Friday, January 26, 2018

Questions as Invitations

As you’ve no doubt noticed, the title for this post is, “Questions as Invitations.”  Full disclosure: The subtitle should be “Coaching for Word Nerds.”

As a literacy teacher, I’ve taught lessons about the importance of word choice.  One right word is better than ten almost-right ones, or, as Mark Twain said, “The difference between the almost right word and the right word is really a large matter – ‘tis the difference between the lightning bug and the lightning.”
Leave out the adverbs and choose the right verb. Leave out the adjectives and choose the right noun.  When writing, words matter. When coaching, words matter, too.

Take the word “celebrate.”  I agree with Ruth Ayers that celebration is a good thing.  Even the word celebration sounds celebratory!  You can take advantage of that word power when coaching.  After an observation, you can jump right in with “What do you want to celebrate about that lesson?”  I promise, you’re going to get a better response than if you ask, “What was successful about today’s lesson?”  Don’t you feel happier just thinking about it?

Instead of asking, “What frustrated (or confused) you during the lesson?” ask, “What were you puzzled by?”  Being puzzled positions the teacher as a problem-solver rather than someone overwrought by the situation.

And don’t ask for evidence unless you want the teacher to feel she is on trial.  Ask what clues the teacher noticed during a lesson that indicated students’ understanding (or lack of it).  Being a detective is more fun than being a lawyer (that’s true in the movies, anyway!).

Even the form of the word we choose can make a difference.  Asking, “What challenged you?” positions the teacher as someone boldly facing challenges. Asking, “What challenges did you have?” gives an image of an uncontrollable avalanche. 

And if a lesson flopped, and you and the teacher both know it, sometimes it can work to overstate the situation.  A little trouble calls for revision, but a big problem calls for an overhaul.  This out-of-context word can take the edge off of a difficult situation rather than the typical, “What would you do differently.”

Some questions feel like invitations, welcoming participation.  The words we choose can urge and encourage, suggest and prompt.  In situations where we’ve already established relationships, or where teaching is sailing smoothly along, careful attention to words isn’t quite as important.  But in less-ideal situations, if we want our teacher-guests to whole-heartedly participate in the coaching conversation we’ve invited them to, we must be careful wielders of the word.  What are your favorite coaching words? How will you wield them? Here’s to coaching word nerds!


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

Vocab review using “Word Sneak” (with a digital twist):



Sign up for news about the 2018 Global Read Aloud:


Books with resilient characters:

Spread positivity – morale boosts for teachers:



Reminder to talk “with” students, not “at” them:


That’s it for this week.  Happy Coaching!

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