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:
Silent signals to increase cognitive
engagement:
Ideas for writing conferences about
conventions:
Teaching students to self-monitor their
behavior:
Students in countries with high math
performance memorize less:
That’s it for this week. Happy
Coaching!
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