Conversational Volley in Coaching

Asking questions is a valuable coaching move, the centerpiece of the GIR model.  Questions can provide just enough support to push a novice teacher to consider new approaches or to nudge an experienced teacher forward in her thinking. But if questions are our first communication during a conference, they may put the brakes on the conversation rather than inviting contemplation.  To encourage productive discussion, listen and then “take up” a teachers’ story. 

Tom Newkirk describes this “taking up” as a contingent response and says uptake is “a demonstration of connectiveness” (Newkirk, 2017, p. 83).  A coach who is skilled at uptake makes a teacher feel attended to; the teacher feels like her comments matter.

There may be a tendency for coaches to say, “That reminds me of…..”  Such a response, however, shifts attention away from the teller.  Instead, we want to make a teller-focused comment.  We might say, “It sounds like you…..” or “You must have…..”  Uptake means we acknowledge that we’ve heard the teacher’s “story.” We show that we understand her excitement or frustration. We comment or empathize before moving to analysis.  We receive the information. 

“Receiving” might sound like referencing ideas that were shared or generously summarizing the information. It might sound like, “Let me see if I got this right” (Johnston, 2004).  We reflect back the message in a way that conveys its significance.  We send the message, “I get it.”  A teacher then feels attended to.  Her comment matters – it is not lost.  It is the basis for the conversation.

Through the social give-and-take of coaching talk, ideas are explained and extended.  Once a teacher feels understood, we ask teller-centered questions that lead to analysis.  Follow-up questions help a teacher test her ideas, “What did you notice…..?  “Why do you think…..?”  As the teacher volleys back the conversation, she feels not only understood, but validated.  She feels smart. 

Through repeated uptake, teachers strengthen and internalize their analysis process. This happens through authentic questions. Authentic questions are those we are genuinely curious about.  Such question are gratifying; someone is curious about our experiences and insights.  Authentic questions are focused on the “story” and ask for elaboration.  They don’t feel formulaic.  The opposite is a “display question,” one to which the coach already has an answer. Display questions feel like a pointed finger; like a “let’s see if you are as smart as I am.”  They don’t empower.  So much is in the tone and the follow-up.  A “Why do you think….” could be either a genuine or a display question, depending on the coach’s intent.  If the coach is using the question to drag a teacher to a specific response, the teacher is not likely to feel valued.  If the “Why do you think….” is asked with curiosity, useful analysis follows as ideas are explained, challenged, and defended.  Uptake supports the development of an idea; it supports analysis. 

And good listening invites good listening. A teacher who feels heard is more likely to respond thoughtfully herself when a question is posed. 

When we are in a hurry, we may skip the “uptake” step and jump to questions or recommendations before a teacher is convinced she’s been understood. Taking the time to acknowledge what was heard lays the groundwork for a deeper conversation.

Newkirk suggests that, in the “serve and volley” of conversation, linking the volley to the serve is what’s important.  When we take up a comment by echoing or extending it, we strengthen the coherence and depth of the conversation, building capacity for analysis and change.

Johnston, P. H. (2004). Choice words: How our language affects children's learning. Stenhouse.

Newkirk, T. (2017). Embarrassment: And the Emotional Underlife of Learning. Heinemann.

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

Using student-led conferences to bridge perspectives:

https://www.choiceliteracy.com/articles-detail-view.php?id=3000

I often use the book, I Have a Little Problem to remind coaches to listen before recommending.  I love the suggestions here for using the book to remind students to listen:

http://csefel.vanderbilt.edu/booknook/bn_problem.pdf


Considering coaching roles:

https://cailinminor.wordpress.com/2018/05/23/considering-coaching-roles-consulting-collaborating-coaching-facilitating/3/

This “Circle of Viewpoints” activity helps participants to explore a text or event from a variety of perspectives:

http://www.pz.harvard.edu/resources/circle-of-viewpoints-0

Three tips for richer student discussion:

https://www.middleweb.com/38084/learning-the-secrets-of-good-class-discussions/

That’s it for this week.  Happy Coaching!

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Softening the Recommendation

Stacy is an experienced coach working with a teacher, Sarah, who at first seemed aloof and self-confident. Later, Stacy realized Sarah’s distance is a cover for her self-doubt, that her assurance masks uncertainty.  Like many of the students she teaches, Sarah is a vulnerable learner who sometimes responds defensively when recommendations are offered. 

