Releasing Resistance thru Instructional Coaching

During physical therapy, a resistance band is often used to increase the effectiveness of exercise. It definitely makes the muscles work harder, and that is just what is needed.
 
Ideas and initiatives that are viewed as imposed will almost certainly create resistance (see last week’s post for ways this resistance might be expressed). If you’re on board with the initiative (or feel obligated to support it), you can use resistance to increase effectiveness, just like a resistance band does.
 
Resistance that is brought to the surface creates opportunities for dialogue. When resistance is expressed, you will better understand concerns, and the concerns can be addressed, either internally with the teacher or by moving toward actionable resolution.
 
Here’s an extreme example: A school that I was working with had the awesome goal of creating a schoolwide culture of reading. The principal ordained 9:00 am – 9:20 am as Sustained Silent Reading Time – every person (adult and child) in the school would have a book in their hands and be reading silently during that time. The idea sounded good on the surface and the principal had the best of intentions. But it was August, and most kindergartners and first graders didn’t have much reading stamina, and most in that age group could not read silently (if at all). At first, the teachers on these teams just grumbled silently among themselves about it. But when I took the concern to the principal, it was quickly resolved, providing flexibility in the younger grades.
 
Here’s another example: a districtwide adoption of new literacy materials came with some “must-do’s” for teachers, including a structured (research-based) approach to vocabulary instruction. First-grade teachers at one school felt the structure wouldn’t work for young children – until I showed them a video I’d taken of a first-grade teacher at a nearby school doing just that. We talked together about what was beneficial about the structure and where adjustments could be made to align with their own students’ needs. They were onboard when they saw the energy of the students in the video and recognized the flexibility available so that they could make it their own.
 
If these teachers hadn’t talked with me about their resistance, their concerns would not have been addressed. Anything they tried related to these initiatives would have been half-hearted and would likely have had minimal impact. And resistance would have built up toward future suggestions.
 
When coaches recognize resistance (blatant or subtle), we support positive change by helping teachers express their concerns directly. Resistance hides feelings of discomfort. It is often the outward expression of fear of the unknown, concerns about control and vulnerability, or the fear of being judged. Before new ideas can be impactfully integrated, feelings of resistance need to be voiced, acknowledged, and addressed.
 
This week, you might want to take a look at:

 
Teachers as risk-takers:
 
https://choiceliteracy.com/article/take-a-chance/
 
 
How to climb a ladder – or learn any other skill:
 
https://joshkaufman.net/how-to-climb-a-ladder/
 
 
An engaging technology-based team game to review vocab:
 
http://www.middleweb.com/33156/my-students-are-begging-to-review-vocabulary/
 
 
This picture book that perfectly describes the power of books and what total engagement (or “flow”) feels like:
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WgH7xmlt8JY
 
 
We probably all put too much on our plates.  How are we going to get done what needs to be done?  Here are 15 things productive people do:
 
http://www3.forbes.com/leadership/15-surprising-things-productive-people-do-differently/
 
 
That’s it for this week. Happy Coaching!
 
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