My Coaches' Couch: Yo-Yo Coaching

Saturday, February 17, 2018

Yo-Yo Coaching

In my work with an early-career teacher named Kelli, I’m a yo-yo coach, pivoting back and forth between coaching moves in an effort to keep her moving forward.

Kelli vacillates between over-confidence (is it for real?) and doubt about her teaching skills. There has not been a clear gradual increase of responsibility for Kelli as we work together. Instead, I find myself recommending – even when she is confident. And affirming, especially when her confidence wains. These coaching moves are a natural part of my coaching repertoire, but with most teachers, I move through them in a more systematic way. When working with Kelli, however, I pull them out on an as-needed basis.

However, now that we’ve been working together for a while, I find that questioning is becoming a more effective move. It helps with Kelli when I open with a general question about her work. After she talks, I rephrase, trying to state back clearly and concisely what I’ve heard. Having listened, I’m ready to ask a follow-up question that moves beyond the surface level – is there more? I try to make sure my probing question comes from a genuine stance of curiosity. Then it’s time for listening, couched before and after in a silent pause.

One might say that the GIR model is falling apart with Kelli, since I’m not systematically following the model. But really that is a benefit of the GIR model. It makes us more aware of our coaching moves and the varying support they provide so that we can choose the tool to fit the circumstance, following that wiggly line toward improved teaching and learning.