Reading More than Words: Nonverbal Cues

A coach’s success depends on more than content knowledge and pedagogical experience. Reading and responding to the nonverbal cues in a coaching interaction can have a big influence on its impact.

The body is an abundant source of information. As a coach, I am more successful when I am tuned in to this information. Today, when I walked up to a teacher, I was ready to have a conversation about instruction. But in the first split-second when I looked at him, I knew something was off. The teacher’s eyes were wide, he was standing stick-straight, and he somehow seemed agitated. He was just not his normal, laid-back kind of self.

Without pausing to think, I asked, “What’s up?” Not in the “Hi, how are you?” kind-of-way, but with an “I’m really wondering” tone in my voice. His keyed-up body language made me think something out of the ordinary might be happening.

I was right!

Brent told me he’d just gotten a text from his friend, and he was going over after school to hand-craft the engagement ring he planned to propose with! In a sentence or two, Brent shared the cause of his agitated state. My response mirrored his enthusiasm, and he felt understood. That exchange laid the foundation for an equally brief but effective conversation about instruction, with ideas being shared and Brent walking away with a new approach to try.

What if I hadn’t picked up on Brent’s intensity? If I’d launched right into a conversation about teaching, I think Brent’s mind would have been elsewhere, and our discussion wouldn’t have amounted to much. It reminded me how important it is to read more than words.

During a conversation, I can listen for:

*Intonation

*Volume

*Pacing

*Language choices

And in addition to listening, I can watch:

*Gestures

 *Posture

*Facial expressions

Interestingly, psychologists have found that mirroring these nonverbal cues creates connections and builds rapport. By matching the gestures, postures, or voice qualities of my dialogue partner, I create connectedness. This mirroring tells the teacher that I know exactly what he is talking about! When nonverbal synchrony is part of a dialogue, the listener feels understood.

If you want to see the impact of this approach, you’ll have to be intentional about it at first. But, with practice, you’ll come to naturally mirror nonverbal cues. Being a blatant copy-cat feels unnatural, but subtly adjusting your own response is a way to be respectful of another’s mindset.

In addition to mirroring, coaches’ own nonverbal behaviors can convey empathy and trustworthiness. Leaning forward and making direct eye contact create engagement and confidence.

A large portion of the meaning in any social situation is carried by nonverbal cues. Reading and using these cues can create a climate for coaching.

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

This video example of a coach making a well-received recommendation:

http://www.corwin.com/highimpactinstruction/videos/v4.1.htm

A nice reminder about keeping our busy lives in balance:

https://www.choiceliteracy.com/articles-detail-view.php?id=1820

Using attributes to teach viewpoints (in Social Studies and across other academic areas):

http://www.middleweb.com/20881/using-concept-attainment-in-social-studies-class/

Top 20 tips for using Pinterest (in the classroom!):

http://www.edutopia.org/blog/20-top-pinterest-tips-vicki-davis

Adding “fun” to lesson plans:

http://pernillesripp.com/2015/02/01/the-one-thing-we-forget-to-plan-for/

That’s it for this week. Happy Coaching!

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Intentional Shift

It’s been years since I’ve had a car with manual transmission, but I still remember the extra thought it took to drive. I had to think about how fast the car was going, or how hard the engine was working, so that I could decide when to change gears. If I didn’t shift from first to second gear soon enough, the engine was working harder than it needed to be and the drive wasn’t smooth. As I was talking this week about the Gradual Increase of Responsibility model for coaching, I realized the process was much the same.

The GIR model includes “moves” that many coaches make automatically: modeling, recommending, questioning, affirming, and praising. But there’s a benefit to being intentional about the “shift.” For example, if I model beyond the time that it is needed, I am working too hard as a coach and the “drive” isn’t as smooth as it could be. If I instead shift to recommending, the teacher appropriately takes on more responsibility and our coaching cycle moves smoothly forward. The same is true of the other coaching moves. Knowing what gear to be in and when to shift is a matter of paying careful attention to context. What part of the load could the teacher now be carrying? How much support is needed for students’ learning to move smoothly forward? Keeping these factors in mind will help you have the right timing for changing gears.

Consider the varying needs of the teachers you are supporting. Then consider the level of support provided by each coaching move. Finding the right match, and shifting when appropriate, will make the best use of your coaching time. Rather than spontaneously (and perhaps haphazardly) using the coaching moves of modeling, recommending, questioning, affirming, and praising, being intentional about our shifts adds efficiency and effectiveness to the coaching process.

