Collaborating: A Two-Way Street

The Gradual Increase of responsibility model leads to ongoing collaboration.  Not working yourself out of a job as a coach, but changing the nature of the work you do from a vertical to a horizontal structure of influence, with joint capacity for partnership and cooperation.  When I first shared the study that resulted in the GIR model, a scholar said the finding about coaching transforming into collaboration was “scintillating.”  I found it normal and natural, which was actually my response to every aspect of the GIR model.  Once I recognized this pattern, it just seemed like a “well….duh” explanation of what good coaches do.  But as simple as it is in concept, in practice the GIR model is quite complex, and moving from coaching to collaboration requires intentional planning and significant effort.  That so many coaches accomplish this, day in and day out, is to me the “scintillating” finding. 

Coaching and collaborating share many attributes.  Coaching involves respect, encouragement, support, feedback, and help.  So does collaboration.  But if coaching seems like a one-way street, with encouragement, support, and feedback flowing from coach to teacher, in collaboration, these attributes go both ways.  Collaboration is grounded in shared ownership.  Colleagues give both candid feedback and support freely to one another.  We speak constructively to one another, pushing our practice, helping us each reach our potential.  She shares her thoughts about my teaching and coaching (which are really one and the same).  I do, too.  We help one another see a clear path ahead – one that leads to improved instruction, deeper learning.  We grow together in our practice to be our individual and collective BEST.

As a coach, you give and give.  That is your job, and that is probably your nature.  Hopefully, one of the things you are giving is responsibility.  And you should be giving more and more and more of this to the teacher as you work through a coaching cycle.  In this way, a teacher’s responsibility increases along with the increased experience, expertise, and capacity she develops through your interactions.  And so, there is a natural transition from coaching to collaboration.  I guess that is scintillating after all. 

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

Building coaching relationships:

https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/instructional-coach-teacher-relationships

The importance of student reflection on writing:

http://www.middleweb.com/33170/why-student-reflection-should-never-be-skipped/

Vocabulary in science instruction:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=seUEzVl0nYg

The teaching behind anchor charts:

https://www.choiceliteracy.com/articles-detail-view.php?id=1042

7 Questions to ask about sources:

http://scopeideabook.scholastic.com/2017/02/7-questions-every-student-should-ask

That’s it for this week.  Happy Coaching!

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Concerns to Questions

The group of kindergartners were compliant and busy throughout the lesson I observed.  They counted the items in their boxes routinely, dutifully writing in their notebooks.  They came to the carpet when called, sitting in orderly rows.  They did what they had been asked to do.  Is that where the problem lay?

As I reflected on the lesson, where kindergartners worked with a partner to count and record their thinking in their math notebooks, I was struck by how incredibly similar the lesson was to one I’d observed in that room months before.  Students were more certain of the routine, to be sure, and that was part of the problem.  They seemed to be going through the motions without much thought.

As I pondered the lesson and the debrief conversation I’d soon have with Bethany, several concerns came to mind.  Students didn’t seem challenged.  The lesson didn’t seem differentiated.  The closing discussion seemed unintentional. Overall, the lesson seemed to lack a focus that would move students’ thinking forward.

Bethany and I had had many coaching conversations.  I’d given recommendations, some of them about the very things that seemed to be troubling me.   She was at a different place now in terms of her ability to reflect.  She was more aware of how what she did as a teacher impacted what her students did as learners.  I felt that asking questions would help her recognize her own intentions in the “counting collections” lesson that was repeated several times every week, with little evident variation.

So I looked back over my list of concerns and jotted down a question related to each.  How were the objectives for this lesson different from the counting collections lesson a month ago? How did you decide which students would work together? Which box they would take? How did you determine which student examples to share during closure?  How did students do with this activity – specifically? (What were the results?)  I worked until I felt the questions were right and in the most logical order.  Then I was ready for my meeting with Bethany.

The table below shows the concerns, questions, and outcomes of our conversation.  As we talked, some of the questions fell flat.  Others demonstrated Bethany’s forethought that hadn’t been evident to me; a pleasant surprise.  Importantly, two questions provided “ah-hahs” that seem to continue to impact Bethany’s planning and teaching.  Her take-aways, she said, were that she needed something to help her stick with her well-thought-out lesson plan (she determined to create PowerPoints to guide herself through the lesson).  And, importantly, she wanted to be clearer, for both herself and her students, about learning outcomes---while she planned, while she taught, and while she evaluated student work. 

Going into our debrief conversation, I hadn’t been sure what the outcomes would be, but Bethany’s responses to my questions illuminated for her where she wanted to turn her attention.  I’m sometimes surprised, but usually pleased, when questions lead a coaching conversation!

