A
teacher friend recently talked to me about the challenges of teaching with a
mask on. Before school started, he said he hadn’t had a mask on for longer than
a quick run into the grocery store. Now he was talking loudly and expressively
and wearing the mask for hours! It was a
big adjustment, and he was often out of breath. After getting the right mask
and building his stamina, he’s finding his stride. But being a mask-wearing
teacher is hard work! As it turns out,
coaching a mask-wearing teacher has its challenges, too.
Coaching
is profoundly relational work. We “read” a teacher’s needs by attending to
their words, their body language, and their facial expressions. And there’s the
rub! With a mask on, 2/3 of the face is
hidden! We can’t see whether the corners
of the mouth turn up or down. It’s harder to read a teacher’s mood and
response. Thankfully, however, “the eyes are the windows to the soul.”
Research
psychologists have found evidence that this old proverb is true. The eyes can illuminate emotions, conveying
what is invisible behind the mask. For
example, narrowed eyes might be related to skepticism or suspicion, whereas
wide-open eyes could be curiosity or awe. Blinking fast may be a sign of
stress. Lowering the eyelids shows discomfort.
Large pupils indicate happiness – you like what you see! Raised eyebrows could be curiosity or
surprise. These clues in the eyes can
help us decide whether to elaborate, celebrate, or change courses in a coaching
conversation.
The
direction of eye gaze also gives clues. Some research suggests that looking up
and to the left is a reflective glance – the teacher may be
accessing visual recall of a situation. I know that’s my remembering spot! Up and to the right is visual creation,
indicating planning or forecasting. More
horizontal glances could indicate recall and rehearsal of sounds. Downward
glances might indicate that someone is accessing emotional memory or engaging in
internal dialogue. Overall, you can think about glances to the right as remembering
and glances to the left as constructing. Paying attention to these clues helps
me respond patiently to the inner work a teacher is doing while we talk.
For
now, while most of a colleagues’ face is covered, we can attend to the subtle
clues in their mind’s “windows,” Even
when you can’t see a nose wrinkled in confusion or a mouth open in surprise, you
can get a lot of coaching cues about someone’s mental state or their reaction
to your ideas when you look into their eyes.
This
week, you might want to take a look at:
A
test on your ability to distinguish emotions from the eyes:
Why
self-care is so important for educators – and how to do it:
Reader
response activities as background for conferring:
A
podcost on creating your coaching personality:
Preparing
for the new version of school:
That’s
it for this week. Happy coaching!
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@vscollet for more coaching and teaching tips! You can also find me at VickiCollet.com
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