This
week I had the chance to chat with a room full of experienced coaches, and we
talked about the characteristics of effective recommendations. After we each thought
of a time when we either made a recommendation or when someone made an
effective recommendation to us, we silently pondered, “What made the recommendation
effective?” Then we whipped around the room with each person quickly sharing a
phrase that described why the recommendation worked.
Maybe
you want to pause for a moment, remember a recommendation, and consider the
same question, “What made it effective?”
Characteristics
of Effective Recommendations
I wish
I had a recording of the wisdom that was shared in that room full of coaches! Here are a few of the comments I remember: “I
trusted them,” “I felt heard,” “It came when I needed it.” “It felt true.” “It
was clear.” “It was specific.” “I included an example.” “I gave choices.” “It
was student-focused.”
Although
making a recommendation isn’t always the best coaching choice (even when one is
asked for!), there are times when a recommendation is just the right touch.
This is especially true when a teacher is feeling overwhelmed or frustrated, or
when they just don’t have the knowledge or experience to solve the problem. A
novice teacher said, “I need help! They can ask me questions
all day long, but I only have so much knowledge.”
If making a recommendation feels like a
good choice, keep in mind the characteristics described above (and the one you
thought of!) about what makes a recommendation effective.
Recommendations in Action
When Callie was working with a teacher
as she planned an upcoming lesson, she felt the lesson would be more successful if the
teacher showed students examples of what their final products might look like.
She decided that having a few student samples to show the teacher would make
this recommendation concrete. Making recommendations concrete ensures that our
idea will mean the same thing to the teacher that it does to us.
Marjorie
felt that the teacher she was coaching should tie her assessment more closely to
the objectives she had determined for a lesson. She felt an explanation of why
this was important would make the recommendation more meaningful. Discussing
the rationale increased the effectiveness of Monica’s recommendation by
employing higher-level thinking. As she engaged the teacher in dialogue, the purpose
became clear. And engaging in higher-level thinking about an idea makes it more
memorable. Providing a rationale for recommendations makes the suggestions more
appealing and more likely to be remembered and used.
By being
concrete and providing rationale for their recommendations, these coaches
improved the chances that their recommendations would stick.
Making
Recommendations “Sticky”
Chip
and Dan Heath, in their book Made to
Stick explain why the
characteristics described above make recommendations “sticky.” The Heaths
remind us that ideas are most likely to endure when they help people notice and
understand. This week, my coaching friends uncovered some of those
characteristics. In your upcoming coaching conversations, if recommendations are
warranted, think about how these characteristics can make those recommendations
stick.
This week, you might want to take a look at:
Collaboration and teacher/teacher observation boosts learning:
http://tn.chalkbeat.org/2015/01/28/from-shanghai-to-collierville-collaboration-model-boosts-teacher-performance/
Using a podcast to spark students’ personal narrative writing:
https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/65612/finding-your-voice-isnt-just-for-students-its-for-teachers-too
Using kilo -- the traditional Hawaiian practice of intentional observation -- to boost focus, writing skills and environmental awareness:
https://www.smartbrief.com/original/kilo-learning-from-a-living-textbook
Kicking off independent reading (it’s not too late):
https://choiceliteracy.com/article/establishing-independent-reading-is-like-planting-seeds/
How movement and exercise support learning:
https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/53681/how-movement-and-exercise-help-kids-learn
That’s it for this week. Happy Coaching!
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! You can use the code: FDNF25 for 15% 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!
Collaboration and teacher/teacher observation boosts learning:
http://tn.chalkbeat.org/2015/01/28/from-shanghai-to-collierville-collaboration-model-boosts-teacher-performance/
Using a podcast to spark students’ personal narrative writing:
https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/65612/finding-your-voice-isnt-just-for-students-its-for-teachers-too
Using kilo -- the traditional Hawaiian practice of intentional observation -- to boost focus, writing skills and environmental awareness:
https://www.smartbrief.com/original/kilo-learning-from-a-living-textbook
Kicking off independent reading (it’s not too late):
https://choiceliteracy.com/article/establishing-independent-reading-is-like-planting-seeds/
How movement and exercise support learning:
https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/53681/how-movement-and-exercise-help-kids-learn
That’s it for this week. Happy Coaching!
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! You can use the code: FDNF25 for 15% 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!
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