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:
Blogging about reading: Platforms and
considerations
Using anchor charts
effectively:
Books for resistant middle-school
readers:
Spotlight on personalized professional
development:
That’s
it for this week. Happy Coaching!
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