Bob
Bowman knows something about coaching: He has coached swimmer Michael Phelps to
his record 28 Olympic medals. Bowman offers some advice about coaching that
applies in educational settings, too.
1.
Abandon the “one size fits all” mentality. Swimmers have different approaches
and gifts, and so do teachers, so coaches should individualize their support.
The Gradual
Increase of Responsibility Model for Coaching (described
in previous posts), can help instructional coaches pick an effective coaching
tool.
2.
Determine the gold standard. Bowman suggests being process-oriented and focused
on the things you can control. “Be a little better today than you were
yesterday,” he said. Doing that day after day leads to remarkable change. As
coaches, we can focus on individual goals (for ourselves and others) and also
organizational goals (for the school or district). Establishing clear targets
and keeping them in focus is an important coaching task.
3.
Continue to develop your skills. For Instructional coaches, reading
professionally and being part of professional networks supports continuous
improvement. Then find opportunities to put these new ideas into practice. If
you don’t have students of your own, don’t be afraid to borrow another
classroom. Modeling, even
when things don’t go as planned, is a learning experience for everyone
involved. Bowman points out that we learn more from mistakes than from
successes, so don’t be afraid to take a risk. And encourage risk-taking in teachers and
students as they develop new skills of their own.
4. Accept that there will be daily
challenges. “The more successful you are, the more headaches that come with it. The
stakes are higher,” Bowman says.
“The fun is overcoming (the challenges).” It is easy to sit back and be
satisfied with the status quo. Difficulties come with quests for change. So
expect it, accept it, and view the challenges as problem-solving exercises.
Like
Bowman, instructional coaches can sit on the side, cheering and supporting
those we are working with. By keeping Bowman’s four tips in mind, we’ll also
have victories to celebrate!
This week, you might want to take a look at:
Video shorts of classroom
makeovers:
Tips for starting the
new school year:
The
story of a recovering first grade reader (and the interventions that got him
there):
A video showing collaborative planning, with reflection for next steps:
Tips for coaching new teachers:
http://blogs.edweek.org/teachers/coaching_teachers/2013/09/tips_for_coaching_new_teachers.html
That’s it for this week. Happy Coaching!
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