Checking Back

Today’s post-holiday message is short and simple: We show we care by checking back.

If a teacher has opened up and shared a frustration, we show we care about her well-being by checking back to see if the situation has changed.

If we have planned a lesson together with a teacher, we show we care by checking back about how the lesson worked for students.

If we have come up with an intervention plan for a hard-to-reach student, we show we care by checking back on how the plan is going.

If we had a painful debrief session that revealed that few students achieved a lesson’s goal, we check back to praise potential solutions.

And lest it appear that checking back only applies to negative situations:

If we have recently discussed instructional improvements, interventions that are closing the gap, or higher student achievement, we check back for additional celebration!

Checking back can be peeking your head in the door during passing period, tucking a note of encouragement in a teacher’s box, or a quick email at the end of the day. “How’s it going?” is a simple question that subtly says, “I remember what we talked about, and I’m still here!” Checking back puts into action our concern for teachers and their success. It only takes a moment and is an easy way to show you care. Showing you care builds relationships, and relationships are at the heart of coaching.

Happy Thanksgiving to coaches and their families. There’s so much to be thankful for!

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

Choose a spot and pour out a puddle of imaginary glue – one of the great ideas from this article about building young readers’ stamina:

https://www.choiceliteracy.com/articles-detail-view.php?id=2320

Stretching students’ ability to focus:

http://www.responsiveclassroom.org/teaching-students-to-stay-focused/

This how-to site, full of interesting mentor texts for procedural writing:

http://www.wonderhowto.com/

The case against management systems:

https://www.choiceliteracy.com/articles-detail-view.php?id=2014

Differentiating with learning menus:

https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/differentiating-instruction-strategy

That’s it for this week. Happy Coaching!

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Teach the Teacher

Writing teacher Donald Graves suggests that teachers of writing “teach the writer, not the writing.” He is cautioning us that our focus in what we teach should be on something students will be able to transfer to the rest of their work. I’ve been thinking about how this tenet applies to coaching.

In writing, it’s ineffective to talk about writer’s craft absent of student writing. For example, talking about sensory details without having students look at the details they’ve included in their own writing would be unlikely to improve their future prose. But it’s also ineffective to be so focused on the student’s current writing work that the learning doesn’t transcend beyond this particular piece. There’s a tension here between the specific and the generalizable, and it’s important to find the right balance.

This same principle plays out in coaching. I initially cringed when I thought about coaching the teacher rather than the teaching. When coaching, we often deflect attention from the teacher to provide a safe space for conversations about the art and craft of teaching. Those safe spaces are important, but ultimately, improving instruction is about the teacher: the things she does, whether behind the scenes or in the midst of student learning. We must focus on the teacher, but this focus requires a careful balance between specific examples and generalizable principles.

It’s ineffective to talk about improving instruction without tying it to real work with students. For example, talking about asking effective questions without considering the questions a teacher is posing to her students would be unlikely to improve future teaching. But it’s also ineffective to be so focused on the questions for a single lesson that the learning doesn’t transcend beyond this particular lesson. Examples from the teaching are used in the service of highlighting generalizable principles for the teacher.

Observing in a teacher’s classroom can provide specific examples that illustrate principles of effective instruction. In planning for a debrief conversation, it’s helpful to envision the teacher during a future lesson. What is it that could change to make the teaching more effective? Find that focus first, then look back to the lesson for specific examples. Are there positive examples of that practice that could be highlighted? For example, if asking high-level questions is an appropriate focus, was there an excellent question posed? Finding a positive example and talking together about students’ responses to that question goes a long way toward encouraging expansion of that practice.

You might also ask the teacher to reflect on times during the lesson that questioning was less effective. Having her bring up those examples herself maintains safety for the teacher in the conversation and provides opportunities for close examination of practice. If she can’t readily recall less-effective examples, however, you can bring up these examples safely by focusing first on students’ responses. This can lead to a cause-effect explanation of less-effective segments of the lesson.

A specific focus on the teaching that has already occurred creates opportunities to discuss the teacher’s application of her craft. The goal of discussing these specific examples is to develop an understanding of the craft of effective teaching. “Teach the writer, not the writing” translates to “coach the teacher, not the teaching.” Using specific examples from instruction helps us strike a balance that can lead to change.  

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

Humor can be a safe place for students to share their voices and express their fears. Here’s a site for creating comics:

http://www.readwritethink.org/parent-afterschool-resources/games-tools/comic-creator-a-30237.html

Silent signals to increase cognitive engagement:

https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/student-silent-signals/?utm_source=newsletter20161015/

Ideas for writing conferences about conventions:

https://www.choiceliteracy.com/articles-detail-view.php?id=1400

Teaching students to self-monitor their behavior:

http://www.responsiveclassroom.org/teaching-children-to-check-their-own-behavior/

Students in countries with high math performance memorize less:

http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/curriculum/2016/10/math_students_from_high-performing_countries_memorization_pisa.html?cmp=eml-eb-popweek+10142016

That’s it for this week. Happy Coaching!

