Friday, April 7, 2017

Be a Nudger

Change is hard, so sometimes we need a nudge to make it happen.  This week, I nudged a teacher to share her outstanding lesson with her peers.  I nudged another to take a close look at student work.  And I was nudged by my colleague to get a new writing project started.  We may lack confidence, courage, or motivation to try new things of which we are capable, but a nudge can get us moving in the right direction!

Pushing, on the other hand, usually doesn’t work.  To push is to “press against with force.”  That doesn’t sound very nice, does it?  When someone pushes against me with force, I’ve noticed that I have a tendancy to push back.  It seems like the natural way to keep my equilibrium.  If I don’t offer some resistance, I might topple over from the force. 

But a nudge allows me to keep my footing.  I’m not going to fall, I’m just going to move forward.  To nudge is to touch gently or urge into action.  A nudge is a recommendation loaded with assurance.  Pete Carroll said, “Each person holds so much power within themselves that needs to be let out. Sometimes they just need a little nudge, a little direction, a little support, a little coaching, and the greatest things can happen.”  He was talking about football, but instructional coaches can similarly unlock power. A coach might:
·         Urge teachers to work together on a problem of practice.
·         Suggest a book that could offer insight.
·         Encourage a teacher to present at a staff meeting.
·         Ask a teacher to let peers observe in her classroom.
·         Offer leadership opportunities to others.
·         Inspire teachers to try new approaches.
·         Reassure an unconfident teacher that she can manage the new technology.

A nudge is likely to be received gracefully and with appreciation.  A pushy recommendation is likely to be met with pushback rather than change.  Take a moment and reflect on who might need a nudge to take that next positive step – something you know they are capable of doing, but they may not.  Being a pusher can be tiresome and unproductive, but being a nudger – well, that’s something to aspire to!


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

30 ways to celebrate national poetry month (April!):



A video about helping students enter a poem (great teaching advice!): 



Using scripting during observation and coaching:



Spotlight on Rti:



This long article is worth the read—Effective interventions for kids who lack cognitive and emotional readiness to learn:



That’s it for this week.  Happy Coaching!

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