As
I confer with teachers in coaching conversations, a few principles guide my
work. They influence what I say and do, and they govern the approaches I take.
As you review my principles below, you might take note of any of the tenets
that resonate for you; these are core beliefs that, when recognized, can serve
as an intentional guide in almost any coaching situation.
Principle 1: Positioning
I
see myself as a thinking partner for the teachers with whom I’m working.
Although my years of experience or background knowledge may come into play when
making recommendations, I position myself on the same plane as those I’m
coaching. In fact, I often recognize a teacher’s superiority because of her
in-depth knowledge of her students and context. This principle reveals itself in
tangible ways. I try to be respectful in my language, and I’m aware of how even
my stance should reflect my belief in our co-construction of knowledge. For
example, if the teacher is sitting, I’ll pull up a chair before starting a
conversation. I don’t want to loom over a teacher as we enter into discussion.
Principle 2: Transferability
and Generalizability
Although
our conversations might start and end with a particular lesson, I keep in mind
the goal that anything we spend time discussion should be relevant for future
teaching. It’s the old “teach a man to fish” proverb: I want our learning to
grow into self-sustaining practices. If we talk about a particular phonics
routine, we also talk about the value of routines in general, how they support
learning, and what makes routines effective. If we spend time creating a
graphic organizer, it will be something that students can use with a variety of
texts or in a variety of contexts. By making sure our work is generalizable or
transferrable, the impact of my coaching increases.
Principle 3: Focus
I’ve
learned through sad experience that giving too much information dooms a
coaching conversation. I will never forget the conversation I had with a novice
teacher about phonemic awareness. It was a topic about which I had lots of
knowledge and strong opinions. She asked a simple question, “What can I do for
phonemic awareness that would be more authentic?” Then the floodgates opened! I
dumped far too many suggestions as options for consideration, and somehow didn’t
stop myself even as the teacher got a “deer in the headlights” expression.
Since then, when I feel myself bursting with recommendations, I stop and remind
myself, “Just one or two things, just one or two things.” Usually, my
self-prompting works and I resist the urge to over-inform.
Principle 4: Compliment
“If
you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all.” It was good advice
for Bambi, and it works for me, too. I try to make even a quick chat include an
authentic compliment. Advice is better received when the teacher knows you
recognize the strengths in her teaching as well as the areas she’s concerned
about. Find something within the work to highlight and honor. Your affirmation
will make the teacher much more available for the conversation that follows.
Principle 5: Unbalanced
Conversation
Although
many situations in life call for balance, unbalancing the talk in a coaching
conversation is a good thing. The one who does the talking does the learning,
so the teacher should do most of the talking when I’m coaching. My job is to
listen, restate, prompt, question, suggest, affirm, or prod. It doesn’t take
many words to do that, so the bulk of the talk should come from the teacher’s
explanation or response.
Principle 6: Brevity
Keeping
coaching conversations short honors a teacher’s busy schedule. (It also helps
with principle #3, above.) If I find out about the teacher’s concerns,
establish a focus for improvement, and challenge the teacher to try it, I’ve
done my job. My exit line of “If you try this, let me know how it goes!”
acknowledges the teacher’s agency and my continued commitment of support.
As
we resolve what the new year will hold, reflecting on our core beliefs brings
our hopes and actions into alignment.
This week, you might want to
take a look at:
Podcast
on how to gamify the classroom:
Showcasing non-fiction resources
through “Expedition Monday”:
A
video showing coaching about asking open- and closed-questions:
Being a “digital native” does not equal
digital competence:
Teaching content vocabulary – beyond
memorization:
That’s it for this week. Happy
Coaching!
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