Concern	Question	Outcome
Students know the routine but don’t seem challenged by the work.	How do objectives for this lesson differ from counting collection lessons a month ago?  A week ago?	Teacher response: More focus on base 10. Coaching response: How did the students know?
There doesn’t seem to be intentional differentiation.	How did you decide which students would be working together?	Teacher response: Intentionally paired a lower and higher student.
Same as above.	How did Ss decide which box to take?	Teacher response: They chose.  All sets are over 20. They are supposed to take a box they haven’t used yet.
It looks like teacher just shared whatever notebook was on the top of the pile. She doesn’t seem intentional about which work to show and what it will demonstrate.	How did you decide which student notebooks to show during discussion?	Teacher response:  I could make a point based on any student’s work.
Same as above.	Why didn't you play the video you’d planned on you’d planned on to give you a chance to review student work?	Teacher response: (initially) Didn’t need to; (after thoughtful pause).  It probably would have helped with the objective.  There were other things in the lesson plan I left out, too.
Does not seem to have a focused objective.	Did you evaluate students based on whether they got the correct #? Results?	Teacher response:  (Indirect; not sure she has checked students’ work)

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

Teaching critical literacy in the era of fake news:

https://medium.com/@heinemann/the-power-of-video-in-digital-argument-bfe07cc0b90c?_hsenc=p2ANqtz--qmXpdMKMdyDWaWs9in3cs4mlcHrmbWrJ4TaF9vJ-TMmGAPs6iBnoDHb8SVbrNddIZersXdj01-Ukx0tIdNQRCXdi3Nw&_hsmi=42675680#.wi3fcfp8t

Using “Second Set Partners” to build discussion skills:

https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/second-set-partners-sfusd?utm_campaign=digest&utm_medium=email&utm_source=digest

Speed dating with favorite books:

https://www.choiceliteracy.com/articles-detail-view.php?id=2266

Summarizing in science:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nqKvLB2HOlU

Spotlight on classroom assessment:

https://fs24.formsite.com/edweek/images/Spotlight-Classroom-Assessment-2017-Sponsored.pdf

That’s it for this week.  Happy Coaching!

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Requests for the “Passenger”

The GIR Model for Coaching is simple in concept, complex in practice!  Coaching includes considerations about teaching, learning, relationships, and the change process.  Even the most scaffolded type of support, modeling, benefits from nuanced preparation.  When the coach is doing the “driving,” the teacher needs a focus during the ride.

As I worked with a group of coaches this week, I shared with them the “Verbs for Observation,” listed below.  In preparation for lessons that they would be modelling in teachers’ classrooms, I asked the coaches to think of what they wanted the teacher to learn from the modeling, choose a verb, and write a request.  Here are a few of the requests they came up with:

Watch who I call on for what.

Notice how I transition between learning activities.

Listen and list how I am redirecting specific students.

Pay attention to the use of wait time as a strategy for learning.

Notice how I respond to inaccurate answers.

Keep track of students who don’t understand or aren’t engaged.

The teachers these coaches are working with have different levels of expertise, but all were at a point where modeling would be helpful.  Requests reflect the specific aspects of instruction that had been identified for coaching, and they provide a focus during the sensory overload that it part of every teaching experience.  Whether you are in the driver’s seat teaching a lesson or a passenger along to observe, classrooms offer so much to consider that it’s helpful to narrow the focus.  Perhaps the verbs below will help you craft requests that draw attention to aspects of the lesson worth noticing.

Verbs for Observing
Watch	Notice
Keep track of	Record
Listen	Pay attention to
Look at	List
Pick up on	See

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

Science fun for kids:

http://www.sciencefun.org/kidszone/experiments/

Get ready for National Poetry Month (April).  This blog talks about using poetry at the beginning of the school year, but the ideas apply year-round:

http://blog.stenhouse.com/archives/2016/08/24/poems-right-from-the-start/

Tips for starting off on the right foot with student blogs:

http://www.teachhub.com/beginners-guide-student-blogging

Using anchor charts effectively:

https://www.choiceliteracy.com/articles-detail-view.php?id=1042

Listening with your whole body (video for kids):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9uT3qz7wWmE&feature=youtu.be&list=PLQMoPKaeLDBz3zwgZscsxmfxEo1swV0NX

That’s it for this week.  Happy Coaching!

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

Proud Coaching Moment

“If you had been here this afternoon, I would have been able to tell you about my proud coaching moment!” 

I read the above line in an email and really wished I had been at the school that afternoon!  Valorie and I had been puzzling for weeks over the how to support Katie, a teacher she was coaching. When we met, Valorie expressed frustration. “My questions aren’t working,” she said.  “They are getting me nowhere!” 

Valorie had filled out a GIR conferencing form (see below) in preparation for an upcoming conference with Katie, and she had it in front of her as we talked. “Let’s take a look,” I said.  It turns out, the questions she was asking were probably part of the problem.  After looking at the questions Valorie had drafted, I said, “I wonder if Katie is getting defensive when you ask a question? Let’s see if we can do some question revision.”  We worked together to revise her approach, as captured in the table below:

Original Statement or Question	Revised Statement or Questions
How important is modeling in an early childhood classroom?	Why is modeling important in an early childhood classroom? When do you wish you would have done more modeling?
Why don’t you structure students’ conversation?	I noticed 13 students weren’t engaged during turn & talk.
How are you able to check for understanding if you are lecturing?	How will you know whether (student) knows the difference between metaphors and idioms?
You need to validate student responses.	Were there times this week when you were able to take advantage of teachable moments?

