Dear
Coaches,
In
recent weeks, I’ve struggled to know how to help educators. Most are overworked
and overwhelmed, struggling to do new things in a new context. If you are a
coach or someone else who wants to play a supportive role for educators right
now, you, like me, might be wondering what to do that won’t feel intrusive and burdensome. You want to do something truly helpful, but
you’re not sure what that is.
Unfortunately,
there is not a prescription right now for how to help. I cannot say to you, “If
you do X, it will make things better.”
The need may be different for each educator, so we must take a flexible
approach to support.
At
all times, an important attribute of teaching and coaching is responsiveness. Responsive educators are the ones that pay
attention. They reinvent and adapt to the worlds and lived experiences of those
they serve. They build on the resources that learners bring to the table and consider
context.
Our
current reality is frequently referred to as “unprecedented.” There isn’t a
track record for how to teach and coach now. To figure out how to navigate this
space, we could ask a simple question:
What
are you wondering about right now?
Think
about the right venue for asking that question: a group message? an individual
text? an email? It’s a short question, so it won’t overwhelm. Maybe only a few
will respond. My guess is that, even those who don’t respond will be prompted
to reflect because of the question. And
for those who do respond, reading their wonderings and questions will provide
insight about how you can support. Teachers’ questions will tell us what they are
troubled by and what they need help with. That is the beginning. We can’t know what to do until we know where
they are.
Perhaps
an obvious way to know what to do is to ask. As with all queries, it’s
important to frame the question in a way that prompts a thoughtful pause. You
might try:
What
is missing for you right now?
This
question feels accessible. It could open a conversation about knowledge or
resources that would be helpful. More
directly, you could ask:
What
would supportive coaching for you look like right now?
This
question is a bit heavier, asking the teacher to come up with the
solution. Maybe only a few will respond,
but for those who do, you can provide targeted support.
As
we work our way through the current reality, it will also be important to pause
along the way and consolidate the insights we are gaining. We can encourage this stance by asking
questions such as:
What
are you understanding?
What
are you learning?
Teachers’
responses to these questions could be compiled and shared to benefit and
encourage others.
As
you gather information from teachers, you can make professional decisions about
how to best support them. You will be armed
with greater understanding about their current needs. You will be more
responsive.
Teaching
and coaching must always be dynamically adapted and reinvented to match
learners and contexts. We are all learners right now in a brand-new context. Asking questions can ensure that the support
we offer is responsive to felt needs.
The questions listed above might be helpful at any time, but they have
increased importance as we strive to coach during times of uncertainty.
If
you, or the teachers you work with, are juggling the jobs of educator and
home-school teacher for your own little ones; if you are working remotely but
connecting with loved ones far away who are fearful; if you are trying to find
a new rhythm for the tasks and time in your day, let’s keep things simple right
now. When we ask about the support that
is needed, we are more likely to be truly responsive, rather than reactive, in
the current situation.
If
you have the mind-space for it, you might also ask yourself the questions above.
Reflection can bring insight, and hopefully with it, a measure of peace for
you. That is my hope for you, my
coaching friends, at this difficult time.
This
week, you might want to take a look at:
Resources
for coaching during current challenges:
Reassuring
children during the pandemic:
Learning
about multiple perspectives through picture books (important social-emotional
learning):
Don’t
steal a teacher’s learning opportunity:
Scroll
down for tips on preventing loneliness during physical distancing:
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-to-prevent-loneliness-in-a-time-of-social-distancing/
That’s
it for this week!
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