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

Personalized PD: The menu approach

https://www.edsurge.com/n/2015-02-17-all-you-can-learn-dc-public-schools-personalized-pd-buffet

A Pinterest board with texts for teaching perseverance:

https://www.pinterest.com/tammyandclare/text-set-perseverance-building-a-growth-mindset/

7 tips for effective collaboration:

https://www.teachingchannel.org/blog/2015/02/20/7-tips-for-collaboration/?utm_source=newsletter20150221

Managing time while conferring:

https://www.choiceliteracy.com/articles-detail-view.php?id=578

Even if you don’t take the time to read this great blog post, think about the title: A Brief ode to Blank Paper.  Love it!

http://blog.stenhouse.com/archives/2015/03/05/a-brief-ode-to-blank-paper/

That’s it for this week. Happy Coaching!

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All the Time in the World

How do you make the most of a 15-min. coaching conversation? When you have little time and want to be sure of impact, it can be helpful to let the teacher take the driver’s seat. Here’s a formula for making a 15-min. conversation feel luxurious:

Start with a greeting: Say, “How are you doing?” A quick, casual exchange, with perhaps a laugh shared, is 60-seconds well spent. Then take a slow, deep breath and feel yourself relax. As your shoulders come down, your teacher friend will sense that you are ready to enjoy these next few minutes with her.

Transition to a teaching discussion by asking a general question. “Any pleasant surprises with your students lately?” or “What have you been wondering about lately in your classroom?” gives the teacher a chance to steer the conversation in a direction that she’ll find useful.

Make eye contact while asking a follow-up question to ensure you understand the ideas or concerns that have been shared. Depending on the teacher’s internal resources, your follow-through might be more questions, or it might include a recommendation: a strategy, classroom resources, or professional reading to keep the thinking going after your conversation ends. Your thoughtful response will show her you are there to listen, and that there is no place else you’d rather be at that moment. She should feel as though you have all the time in the world for her.

Asking, “What are you thinking now about…..” brings closure to the conversation and provides momentum to move the teaching forward.

Allowing five or ten seconds of silence, while you ponder and take one more slow, relaxing breath, can invite a sense of calm to linger. This quiet give-and-take, with the teacher taking the lead, should leave the teacher feeling lighter than when you walked through her door.

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

Getting started with Twitter:

https://www.choiceliteracy.com/articles-detail-view.php?id=890

This video about Socratic seminar in an interdisciplinary classroom:

https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/team-teach-socratic-seminar-nea/?utm_source=newsletter20150221

56 lesson plans for teaching statistics and probability – from STEW (Statistics Education Web – the perfect acronym for a fall day!):

http://www.amstat.org/education/stew/

Some interesting ideas in this Spotlight on Professional Development:

https://fs24.formsite.com/edweek/images/Spotlight-ProfessionalDevelopment.pdf

Tom Newkirk talks about the art of Slow Reading in this podcast:

https://www.choiceliteracy.com/articles-detail-view.php?id=1126

That’s it for this week. Happy Coaching!

Like on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/mycoachescouch for more coaching and teaching tips!

Questions without Answers

When I talk with coaches about the GIR model, they often describe the focus on asking questions as a pivot point in their own growth as supporters of instructional improvement. As educators, we are used to asking questions. Finding the question that prompts thoughtful planning or deepens reflection is a fulfilling moment for a coach. But what if your questions seem to fall flat?

That was the frustration expressed as I met with a group of coaches this week. One coach had been so invigorated by our meeting last week. She felt like the questions she had selected as she planned for a coaching conversation would be just the thing to break through the silence she was getting from a teacher. In the past, she’d asked generic questions (How’d the lesson go?”) that had been met with curt replies (Great!). When we talked last week about asking questions that help teachers analyze their practice, she jotted down questions she thought would surely open up productive conversations. She felt that asking, “What are some of the things you think might have helped that lesson be successful?” and “What might have been going on for (student)?” would surely bear fruit.

When I saw her face at the beginning of our meeting this week, I could tell the outcome was not as expected. I asked how her questioning went, and she said, “I got nothing.” What ensued was a discussion that was enlightening for me and for the other coaches at the table. One coach discussed how some people aren’t comfortable sharing, especially when things don’t go well. She thought about how her spouse responds when asked about a difficult situation, and recognized that some people just aren’t comfortable with the vulnerability of talking about a difficult situation.

