_source=Teaching+Channel+Newsletter&utm_campaign=1aef9d3d6d-Newsletter_September_07_2013&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_23c3feb22a-1aef9d3d6d-290610213

That’s it for this week. Happy coaching!

The Duck Test

You’ve heard this old saying:

If it looks like a duck, swims like a duck, and quacks like a duck, then it probably is a duck.

Sometimes a statement is really a question looking for affirmation. If it looks like a question and sounds like a question, then it probably is a question. That’s what I noticed during a coaching conversation today.

Julie is a novice teacher who entered the profession after her kids were grown. She brought a wealth of experience with her that has served her well in classroom interactions. She knows what really matters. But, according to Julie, her confidence is “this big”

So, today when I asked her, “What went really well in that lesson? What were some of the strengths?,” her responses were tentative.

“I had an engaging beginning……”

“We had good discussion…….”

“They really participated……”

Julie’s gaze seemed to hold uncertainty, and each statement ended with raised pitch as it drifted off. Julie wasn’t really telling me; she was asking, “Did I do this right?”

When teachers’ instruction is effective but they are a little unsure of their practice, a word of affirmation from a coach can be deeply encouraging. Look for opportunities to give affirmation. As a colleague, you have an appreciation for the difficulty of the work that teachers do every day. You know what it’s like in the trenches, so your affirmation will likely be received as sincere and credible.

If you sense a question mark in a teacher’s statement about strong practices, don’t hesitate to provide the confirmation the teacher is looking for. Affirmation is a language of appreciation that creates a positive workplace and helps organizations meet their goals (Chapman & White, 2014).

So, if it sounds like a question……..an affirmation might just be the right way to quack back!

This week, you might want to take a look at:

Leprechaun Traps: A plan for teaching addition within 100

https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/grade-1-math

Peer Feedback for Teachers: Professional Development Video clubs

http://ny.chalkbeat.org/2015/02/17/at-a-queens-high-school-the-after-school-video-club-is-for-teachers/

Peer Feedback for Students: Revising writing

https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/peer-conferencing

A video podcast about ways to change your school's math culture, plus access to an online version of the book Small Steps, Big Changes, at:

http://www.stenhouse.com/shop/pc/viewprd.asp?idProduct=9560&r=n274

A Pinterest Board with books about mechanics (grammar, that is!) and usage:

http://www.pinterest.com/choiceliteracy/childrens-books-for-grammar-and-mechanics/

That’s it for this week. Happy coaching!