If you have some respect for people
as they are, you can be more effective in helping them become better than they
are.
John
W. Gardner
Trust
and respect are intertwined. Where there
is mutual trust, colleagues develop an understanding of each other’s views,
strengths, and needs. This understanding
leads to respect. We can usually
understand another’s actions better when we take the time to find out about
what that person values and has experienced and when we respect their
individual attributes. Inquiring about
teachers’ past experiences gives you a window into their instructional
actions. If you respect the individual, things
will eventually make sense.
One
of the teachers I’m working with provides a good example. Erica is a quiet beauty. Somehow, I’ve come to associate beautiful
young women with outgoing personalities, but this is not the case for
Erica. She is serene and
thoughtful. Her lesson plans are
detailed and well-envisioned. I’ve
watched her in the classroom, moving from student to student with quiet
comments that elevate students’ thinking.
She will never be the sage on the stage, the entertainer-type of
teacher. I wouldn’t want her to be.
When
coaching Erica, I started by acknowledging the powerful conversations she was
having with individual students, labeling them for her as “conferences.” We initially talked about structuring those
conferences for increased impact. I
tried to build from where she was and the unique assets she brought as a
teacher before making suggestions that might have been a bit more outside of
her comfort zone. We were well into our
coaching work before we talked about bringing more exuberance to her read
alouds. A buoyant read-aloud, with lilt
in her voice, dynamic volume, and pregnant pauses did not come naturally to
her. But she recognized the need and was
willing to work on it because of the mutual respect we had developed. Unprompted, she even began adding different
voices for each character, and admitted to practicing in front of her mirror
(after shutting the door to keep her roommates on the other side!).
Instruction
is most likely to improve when we respect the teachers we are working with and
have earned their respect. Don’t be in a
rush to recommend; work on building respect and understanding first. The simple equation for those in a rush
is: no
respect = no change.*
*Powers, B. (2011). Choice Literacy Newsletter, September 27, 2011. Downloaded from choiceliteracy.com.
This week,
you might want to take a look at these ideas for using technology in coaching
and in the classroom:
A
video about using technology to coach:
A site with reviews of educational
websites and apps that is searchable by subject area, grade, and cost (including
plenty that are free!):
This
Pinterest Board on using technology in the classroom:
An
NPR podcast about how social media boosts literacy:
Online reading
& writing tools:
That’s
all for this week. Happy Coaching!
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