Asking questions is the fulcrum of the
GIR model,
the coaching moves that gives the bulk of the decision-making to the teacher. If you have been working with a teacher on something
that was new for them, like differentiation or technology integration, you
probably offered a lot of support initially, modeling and making
recommendations. When teachers have more experience with the approach, you want
them to take ownership for it. You do this by asking questions – but be careful
what you ask.
Math teachers sometimes talk about two
types of questions: funneling and focusing. Funneling questions start
broad and get narrow, leading the learner to your answer – the idea or approach you had in your head. Focusing
questions support the learner’s responses and guide them based on their own
problem-solving pattern. Although there are times when funneling is the right approach,
when you are ready to tip the balance and shift responsibility to the teacher,
focusing questions will be your friend.
A focusing pattern of questioning will
center on the teacher’s contributions. You listen to the teacher and consider
her responses, asking follow-up questions that center on these ideas. The result is a conversation built on your
expectation that the teacher now has the experience to think strategically
about how to use the new approach.
Focusing questions demonstrate your respect for the teacher’s ideas.
Focusing questions are more open-ended
and thought-provoking than funneling ones. Compare the two coaching
conversations below:
Funneling
Teacher:
I’m planning the final project for the unit and wanted to think of some ways to
differentiate.
Coach:
We’ve talked about differentiating the process, product, and content. Do you
want to try differentiating all three for this project?
Teacher: Sure.
Coach:
Have you considered using the RAFT format?
Teacher:
I don’t think I’ve heard of that.
Coach:
RAFT is an acronym that stands for Role of the writer, audience, format, and
topic. You make a chart to give students choices about each.
This is an extreme example, but you
get the idea. It is the coach’s thinking that is at the center of this
conversation. Here’s another example:
Focusing
Teacher:
I’m planning the final project for the unit and wanted to think of some ways to
differentiate.
Coach:
What are some of the ideas you’ve been thinking about for the project?
Teacher:
I really don’t have any solid ideas yet, but I want students to really be able
to demonstrate that they understand different perspectives about immigration.
Coach:
You want each student’s project to
represent multiple perspectives?
Teacher:
Maybe. Or maybe they could choose which perspective they want to represent. And
then when they present, everyone would experience those multiple perspectives.
Coach:
Hmmmm. Either way could be valuable. Do
you think students could be successful with either type of project – taking multiple
perspectives or choosing one to focus on?
Teacher:
Some could handle a multiple perspectives project, but I’m feeling like we’d
get to the same purpose, and maybe go deeper, if each student chose a
perspective they wanted to represent.
Coach:
So, what are those perspectives? Do you want to give students a list to choose
from?
In this conversation, the coach guides
the teacher to examine her own ideas. Although funneling might be a helpful
form of questioning when there is one right answer or when a teacher gets
stuck, a focusing conversation supports teacher exploration and problem-solving,
giving the teacher ownership for solutions. Focusing tips the scale, giving the
teacher the problem-solving power.
This
week, you might want to take a look at:
Advice
for new coaches:
Ways
students can use Pinterest in the classroom:
A
well-balanced diet – choice and parameters in reading and writing:
As
the new year gets underway, you might consider: Is balance the right goal for
life?
If
you still want to strive for more balance, consider the acronym SPREAD:
That’s
it for this week. Happy Coaching!
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