Coaches
are responsible for supporting and encouraging the teachers they work with. You can be a better coach now as you fine-tune
four things.
Communicate
Openly
Maintain
open communication with teachers. Welcome their thoughts, worries, concerns,
and celebrations. Ask teachers how they are feeling now, and establish a
conversational tone where teachers feel free to talk about their thoughts and
opinions. Let teachers know that they
can bring up both everyday issues and difficult topics.
Listen
carefully to what teachers are saying, and offer thoughtful feedback. When having a conversation with a teacher,
eliminate distractions and make eye contact.
This is equally true in online conversations. Teachers need to know that they can trust you
to be confidential and that you will respond with composure. Sometimes this means taking a deep breath
before launching a conversation or before responding in a difficult situation.
Be
Consistent
Have
clear expectations. In our current
reality, those expectations will be revised and extended with grace. Be sure that the purpose of these expectations
is clear. This probably means thinking
through your current expectations and their purpose in advance of
conversations. As you do so, you may
find that the purpose you previously had for some expectations doesn’t
currently seem relevant. If there’s not a clear purpose, eliminate or revise
the expectation.
Consistency
goes both ways. Having consistent
routines and practices is not just good for little people. Adults, too, thrive when they know what to
expect. Being dependable will make you a better coach. What can teachers expect from you? Being consistent
in our support and responses to teachers builds trust. We need to walk the talk about living up to
expectations.
Encourage
Problem-Solving
Support
teachers’ problem-solving by safeguarding their role as instructional
designers. Sharing meaningful data and identifying
useful resources supports teachers while leaving decisions in their hands. Ask
questions that guide teachers to their own conclusions. For example, if a
teacher is grappling with concerns about sustaining students’ engagement during
remote learning, you might ask:
· Can you think
of a time when students have been really engaged?
· What are your
hunches about why this lesson worked so well?
· What are some
ways you might make this part of upcoming activities?”
Help
teachers think through the possible outcomes of different options. After the fact, if a teacher is unsatisfied
with results, help him identify what happened, analyze what contributed to the
outcome, and discuss what changes might be warranted.
Validate
People
thrive when their work is validated. There
is a clear need in this moment for teachers to be validated in the important work
they are doing to maintain some normalcy in the lives of children and to ensure
learning continues. Reinforce the things they are doing that are effective! Commend their hard work! Praise
their strengths!
As
coaches communicate openly, expect and respond consistently, encourage problem
solving, and validate both the effort and the results, teachers will feel sustained
and strengthened. These four principles guide
coaching in normal (and not so normal) times.
This
week, you might want to take a look at:
Tips
for surviving remote learning:
Affirming
is
the fourth phase in the GIR Coaching Model. Check out Jenna’s thoughts about
affirmation:
25
Simple and fun non-screen things to do at home:
How
understanding the mood of a story supports reading and writing:
Benefits
of changes in grading policies during the pandemic:
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