In
the sixth century BC, Greek philosopher Heraclitus said that nothing in this
world is constant except change and becoming. His treatise, About Nature, includes the aphorism: Everything flows; nothing stands still. Becoming
assumes a changing into and moving toward.
What
are you changing into? Who is the coach you are becoming? Who are the teachers
you work with becoming? Unless we
cultivate an attitude of becoming, we (and those we work with) may remain
stagnant. Stagnant. Even the word is unattractive.
But
becoming, ah, there’s a word for you! Developing, ripening, emerging, enhancing
– that is what we are shooting for!
The
teachers we work with have not deliberately chosen a path of stagnation, but
sometimes, it feels like all we can do is maintain the status quo amid the busy-ness
of our lives as teachers. We can support
a becoming attitude with our colleagues through our work as coaches.
When
we point out teachers’ strengths, and help them build upon
those strengths, we support becoming. When we ask teachers about perceived weaknesses,
and help them plan for improvement, we support becoming. As we encourage
teachers to look at challenges as opportunities for growth, we are also supporting
becoming.
Sara,
a kindergarten teacher I work with, has an exceptionally challenging class this
year. A five-year-old with an
oppositional defiant disorder; another with severe ADHD; one who is non-verbal.
And the list doesn’t stop there. Although there have been moments of
frustration, Sara has consistently met the challenge with a Zen-like
attitude: “How will this help me grow? What can I learn from it?” Because of her attitude of becoming, Sara is able to support students during
melt-downs, redirect inappropriate behavior with firmness and compassion, and
build a safe environment of participation in her classroom.
When
Sara and I meet, we celebrate small steps forward. Because I am not in her class every day, I’m
able to notice changes that are invisible to Sara. We visualize together what next steps
will be for her and for her students. Creating that image of “what might be” supports the process of becoming. We are curious, wondering together about
possible causes and solutions. Our curiousity gives us an orientation
of becoming toward both Sara and
her students, and it helps us approach uncertainty more positively.
As
we build on strengths and shore up areas of weakness, as we visualize and celebrate
successes and approach challenges with curiosity, we are cultivating an
attitude of becoming in ourselves and those we work with. We re-form ourselves, and we help others in
the process of transformation. We coach
toward potentiality and build toward the coaches and teachers we will
eventually be.
This
week, you might want to take a look at:
How
to use DonorsChoose to fund your classroom dreams:
Using
video for self-reflection:
Have
fun, develop language, and sharpen summarizing skills:
Helping
learners set goals:
Ted Talk – Every kid needs a champion:
That’s
it for this week. Happy Coaching!
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