Another coach described how she really needs to write things down to process, so the option of sending an emailed response to questions was discussed. But just as quickly as that idea was raised, another coach responded, “You’d never get a good response out of me that way; I’d be too guarded about putting something down in writing.” Lesson learned – different strokes for different folks. For some, writing may be a more comfortable way to respond to reflective questions. For others, not so much.

Another useful insight was shared and then affirmed by nods around the table: “Even if you don’t get an answer, asking the question is worthwhile.” Coaches talked about times when, even though they haven’t responded to a question, it has gotten them thinking and resulted in changes in their own practice.

So keep asking those questions! Whether you get an answer verbally, in writing, or not at all, a good coaching question often prompts thinking that results in improved instruction.

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

Teachers observe teachers: Collaborating from Shanghai to Nashville:

http://tn.chalkbeat.org/2015/01/28/from-shanghai-to-collierville-collaboration-model-boosts-teacher-performance/

Why teachers don’t ask open-ended questions:

https://tomakeaprairie.wordpress.com/2014/02/06/looking-at-the-elephant-in-the-room-our-fear-of-losing-control/

Such a cool idea for developing emotional intelligence (it’s in Pre-K, but should be all over!):

https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/emotional-check-in/?utm_source=Teaching+Channel+Newsletter&utm_campaign=6ac570c4dc-Newsletter_September_06_2014&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_23c3feb22a-6ac570c4dc-290610213

The benefits of being a serial reader:

http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/top-teaching/2015/02/turn-beginning-readers-serial-readers

A podcast about substantive conversation in the classroom:

http://www.idra.org/images/stories/CN-130.mp3

That’s it for this week. Happy coaching!

Like on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/mycoachescouch for more coaching and teaching tips!

Guides on the Journey

Even when you are working with groups of teachers, coaching is ultimately an individual process. Each teacher grows and changes in a particular, personal way, taking a unique path to the way she comes to understand and giving a unique shape to her understanding.

This week, I was talking with a group of coaches, including one who was new to the position. She felt a little shaky about her skills. We’d talked about the Gradual Increase of Responsibility Model for Coaching, and she said, “I want to make sure I’m doing this right! Can you tell me what I should be doing right now?”

Coaches who were experienced with the GIR model chimed in. “The thing about it,” one said, “is that every teacher is different.” Another said, “What you do for one may not be what another teacher needs. It’s different every time!” I nodded my head and emphasized, “When we meet, I make suggestions about what coaching move you might consider based on where you are in the coaching cycle, but it’s always about what your teachers need.” I went on to describe how they might consider each of the five coaching moves (modeling, recommending, questioning, affirming, and praising) and think about where they’ll get the most bang-for-their-buck at that time. That is the move they’ll emphasize…but not to the complete exclusion of the others.

When planning for a coaching conversation, it’s helpful to identify the coaching move you feel should dominate, and recognize that, over time, you’ll gradually shift your attention to less-supportive coaching moves.  Coaches who give thoughtful consideration to how they’ll coach are strong guides on the learning journey.

I sometimes try to visualize all the children who will be sitting in one teacher’s classroom over the course of her career. A sea of faces, changing one August after another. This helps me realize the far-reaching impact of our work as coaches and mentors. In this one-by-one process we call coaching, there is no single “right way.” As you thoughtfully work with teachers, the GIR model can be a guide along the unique journey of change that you and a teacher undertake together.  Supporting teachers one-by-one helps each teacher become the best teacher she can possibly be.

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

Multisensory learning and movement = learning that sticks:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c9RH8rVBglg&feature=youtu.be

Lessons on conferring from the dermatologist’s office (think about how these might apply in a coaching situation as well):

http://readwriteandreflect.blogspot.com/2013/08/lessons-on-conferring.html

A podcast about creating classroom places and maker-spaces in your classroom (download for easy listening while you walk the dog!):

http://www.speedofcreativity.org/2014/11/27/podcast-419-an-interview-with-shelly-fryer-about-student-voice-ipad-projects/#t=2:13.764

An excellent article about making collaborative work time work:

http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2015/09/30/is-collaborative-pd-time-being-wasted-in.html?cmp=eml-eb-sr-teachPD+093015

For a tour-by-anchor chart of an research/argument writing unit, take a look at this blog post:

http://tworeflectiveteachers.blogspot.com/2014/04/a-peek-into-our-nonfiction-research-and.html

That’s it for this week. Happy Coaching! 

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