Modeling Mistakes

One of my all-time favorite vacations was a trip to Prince Edward Island, the setting for the novel, Anne of Green Gables (Montgomery, 1908). As I reread the book in order to fully relish the trip, I was struck by this response by the irrepressible Anne: “But have you ever noticed one encouraging thing about me, Marilla? I never make the same mistake twice.” We may not have Anne’s confidence of “never” making a mistake again, but it is truly our response to mistakes, not the mistakes themselves, that determine the teacher and coach we are becoming. 
 
The way we view the things that go wrong is more important than how often or how badly things go wrong. Teaching is not perfectible (it will never be perfect!), but it is improvable. So don’t be afraid to let teachers see you struggle. Modeling (in your own classroom or in the teacher’s) is an opportunity not just to demonstrate best practices, but also to be vulnerable and open to the probability of imperfection.
 
As we model a cycle of instruction, reflection, and revision, we demonstrate that teaching requires us to be pliable and that challenges are part of real-life teaching. When we describe our analysis, we demonstrate our thoughtful review of the situation. Was it the planning and preparation that was lacking? Or something about the delivery? As we reflect, we demonstrate how drawing on our experience helps us revise our instructional plans so that things go better next time. We model the notion that being an effective teacher is about being able to reflect and adjust. 
 
Those you coach and mentor will likely breathe a sigh of relief as you unveil your own missteps. They will feel a little more confident in their own ability to rebound, knowing that those kinds of things happen to others, too. Modeling how to learn from lessons gone wrong is an important part of our role as coach.
 
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Hooray!!! My new book, Differentiated Mentoring & Coaching in Education: From Preservice Teacher to Expert Practitioner is a fall release from Teachers College Press!  I’m so excited to share it with you! During September, you can use the code: SEPTA2022 for 15% off plus FREE SHIPPING. Click  here  and I’ll email you the free Book Group Study Guide that includes questions, prompts, and activities you can use as you share the book with colleagues.  I hope you’ll love this book as much as I loved making it for you!
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This week, you might want to take a look at:

This simple animated video about how coaching works:
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UY75MQte4RU

 
 
Offer at-home reading without adult-mandated sanctions:
 
https://choiceliteracy.com/article/unadulterated-reading/
 
 
The power of play-based learning:
 
https://www.edutopia.org/article/young-kids-power-play-based-learning
 

 
This podcast about leading in the space you are given:
 
https://www.teachingchannel.com/blog/podcast-59
 
 
Death to behavior charts!  One teacher’s quest to teach students why and how to do the right thing:
 
http://www.edweek.org/tm/articles/2017/09/06/death-to-the-behavior-chart-3-reasons.html?cmp=eml-eb-popweek+09152017&M=58194145&U=1384189
 
That’s it for this week. Happy Coaching!
 
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