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Letting Go of Pride

“Humility is not thinking less of yourself, it is thinking of yourself less.”

~C.S. Lewis

What does humility have to do with coaching? To move forward in a coaching cycle, I have to shift the focus from me and what I know to the teacher and what she knows. It’s not hard to make a recommendation when a teacher asks for support. It’s much harder to hold my tongue and instead of sharing my wisdom, ask a question that allows a teacher to share hers. She doesn’t need to know how smart I am; she needs to know how smart she is. My questions can help her realize that she really does have the answers.

If I ask, “What else have you been considering?” my question affirms the teacher as one who thoughtfully deliberates her decisions.

If I ask, “What did you notice about students’ thinking?” my question recognizes her thoughtful observations.

Questions like these that hold positive assumptions of teachers’ actions and abilities build teachers’ confidence and encourage ongoing use of the attributes that have been noted.

I’m always humbled when a teacher extends or accepts an invitation for us to work together. It takes courage to open your practice and your thinking to a colleague. When a teacher is courageous enough to speak openly of her concerns and questions, I tread lightly on that space. Posing questions acknowledges the teacher’s willingness to inspect her practice. When my questions are answered with thoughtful noticings and ponderings, my role is to be a sounding board and a supporter. These are signals that we are successfully moving through the GIR cycle, with an increase in teacher responsibility and independence.

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

A colorful way to reinforce word knowledge - vocabulary paint chips:

https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/build-student-vocabulary/?utm_source=newsletter20161015/

Why online communities boost our teaching confidence:

http://smartbrief.com/original/2016/10/teaching-well-virtual-networks?utm_source=brief

This handy checklist for proofreading your students’ writing – or your own:

http://www.quickanddirtytips.com/education/grammar/grammar-girls-editing-checklist

The importance of non-academic, social-emotional learning:

https://fs24.formsite.com/edweek/images/Spotlight-Social-Emotional-Learning-Sponsored.pdf

Teaching students to self-monitor their behavior:

http://www.responsiveclassroom.org/teaching-children-to-check-their-own-behavior/

That’s it for this week. Happy Coaching!

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Questioning for Planning & Reflection

Good teaching requires an understanding of the kids, the content, and the pedagogy. As coaches, we often work with teachers who have a solid grasp on the first two elements – the kids and the content – but we are trying to support new thinking about the pedagogy.

 Our focus on the pedagogy may begin with modelling a new approach or making recommendations about how that approach can be applied. Once the teacher has increased knowledge of the practice, how can we encourage thoughtful planning and insightful reflection around its use? The GIR model suggests that asking questions can support teachers’ internalization of these new practices.

For example, if I’m working with a social studies teacher who wants to increase opportunities for academic writing in her next unit, I might ask probing questions such as the following to support her planning:

·         What important concepts are you hoping your students will take away from the unit?

·         How have you assessed students’ understanding of these concepts in the past?

·         What types of writing might help you assess your students’ understanding of these concepts?

·         What support might your students need to be successful with these types of writing?

Questions like these encourage thoughtful lesson design by backwards planning from the big ideas that are hoped-for outcomes. In response, teachers draw on their knowledge about the content and their students and apply it to their planning as the implement the new pedagogical approach.

Asking questions can also support reflection that leads to improved instruction. With my social studies teacher friend, I’ll move beyond the generic “How did it go?” and model asking the kinds of questions I ask myself after a lesson:

·         What did students learn? How do I know?

·         Were their times when students seemed lost? What did I do about it?

·         When were students less attentive? Why? What needs to change?

·         When were students most engaged? What caused it?

·         What do I want to be sure to do during the next lesson?

When a coach continues asking questions like these, she is modeling characteristics of effective reflection. If a teacher hasn’t already developed these attributes, she will internalize such questions over time and become more self-reflective.

If you’re a parent, you’ve likely been the recipient of brief responses if you asked the general question, “How was your day?” when greeting your child after school. Similarly, to get past the knee-jerk response (“Fine”) when we check in with teachers, we’ll want to hone our questions. The questions we ask influence the responses we get. This is an obvious, but important, connection. The questions we ask as coaches help our teachers apply the knowledge they have of students and content to new pedagogical approaches so that their planning and reflecting result in improved instruction.

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

This handy, one-page description of Pearson & Gallagher’s Gradual Release of Responsibility Model:

http://www.sjboces.org/doc/Gifted/GradualReleaseResponsibilityJan08.pdf

What to think about when arranging (or rearranging) the classroom:

https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/seating-arrangements

No matter what grade-level you teach, it’s helpful to consider what college Freshman know (or don’t know) about argumentative writing:

https://writing-speech.dartmouth.edu/teaching/first-year-writing-pedagogies-methods-design/teaching-argument

Spotlight on Literacy Instruction:

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

The power of ambiguity in the math classroom:

http://www.nctm.org/Publications/Teaching-Children-Mathematics/Blog/The-power-of-having-more-than-one-right-answer_-Ambiguity-in-math-class/

That’s it for this week. Happy Coaching!

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