Tune In

Listening has been a common theme in this blog, because it’s such an important coaching skill. As we prepare to listen better, I think the “Levels of Listening”* can be a good mental checklist of what to tune in for. 

Discriminative

When we are discriminative listeners, we recognize vocal expression and non-verbal cues.  We hear the enthusiasm when a teacher shares a new idea. We see the slump of the shoulders that signals discouragement.  Discriminative listening helps us to differentiate messages by tuning in to more than the words being said.

Strategic

Strategic listening includes absorbing new information and making connections between ideas. We may ask questions to clarify, and we synthesize the current conversation with previous ones to get the big picture.  As we listen strategically, we may also summarize what the teacher is saying in ways that provide clarity for her.

Precise

When we listen precisely, we hear details. We can piece together a story, recognizing sequences even if information isn’t shared chronologically.  We infer the teacher’s meaning based on the context of the conversation and what we know about his classroom.

Critical

When we listen critically, we distinguish between facts and opinion and recognize bias. We think about sources that are mentioned and evaluate the validity of the information.

Appreciative

An appreciative listener recognizes the power of language and is aware of the feelings and moods that are evoked by the speaker. If we listen appreciatively, we may admire the flow of words and take pleasure in listening.

When I listened recently as Caitlin talked about plans for the upcoming school year, I thought about how these levels of listening came into play.  Considering the possibility of returning to remote learning, Caitlin said, “I’m not a big technology person.” Listening discriminately, I heard acquiescence in her voice, acknowledgement that this was something that might have to change.

Caitlin continued, “I use technology in my room, but second grade is hard because it’s their first year on Chromebooks. It’s a switch.”  Strategically, I recognized that Caitlin was backing her opinion up with facts: First year with Chromebooks.

“Going into next year, We’ll start immediately using digital platforms. Get them more used to it. So that if this does happen, I’ll be able to move right to that quickly. I’m a big believer in pencil and paper, and real books and things, because that’s what research is showing us is effective. That being said, we’ll learn how to do these digital learning platforms right from the start. So that they’re more comfortable with it.”   As I listened precisely, I noticed that Caitlin was giving details about her plans for the beginning of the school year. Her story’s sequence was projecting into the future. I listened critically, too, wondering what research she’d read that indicated the benefits of “real books” and pencil and paper.

I appreciated the chance to listen to Caitlin’s thoughts about technology in the upcoming school year. I recognized the tension she felt and the concerns that her words created for me, too.  I hoped, too, that in talking this situation through, Caitlin found power in her words to be proactive, even in the face of uncertainty.

Thinking about these five levels of listening heightened my awareness of how much we can learn when someone else does the talking. The listening levels are valid one-on-one or in groups and in both face-to-face and virtual conversations,

As coaches tune in by being discriminative and strategic in our listening, by attending with precision and having a critical, yet appreciative filter, we’ll learn from the conversation, and so will the teachers whose conversations we’ve tuned in for.

*National Communication Association. (1996). Speaking, listening, and media literacy standards for K through 12 education. National Communication Association.

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

Great ideas for digital reading responses:

https://choiceliteracy.com/article/creative-reading-responses-it-begins-with-you/

Children’s cyber-safety during the pandemic:

https://www.tcpress.com/blog/click-away-parents-navigate-cybersafety-pandemic/

How to create a Bitmoji classroom (if you know Glogster, it has similar functions):

https://blog.teachboost.com/getting-started-with-bitmoji-classrooms

Coaching through email signatures:

https://stephanieaffinito.blogspot.com/2020/06/coaching-through-email-signatures.html

10 SEL strategies:

https://www.hmhco.com/blog/10-social-and-emotional-learning-strategies-for-responding-to-covid-19

That’s it for this week.  Happy Coaching!

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Follow on Facebook at: facebook.com/mycoachescouch or Twitter @vscollet for more coaching and teaching tips!  You can also find me at VickiCollet.com

Supersize It!

Will grew up as the oldest in a large family. Although his brothers often got hand-me-downs, Will’s clothes were brand new. This was an advantage, but his frugal mother recognized how quickly her boys were growing and made sure to buy clothes for Will that he wouldn’t quickly outgrow. In fact, it usually took quite some time to grow into them.  Out of habit, this practice continued after Will was fully grown. As a young adult, his mother gifted him oversized jackets and too-long pants.  She supersized all the clothing she sent his way.

Although supersizing outlived its purpose for Will, supersizing can be a great approach for learners.  It’s Vygotsky’s well-known zone of proximal development.  If the learning activity is just beyond what a learner can currently do on their own, it might seem a little oversized, but it’s actually a good fit.

If a kindergarten can count a set of objects accurately, she’s ready to move to a larger set. If a high-schooler is good at providing evidence to support a claim, he’s ready to learn about counterclaims. Similarly, if a teacher asks great questions for partner talk but hasn’t taught her students to be the questioners, she might be ready to give Socratic Circles a try.

