Words for Coaching

In “My Fair Lady,” Eliza proclaims, “Words! Words! Words! I’m so sick of words! I get words all day through; first from him, now from you! Is that all you blighters can do?...Never do I ever want to hear another word. There isn’t one I haven’t heard!”
 
Teachers might feel the same if coaches fill the airspace during meetings with their own ideas. Words can be a sword or a tool, depending on how a coach wields them, so words are worthy of our attention.
 
Words of acknowledgement and empathy build trust. “I hear you,” creates connections. Words of curiosity invite inquiry. “Say more about that,” encourages deeper consideration.
 
Words effect how we perceive, construct, evaluate, and respond to experiences. Language is a tool for learning. As coaches’ primary tool, the words we use are worthy of care.
 
When coaches model, words guide teachers’ observations, focusing attention. We can encourage teachers to watch, keep track of, listen, be aware of, notice, record, list, or pay attention to what we and the students are doing when we model a lesson.
 
Words are the substance of our recommendations. The word notice is useful here, too, as we frame a suggestion within feedback. “I’ve noticed that when the teacher ____________, students ____________” is a useful generic sentence starter when you’re worried that feedback might flame defensiveness. In less volatile conversations, the noticing can be specific to a moment in a lesson that you have observed: “I noticed that when students moved to their small groups, some seemed confused about the task.”
 
Language shapes the questions we ask and how those questions are answered. Questions can use successes as springboards: “What do you want to celebrate about that lesson” or “What has worked well for you in the past?” puts an emphasis on what might work again. Questions that urge tentative responses feel less threatening: “What are some of the things you might try?” encourages exploration.
 
Through verbal moves, we affirm and praise. Saying, “When you conferred with Emma, your open-ended questions deepened her understanding,” encouraged more of the same. Saying, “You offered longer think time after asking questions, and it really paid off!” offers praise and acknowledges growth.
 
Language is a map that represents our lived experiences. Words allow for careful exploration of the past and improvement of the future. They shape the direction and outcome of coaching.
 
Although the words a coach chooses and uses are important, the teachers’ words are critical. Coaching should be a dialog, not a monolog. Even as the coach models, recommends, questions, affirms, and praises, the teacher’s voice should dominate a coaching interaction. The coaching moves are invitations for conversation. When spoken by the coach, the words are somebody else’s, A coach’s words only take root if the teacher has a chance to make them her own. Pauses and questions offer opportunities for revoicing, giving teachers space to grasp and adjust the ideas. Understanding grows through exploratory language. Through dialog, ideas are tested and may become personally persuasive for the teacher. Meaning is collaboratively negotiated but ultimately it is the teacher who must own it.
 
The way we model, recommend, question, affirm, and praise should acknowledge the agency and efficacy of the teacher we are working with. To avoid a tirade like Eliza’s in “My Fair Lady,” coaches must choose with care the words used to construct each coaching move.

 

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

Small shifts to limit teacher talk:
 
https://www.edutopia.org/article/limit-teacher-talk-increase-student-engagement-achievement/
 
Coaching with gratitude:
 
https://choiceliteracy.com/article/an-attitude-of-gratitude/
 
 
A short video on getting students to focus on learning, not grades:
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YJoKocHOdnI
 
 
Classroom Screen is a digital tool for your whiteboard. Add timer, noise meter, calendar, name picker, and more:
 
https://classroomscreen.com/
 
 
5 tips for retaining teachers:
 
https://www.insightadvance.com/blog/five-tips-for-retaining-teachers
 
 
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 and Twitter and Instagram @vscollet for more coaching and teaching tips!  You can also find me at VickiCollet.com
 

When Inquiry Doesn’t Work

Coaches appropriately prompt planning and reflection by asking questions. But what happens when inquiry doesn’t work?
 
Inquiry approaches to learning make sense from a constructivist perspective. When learners construct their own knowledge, they connect the new to the known in ways that make concepts more “sticky” – they are more likely to be remembered. You’ve probably seen how engaging such an approach can be with young learners. That’s one of the reasons that inquiry applications like project-based learning have increased in popularity.
 
However, inquiry only works when learners have sufficient prerequisite knowledge. This is a possible explanation for why some meta-analyses have found that Project-Based learning doesn’t work.  Similarly, asking questions may be an ineffective mentoring and coaching practice when teachers don’t have sufficient pedagogical content knowledge to draw on.  If you don’t have the knowledge before you go into inquiry mode, it doesn’t work.  When teachers have the knowledge and experience, asking questions is a dramatically powerful coaching approach. When they don’t, it’s not.
 
Another challenge with inquiry approaches is that they are very situation-specific. Deep understanding is needed to flexibly use prerequisite knowledge. Even if a practice has been read about, or even used before, if the context is different, prior experiences may not spring to mind. Before rushing to ask, “How are you going to work this out?” effective coaches consider teachers’ background knowledge and previous experience.
 
When coaches anticipate that inquiry won’t be effective, making a recommendation might be the most appropriate first move. We can also pivot to recommending when we ask questions and come up empty.  It feels cruel and unusual to continue asking questions when a teacher is looking for more-specific help.
 
Asking questions is an effective coaching move, but not a generic one. The GIR Model for Mentoring and Coaching (below) shows that recommending is a more supportive move than asking questions, and it may be just what is needed. As coaches, we have to consider the context to make sure we get the balance right of pedagogical content knowledge, situational-specific knowledge, and inquiry.

This week, you might want to take a look at:
 
Increasing engagement during project-based learning:

https://www.edutopia.org/article/pbl-maintaining-student-engagement
 
 
Nourishing your soul for the work:
 
https://choiceliteracy.com/article/nourishment-making-time-and-space-for-little-joys/
 
 
Ideas for incorporating daily reflective practices:
 
https://www.insightadvance.com/blog/4-ways-that-teachers-can-incorporate-daily-reflective-practices
 
 
A short video on setting up a student-centered classroom:
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1OsQS7Sanxg
 
 
Image Candy is a free site to modify images (remove background, add text, etc.:
 
https://imgcandy.com/
 
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 and Twitter and Instagram @vscollet for more coaching and teaching tips!  You can also find me at VickiCollet.com
 
---------------------------------
My book, Differentiated Mentoring & Coaching in Education: From Preservice Teacher to Expert Practitioner is available from Teachers College Press!  I’m so excited to share it with you! You can use the code: JAN2023 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!
----------------------------------