Friday, January 24, 2020

Humble


Why can two coaches use exactly the same approaches and protocols and have different results?  I’ve been thinking a lot about this as I’ve observed coaches who have varying degrees of success.  In doing so, I’ve recognized that protocols and structures are important, but there are personal attributes that can make a difference between a successful coach and an unsuccessful one.  The good news is, these attributes can be cultivated.

One important attribute is humility.  How do you know if you’re humble enough?  At the risk of being too proud, I’ll tell you two stories about when my humility gained important attention and respect. 

Two summers ago, I had the chance to go to China and teach a children’s writing camp.  It was an awesome experience!  The children, of course, after they got over their surprise, treated me just like they would treat another teacher.  But for the adults, it was different.  I have to admit, I didn’t mind being treated like royalty!  Everyone wanted to make sure their international visitor was having a good experience.  Well, that was nice, but I tried not to let it go to my head.

One day, we did a really messy lesson where students earned frosting and decorations for their sugar cookies based on how descriptive their writing was.  We hurried to finish up before students left for the day, and afterwards there was quite a sticky mess!  There were four student teachers and one university professor (the hostess for my trip) who all began gathering and cleaning.  I grabbed some frosting covered trays, headed to the sink, and started scrubbing.  My back was to the others as I cleaned the trays, but I heard whispering and turned my head to see the student teachers tipping their heads together and murmuring to one another. Their professor had her phone out and was taking a picture – of me.  I wondered what was up and was a little self-conscious, but I turned back to the sink and kept scrubbing.

Later, when we met to debrief the day, the professor held up her phone with the photo of me.  She said to her student teachers, “This is what I want you to understand.  See how Vicki serves?”  The fact that I did not sit there and watch them clean up, but pitched in and helped, made them all more ready to learn as we continued our work together.

A similar experience occurred when I was working as a district literacy coordinator and was assigned to support teachers at a school that had just been labeled, “Turnaround,” meaning that if they didn’t turn things around, they’d be taken over.  Needless to say, it was a tense environment!  When I showed up for the first meeting, Ellen, the instructional coach, welcomed me from atop a folding chair, where she was putting up a bulletin board border. “What can I do to help?” I asked, knowing, like she did, that the superintendent would be making a “surprise” visit in about an hour.  Between the two of us, we quickly finished the bulletin board, stapling up statements of district and school goals to greet school visitors.  I noticed several teachers pause in their treks down the hall and look up at me, questioning.  Later, Mary Ellen told me, “You won a lot of trust that way.”  Rolling up my sleeves and stapling a few papers before the superintendent’s visit helped teachers feel that I was on their side, working with them, not on them.

The gist of being humble is how you position yourself.  Side by side works better than directing from above.  This is true both literally and metaphorically.  If I stand in front of the screen while teachers are sitting at the table, I’m not taking a humble stance.  If I hold my ideas above those of others, I might be a bit arrogant. 

Oh, yes – and don’t be too proud about your humility!  😊   Just when you think, “I’m there, I’m humble!” you may start to feel a bit too good about yourself for it to actually be true.  That’s why this is such a tricky attribute to maintain!

Coaches are often hired because they have extensive knowledge and experience. But the truly wise coach will recognize that keeping her ego in check is necessary for developing and sustaining coaching relationships.  It’s wonderful to be confident about what we bring to the table, but we must always acknowledge that others bring valid and valuable knowledge and experience, and coaching is a learning journey we undertake together.

Attributes like humility can make or break a coach’s work, even if she has all the right procedures in place.  I’m working to grow these attributes myself, and I hope sharing these ideas will support you on your own personal journey.

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

Supporting healthy reflection:



The case for independent reading:



Preserving teachers, preventing burnout:



Why gamification is worth considering as an instructional approach:



Storifying social-emotional learning (the article specifies the EL classroom, but the ideas work all around):


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I’m starting a new Facebook book group for my book, Collaborative Lesson Study.  For a free, downloadable Quickstart Guide to Lesson Study and an invitation to join the closed Facebook group, go here.  Each week between Jan. 27 and March 27 we’ll discuss one chapter (and I’ll add a quick video).  Read or comment as much or as little as you’d like.  

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That’s all for this week.  Happy Coaching!

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