Responsive Coaching

Coaches succeed when they are dialed in to what each particular teacher needs. That’s a challenge that won’t be achieved with perfection, but as we seek to understand, we’ll find our efforts are more on target.
 
When we’re talking with a teacher, we don’t want our responsive to be an impulsive one. Instead, we can stop and think, “What is it that this teacher needs? What is it that they’re thinking about? What is it that they’re feeling, and then, how do we respond? How can we be responsive to what they need?” When we are really trying to understand the individual, we become more aware of what that specific teacher might need in order to grow.
 
We can make the teacher’s needs a subject of our study and coach them accordingly. When we truly look at each teacher and treat them as an individual, our offerings will be more aligned with what they need. Coaching is an opportunity to meet needs, one by one.
 
Unfortunately, it’s a moving target, because teachers’ needs are always changing. That complicates things!  We just do our best to understand them and support them with what they need right now. We can do our best to assess, to really listen, before moving forward.
 
Responsive coaches pay attention. They reinvent and adapt to the experiences of those they serve. They consider context, build on the resources that learners bring to the table, and attend to current needs. A simple question can help you find out what those needs are:
 
“What are you wondering about right now?”
 
Teachers’ wonderings and questions will provide insight about how you can support them. Their questions will tell you what they are troubled by and what they want help with. That is the beginning. We can’t know what to do until we know where they are.
 
Asking lets us know where teachers are in their practice. As with all questions, it’s important to frame the question in a way that prompts a thoughtful pause. You might try:
 
“What is missing for you right now?”
 
This question feels accessible. It could open a conversation about knowledge or resources that would be helpful. More directly, you could ask:
 
“What would supportive coaching look like for you right now?”
 
This question is a bit weightier, asking the teacher to come up with the solution. Their response would enable you to provide targeted support. 
 
It is also important to pause along the way and consolidate insights that are gained. You can encourage this stance by asking questions such as:
 
“What are you understanding?”
 
“What are you learning?”
 
As you gather information from teachers, you can make professional decisions about how to best support them. You will be armed with greater understanding about teachers’ current needs. You will be more responsive. Teaching and coaching must always be dynamically adapted and reinvented to match learners and contexts. Rather than reacting to your perceptions, asking questions ensures that the support you offer is responsive to teachers’ felt needs.
 
This week, you might want to take a look at:

22 Unexpectedly Effective Teaching Hacks
 
https://www.edutopia.org/article/22-effective-teaching-hacks/
 
 
This one-minute video about making sure pet peeves don’t hijack writing conferences:
 
https://choiceliteracy.com/article/quick-take-beware-of-pet-peeves/
 
 
Positively impacting students’ reading identities (growth is more than just a reading level!):
 
https://ccira.blog/2023/12/05/inviting-growth-the-teachers-role-in-affirming-acknowledging-shifting-expandingstudents-literate-identities/
 
 
Changing the conversation about grades:
 
https://pernillesripp.com/2017/06/23/tools-for-changing-the-grading-conversation/
 
 
Don’t let the picture fool you – play supports learning for older students, too! Here’s some advice about how to introduce play-based learning into your school or classroom:
 
https://www.thegeniusofplay.org/genius/expert-advice/articles/the-best-way-to-engage-students-today-introduce-play-based-learning-into-your-school.aspx
 
That’s it for this week. Happy Coaching!
 
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Want more coaching tips? Check out my book, Differentiated Mentoring & Coaching in Education: From Preservice Teacher to Expert Practitioner, available from Teachers College Press!  I’m so excited to share it with you! TODAY you can use the code: DEC2023 for 20% off. 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!