When Valorie and I finally got together, she described her “proud coaching moment.”  “This was our best conversation this year!” she said. “Katie said exactly what I wanted her to say, not because she was saying what she thought I wanted to hear, but because she thought about it!” 

Valorie went on to describe the conversation they’d had about modelling. Katie recognized its importance and explained how she wished she’d done more modeling during a recent lesson on inferring; it was a hard skill for students, and she felt some additional teacher think-alouds would have helped.  Katie was primed for more modelling in future lessons! 

When Valorie stated, “I noticed 13 students weren’t engaged during partner talk,” she had to remind herself to pause. (“I had to write “PAUSE” on the conferencing form or I knew I’d rush ahead!”) “Katie just looked at me, so I said it again.  Then she was like, ‘I need to structure the partner talk. I could remember to have the one with short hair go first and then switch,’” Valorie reported.  Katie planned for formative assessment, too, and Valorie reported that Katie had also taken advantage of a teachable moment.  “It was the best conversation!” Valorie summarized with a smile.  “The way the questions and statements were structured made Katie think about it, and it shows in her teaching!”

What coaching principles do you see embedded in the above revisions?  How might being more aware of these principles support you as a coach?  As we revise and refine our coaching, we are sure to see an increase in our proud coaching moments!

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

March Madness for literature – Students making brackets:

https://www.edutopia.org/blog/march-madness-meets-ap-lit-brian-sztabnik

Predictions for Education in 2017:

http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2017/03/01/five-predictions-for-education-in-2017.html?cmp=eml-enl-ii-news2-RM

Linda Darling-Hammond talks about collaborative professional learning:

http://www.literacyinlearningexchange.org/creating-right-conditions-supporting-collaborative-inquiry-based-professional-development

Book recommendations for reluctant high-school readers:

https://nerdybookclub.wordpress.com/2016/02/06/top-ten-books-that-hook-reluctant-teen-readers-into-reading-again-by-melissa-sethna/

Benefits and challenges of home visits:

https://www.edutopia.org/article/home-visits-101-cristina-santamaria-graff

That’s it for this week.  Happy Coaching!

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

Coaching: The Power of Conjunctions

“Conjunction junction, what’s your function?”

Remember that line from the old Saturday morning cartoon break, Schoolhouse Rock?  The train conductor goes on to explain that three little words mostly get the job done: and, but, and or. These little words can pack a powerful punch in coaching, so they’re worth paying attention to.

First let’s look at “but.” A teacher says, “I felt like the lesson went very well. The kids were paying attention, so they did well on the quiz.”

If the coach responds, “Yes, but it asked many factual questions,” she immediately puts the teacher on the defensive. This can lead to unproductive conversations.  It feels like a door has been slammed in her face.

What happens with and? If the teacher says, “I felt like the lesson went very well. The kids were paying attention, so they did well on the quiz,” then the coach responds, “Yes, and it tested many factual questions,” she leaves the door open to conversation. The teacher might pick up the conversational thread and say, “I wonder how they did on the higher-level questions. Let’s take a look!” Or the coach might need to continue weaving the conversation with a question: “How did they do on the higher-level questions?”  There is incentive for ongoing conversation. Like the conjunction conductor says, “And is an additive.”  That’s the power of and.  Responding with, “Yes, and” rather than “Yes, but” is an invitation.

That third little conjunction, or, is handy, too, in coaching conversations.  Our friendly conductor reminds us that or signals choice, and choice supports change because teachers see that their role as decision-makers is valued. “Shall we look at the factual question responses or the responses to higher-level questions first?”  “Do you think Socratic Seminar or a debate would work better to support their understanding?”  Or can also push thinking: “I wonder whether this student response or that one shows more understanding?”  Comparing and contrasting move our thinking to higher levels.

Conjunctions hook up phrases in ways that hold subtle meaning. When used thoughtfully, conjunctions can lead to fruitful coaching conversations. What the conductor in Schoolhouse Rock said of conjunctions is true: “I’m going to get you there if you’re very careful.”

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

The problems of a “shut your door and teach” philosophy:

http://www.literacyinlearningexchange.org/blog/professional-transparency

Blogging about reading: Platforms and considerations

https://www.choiceliteracy.com/articles-detail-view.php?id=1906

Using anchor charts effectively:

https://www.choiceliteracy.com/articles-detail-view.php?id=1042

Books for resistant middle-school readers:

https://pernillesripp.com/2016/03/17/great-books-for-resistant-readers-in-middle-school-and-high-school/

Spotlight on personalized professional development:

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

That’s it for this week. Happy Coaching!

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