Both Emma and her first-grade students were ready for a stretch. She was successfully differentiating reading instruction and wanted to expand differentiation to math lessons as well. Emma’s first graders were leaning about measurement, she and her coach designed a math lesson where students worked in small groups to measure objects she provided. The lesson was a stretch for the learners, because each group had objects and measuring tools that were a bit more difficult than they’d been successful with in the class.  Some groups had small objects and rulers. Others had larger objects that they measured with paperclips. The lesson was a stretch for Emma because she had to think about how to group students based on their previous work, and she had to make the task a just-right stretch: hard enough, but not too hard. For both Emma and her students, the task was something they could grow into.  

When coaches and teachers supersize the experience and offer support, learners will soon grow into tasks that at first seem too big. Vygotsky’s principle holds true when a task is just beyond reach: What a learner can do with assistance today, she can do on her own tomorrow.

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

3 Ways to More “Aha” Moments in Coaching:

http://www.growthcoaching.com.au/articles-new/3-ways-to-more-aha-moments-in-coaching

Helping teachers work smarter together:

https://ccira.blog/2018/02/13/how-to-help-teachers-work-smarter-together/

The ABC’s of feedback:

https://www.teachingchannel.org/blog/2014/09/04/the-a-b-cs-of-giving-feedback/?utm_source=newsletter20150411

How lifting a line from mentor texts helps students’ writing soar:

http://all-en-a-days-work.blogspot.com/2013/11/line-lifts-great-strategy-still.html

How mentors help first-year teachers:

http://neatoday.org/2017/06/19/lean-on-me-how-mentors-help-first-year-teachers/

That’s it for this week.  Happy Coaching!

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Follow on Facebook at: facebook.com/mycoachescouch or Twitter @vscollet for more coaching and teaching tips!  You can also find me at VickiCollet.com

When Schools Reopen - Be Ready to Listen

School’s out, but our minds are full of how we can prepare for the uncertainties of the upcoming school year.  We know that, whether teachers and students return to buildings for face-to-face instruction or meet virtually, they will be bringing with them baggage from school closures in the spring – we all will.  Attending to the social-emotional needs of students and teachers – and ourselves – will be an important part of our role as coaches.

I’ve been talking with teachers about their lingering concerns from the school year. They worry about food scarcity for families who relied on school meals to feed their children. They worry that learning doesn’t take place when essential needs aren’t met. They worry about regression, especially for English language learners. They worry about families having the transportation to access resources that schools were making available. They worry about their lack of contact with students who didn’t have technology. They worry about the information their families are getting about COVID-19.

During my recent conversation with Andi, a middle school teacher, she talked about knocking on students’ doors during this time and seeing their eyes light up when they saw their teacher at the door. “Bet you didn’t think you’d see me here, did you?” she said. Andi talked to me about the importance of making sure her students could see her eyes. She talked about one student whose father is now hospitalized with COVID-19.  There was worry in her voice, and some frustration about the misinformation the family had received. She had dropped off school work and made frequent phone calls to check in. But she wished she could do more.

And all I could do was listen.  But that was something, after all.  Having someone to listen seemed to lift a bit of the weight from Andi’s shoulders, and she problem-solved about the future as she talked. She began to feel more hopeful as she thought of how she would frontload technology if she sees her students at the beginning of the school year; of how she would teach Zoom-etiquette and give internet precautions. And advocate for technology for every student.  She talked, I listened, offering only an occasional nudge or response.

Listening is one of those coaching skills that we can practice all the time. When a friend comes with a question, a problem, or a tough decision, you can practice listening. Take a step back. Ask a few questions. Listen to her answers. Listen to both what she says and what she does not say. Listen to the tone of her voice. Does she use the word “should” a lot? Do you hear self-blame or pressure? If you’re talking face-to-face, notice when her eyes light up or dim. Watch how her body lifts or falls when she talks. Does she look you in the eye? As you listen, be on her side.

This summer, let’s practice listening. It will surely be good preparation for things to come.

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

This 7-min. how-to video about comprehension strategies could be shared with parents:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q9mkv8f6Hxo

Helping students know their characters before they begin writing fiction (could be adapted to develop understanding of characters they are reading about):

https://choiceliteracy.com/article/talking-through-characters/

What one teacher learned from readers’ notebooks:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3V2bWew1lTo&feature=emb_logo

Reopening schools:

https://inservice.ascd.org/reopening-schools-what-knowledge-can-we-rely-upon/

Valuing read alouds during remote learning:

https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/55694/how-online-book-read-alouds-can-help-students-literacy-and-connection-during-social-distancing

That’s it for this week.  Happy Coaching!

Was this helpful?  Please share!

Want to know about new posts? Click “Follow” (bottom right)

Follow on Facebook at: facebook.com/mycoachescouch or Twitter @vscollet for more coaching and teaching tips!  You can also find me at VickiCollet.com