This week, when Stacy reviewed the lesson plans Sarah had shared via email, she was careful to couch her recommendation about the lesson focus within positive comments about other aspects of the planning. Still, when she met Sarah the next day, Sarah emphatically threw her papers on the table saying, “I changed the whole thing.”  Rather than tweak the lesson as suggested, she had dumped it and started over.  Stacy felt it was a shame that a lesson with so many positive aspects had been scrapped because her recommendation had not been received as intended.  We pondered together how such situations could be avoided in the future and came up with some sentence frames we hope will help:

“So, you could think about….”  This suggestion invites the teacher to ponder the suggestion, reducing pressure to put it into action.  We hope, however, that by decreasing pressure we encourage ownership and action.

“Some things you might want to consider…..”  Similarly, this framing offers the teacher agency to think through what was offered. By providing multiple suggestions, we increase choice.

“Of the things we’ve talked about, what do you want to give some thought to?” Although this phrase also invites contemplation, it requires some of that thinking to occur now, with more commitment.

We hope that these sentence frames will help Stacy structure recommendations that Sarah receives and implements.  I hope that you’ll find them useful as you plan for conversations with teachers who appear less open.

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

Moving to an “all in” coaching model:

https://dianesweeney.com/moving-from-an-opt-in-to-all-in-coaching-model/

Make blogging an authentic classroom activity:

https://www.teachingchannel.org/blog/2018/05/14/integrating-blogging/?utm_source=newsletter20180519/

Steven King’s top 20 rules for writers:

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/blog/stephen-kings-top-20-rules-for-writers/

Ideas for combatting school-year stress:

https://www.choiceliteracy.com/articles-detail-view.php?id=1382

A free, recorded webinar, “How to Talk About Race in Your Classroom”:

http://players.brightcove.net/1740322051001/S1b3Eta2_default/index.html?videoId=5253097075001

That’s it for this week.  Happy Coaching!

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3 C’s for Recommending

If you know four notes, teach someone who knows three.

Dan Berkowitz

Sharing our repertoire is the common lot of coaches. We recommend based on what we have seen, read, and experienced.  When teachers lack knowledge and experience in an area where coaches have expertise, recommending can be an effective move. Using a mental checklist of “3 C’s for Recommending” can improve the impact of recommendations. As you purposefully plan for feedback conversations, seek to be clear, concise, and conversational.

Be Clear

Although there are times when questioning to prompt or probe is effective, if there is a suggestion you plan to make, say it.  Don’t make a recommendation disguised as a question, and don’t rely on buzzwords.  Describe what it is you think could happen in concrete, actionable terms. What will it look like when the suggestion has been implemented?

For recommendations, target something that can make a short-term, noticeable difference. Of course, it has to be implementable – by this teacher, at this time.  It needs to be something that the teacher is ready to do; adjust recommendations based on the teacher’s level of experience and expertise. You can work out together how she will apply the new strategy in her own instruction.

To support implementation of the suggestion, it’s important to have the necessary resources. Recommendations might be accompanied by materials, video clips, or suggestions about someone at the school with expertise in the area.  When recommendations come with commensurate resources – the necessary knowledge and materials to support them – teachers are more likely to see recommendations as a creative challenge to which they can rise.

Be Concise

As you consider recommendations, prioritize one area for improvement. Having a narrow area of focus builds self-efficacy, where a laundry list of suggestions would be daunting, deflating, and perhaps defeating.  What’s motivating is to have an actionable task that can be implemented in a short period of time.

After choosing an area for improvement, narrow to a specific recommendation. For recommendations to be actionable, they need to be focused.  A narrow recommendation feels helpful; a broad one may feel evaluative.**  For example, saying, “It might be helpful to put sticky notes with your pre-planned questions on the pages of the read-aloud book,” could be a helpful comment. Saying, “You should ask more high-level questions,” feels judgmental.

Keep the recommending conversation brief. Although coaches often complain that it’s hard to find time for a substantive coaching conversation, brevity can be used to advantage when making recommendations.  Keeping the conversation succinct makes the focus clear.

Be Conversational

A casual tone puts the teacher at ease, lower defenses, and makes conversations more productive. Consider the temperament (and current situation) of the teacher. You’ll recommend differently to an easy-going teacher than to a defensive one. It’s always wise to listen respectfully and have positive assumptions, but these are especially important if the teacher feels vulnerable.

