Recommending Requires a Receiver

Making a recommendation when coaching is like throwing a pass in football:  To be successful, there has to be a receiver on the other end.
 
Recommendations are easy to make. In fact, oftentimes recommendations are hard not to make. But if the teacher you are coaching is not receptive to your ideas, all of your recommendations will be in vain. He or she has got to want it.
 
Teachers are often receptive to new ideas when they are unfamiliar with a topic, skill, or strategy, or when they are feeling overwhelmed or frustrated.* Although novice teachers are more frequently in this situation, experienced teachers also confront new experiences and expectations, making them receptive to recommendations.
 
When coaches make recommendations, they take a consulting stance and are acting as resources. Coaches might recommend processes or protocols and offer advise based on their own experience, knowledge, and instructional repertoire. They may advocate for particular choices and actions.**
 
You’ll know a teacher is ready for a recommendation if she asks for one (although a teacher’s asking does not necessarily mean that a recommendation is warranted – but that’s another story!). When a recommendation seems like the right move, you can also prime the pump by putting the focus on students. You might ask, “Did you notice a difference between lessons when you…” For example, “Did you notice a difference when students repeated the directions before getting started?” Whether or not you have observed a lesson, such a question foreshadows a recommendation without feeling disingenuous. You are drawing attention to an effective practice that has been used and encouraging more-frequent application.
 
Another way to open the door for a recommendation to be received is to use careful wording such as, “One thing to think about…” For example, “One thing to think about is, what are students going to do when they finish the assignment to keep them on task?” Such a question might lead to the teacher coming up with ideas or to your recommendation. Or it might just dangle as food for thought when the teacher begins planning the next lesson.  
 
In the examples above, the coach asks a question to launch a focused discussion that could lead to a recommendation. They give a soft start to a conversation that might make teachers receptive to suggestions. However, even after these soft starts, it’s wise to stop before making a coaching recommendation and ask yourself: Is there a receiver on the other end?
 
*Brown, E. & L’Allier, S.K. (2020). No more random acts of literacy coaching. Heinemann.
**Lipton, L. & Wellman, B. (2001). Mentoring Matters. MiraVia.
 
This week, you might want to take a look at:
 
Coaching Bingo to spice up your end-of-year repertoire:
 
https://blog.teachboost.com/how-to-build-and-advance-partnerships-bingo
 
 
Ideas for wrapping up the school year:
 
https://www.middleweb.com/34768/keep-students-engaged-until-summer-begins/
 
 
How to program your brain for positivity:
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wmx_35rQIRg
 
 
Advice for writing reviews:
 
https://teachersbooksreaders.com/2021/01/19/dear-young-writers-your-audience-matters/
 
 
Gathering and using feedback on your coaching work:
 
https://blog.teachboost.com/4-step-process-for-collecting-feedback-on-your-coaching
 
That’s it for this week.  Happy Coaching!

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