I’ve
always known that asking good questions was a useful coaching tool to encourage
teacher reflection. But recently I realized another move from the GIR model
also plays this role.
I
was working with a team of fifth-grade teachers who
were under a lot of pressure to increase their students’ writing skills. These
teachers were stressed! Intuitively, I gave them a lot of praise after
observing their teaching. I think I knew it would build our trust, but what I
realized is that my praise really got them thinking about their practice. When
I praised something (“Having students use the rubric made peer feedback focused
and useful!”), I noticed them traveling back in their minds to remember that
part of the lesson. Their response to my praise was often an insight about why
it worked. The conversation seemed to cement that effective practice in their
minds and ensure that it would continue.
I’ve
always suspected that the right kind of praise was a good thing. When I read
coaching books that said not to praise, it didn’t feel quite right. So I’ve
been affirmed as both my own research and that of others* has recognized the
important role of praise. Specific praise has been found to increase
motivation, efficacy, creativity, and willingness to take risks. It enhances
reflection and keeps a good thing going!
*Other
research includes:
Blasé,
J., & Kirby, P. (2008). Bringing out the best in teachers: What effective
principals do (3rd ed.).
Corwin Press.
Dweck,
C. (2002). Messages that motivate: How praise molds students’ beliefs,
motivation, and
surprising ways). In
J.Aronson (Ed.), Improving
academic achievement: Impact of psychological factors on education (pp.37-59). San Diego, CA: Academic Press.
Margolis,
J. & Nagel, L. (2006). Education reform and the role of administrators in
mediating teacher stress.
Education Quarterly, 33(4),
143-159.
Stone,
D., Deci, E. L., & Ryan, R. M. (2009). Beyond talk: Creating autonomous
motivation through self-
theory. Journal
of General Management, 34,
75-91.
This week, you might want to
take a look at:
A post on how poetry matters:
An audio file on the same topic (click
on the audio icon):
Creating
an iPad user contract with students:
A list
of environmental service projects for youth:
A Pinterest
Board with strong girls in books:
A blog
post about “fixing” professional development:
That’s it for this week. Happy
Coaching!
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