Give recommendations as part of a dialogue. The recommendation is not the first sentence in the conversation or the last. It helps to lead in with positive comments and follow-up by asking the teacher’s thoughts about the recommendation. An exchange of ideas solidifies the recommendation.

The recommendation should be a “special delivery.” Give consideration to body language, word choice, and seating arrangement.  Nod.  Make eye contact. Sit side by side. Recognize the teacher’s point of view. The way that a recommendation is given makes almost as much difference as its content. Aim for collaboration during the recommending conversation.

All the Right Moves

Recommending isn’t always the right move; sometimes it’s more helpful to model, question, affirm, or praise. But when a suggestion is called for, being clear, concise, and conversational can encourage uptake and increase coaches’ effectiveness.

*Berkowitz, D. (2013). Spirit Magazine, March 2013, p. 67.

**Archer, J. Cantrell, S. Holtzman, S., Joe, J., Tocci, C., & Wood, J. (2016). Better feedback for better teaching: A practical guide to improving classroom observations. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

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

Building vocabulary in a blended classroom with “Word Sneak”:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WW8o--S3wQI&index=7&list=PLYmYDLb2oJqGQOvjZHPhO4ulIuiUvNYNS

A podcast on mentoring new teachers on social-emotional  learning:

http://blog.stenhouse.com/archives/2018/03/30/mentoring-new-teachers-podcast-episode-ii-social-emotional-learning/

Avoiding isolation as an instructional coach:

https://blog.teachboost.com/instructional-coaching-plcs-in-action

I love the idea of jot lots as a formative assessment tool.  I bet you can come up with ideas for use in addition to theses:

https://www.choiceliteracy.com/articles-detail-view.php?id=2652

Give students and teachers the opportunity to write themselves into new ways of being:

https://ccira.blog/2018/06/26/writing-our-way-out/

That’s it for this week.  Happy Coaching!

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Listen First

Shari Frost’s memory of a student encounter of the hilarious kind got me thinking again about how helpful it is to listen before speaking.  Shari tells about a first-grader who, in the middle of a small-group discussion, asked, “Mrs. Frost, how do you make babies?” While Shari’s mind raced about how to respond, another student provided with the needed answer, “Change the y to i and add es.”  Thankfully, Shari hadn’t jumped in too soon with unwanted information!*

In this blog, I’ve often extolled the habit of listening before speaking, and Shari’s story was a good reminder.  During a meeting with coaches last week, a seasoned coach made a similar recommendation to the group.  “Ask the teacher what she thinks she needs to work on,” she said.  Listen before speaking.

So I tried it this week as I met with seven novice teachers.  After observing in their classrooms, I met with these teachers and asked what they felt went well in the lesson.  Then I listened. Later, I asked them what they felt like they were ready to work on in their teaching.  Then I listened.  Each response showed insight and gave direction to our conversation.

I was surprised when Margaret said she wanted to become more confident in the content she was teaching.  Because she came across as self-assured, with a well-developed teacher stance, I never would have thought to make that recommendation.  But glancing at notes I’d made to myself about areas for improvement, I could see how knowing the content better would help Margaret to use students’ responses to support their learning and to ask better follow-up questions  – two things on the “to do” list I had created.

Sarah’s desire to have the kids focus better while on the carpet led us easily to a discussion of some of the things on my list – like providing opportunities for students to talk with one another so that they could be more active participants in the lesson.

Although not every teacher set a goal that provided a perfect inroad to my aspirations for them, listening to what the teacher felt she was ready to do next ensured that there was buy-in for the goals we were working toward.  Steven Covey, author of 7 Habit of Highly Effective People, suggested that we “seek first to understand.”  By listening before speaking, coaching can develop mutual understanding.

*Shari’s full account of the story can be found here.  Sorry I’ve already spoiled it for you!

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

Tips for starting the new year as a coach:

https://blog.teachboost.com/starting-the-school-year-strong-5-tips-for-new-instructional-coaches

During lesson closure, ask students to reflect – fist to five:

https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/getting-instant-student-feedback

Usable quotes on revising writing:

https://www.choiceliteracy.com/articles-detail-view.php?id=278

Bringing empathy to coaching:

https://blog.teachboost.com/bringing-empathy-to-coaching

“Naughty” behaviors that are developmentally appropriate:

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/joyful-parenting/201705/not-naughty-10-ways-kids-appear-be-acting-bad-arent

That’s it for this week.  Happy Coaching!

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Like on Facebook at: facebook.com/mycoachescouch for more coaching and teaching tips!