Modeling
is a powerful coaching tool, and we can get even more bang for our buck when we
are intentional about it. If possible, take
the opportunity to observe a bit as you begin a coaching cycle. Watching the teaching and learning in a
classroom usually reveals aspects of instruction that can be improved, even if
the teacher is an experienced expert. There is just so much going on that it’s handy
to have an extra pair of eyes and ears on the job!
As
you launch a coaching cycle, you’ll probably sit down with the teacher and
select a learning target for your work together. That will be the main focus,
and your initial modeling will center around that goal. However, you may also be able to incorporate
other instructional features as sidebars.
I
talked this week with Sherri, an experienced coach who is working with
first-grade-teacher Sarah on pacing. Sarah’s internal teaching clock is not yet
well-developed, so she often ends up with too much or not enough time available
as a lesson draws to a close. Last week she gave all the instructions for a
hands-on math activity only to realize that it was time to line up for lunch! So Sherri and Sarah have chosen pacing as an
appropriate coaching goal, and Sherri will be modeling a lesson. She’ll ask Sarah to notice the choices she
makes that affect the lesson’s pacing. For example she’ll ask her to pay
attention to how she guides and manages student discussion so that the time is
productive. But Sherri told me she’ll
also be doing some sidebar modelling.
“When
I’m making my lesson plans, if I see something they aren’t doing, then I try to
make sure I include that,” she said. Sherri then talked about the element of
silliness, fun, and energy on the teacher’s part that enhances students’ participation. An engaging teacher can increase the odds of
students’ participation and cognitive engagement. Sherri believes this element enhances the
culture of the classroom, too, and she felt Sarah and her students would both
enjoy their learning more if they were having more fun together. So she planned to make this element clear in
her modeling and then “pull out things where I discuss that energy piece”
during the debrief conversation.
Through
purposeful planning and intentional modeling, Sherri, and coaches like her,
increase the impact of a coaching cycle.
This week, you might want to
take a look at:
A podcast on listening
(my favorite quote: “Listening—to loved ones, strangers, faraway places—is an
act of generosity and a source of discovery.”)
March madness with a book twist:
It’s
not too late to join the Slice-of-Life Story Challenge for teachers:
Differences between collaboration and
cooperation:
Picture book biographies with older
students in mind (introduce scientists, artists, and historical figures in a
friendly way!):
That’s it for this week. Happy Coaching!
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