Charlotte
Danielson, whose work on teacher effectiveness has been widely acknowledged
throughout the country, describes an intangible classroom element that is
crucial to engagement and meaningful learning:
Teachers
whose classrooms constitute a safe and challenging environment for student
learning have artfully combined challenge with support. This teaching is not formulaic; it is a high-level
professional enterprise in which teachers know when to cajole, when to reteach,
when to praise, and when to enlist the participation of other students, all in
the service of high-level learning.*
Establishing
a learning environment like the one Danielson describes is an important goal
that can be embedded in coaching work.
No matter what the coaching focus you’ve selected, the teacher you are
working with can simultaneously consider her teaching disposition and how her
values are reflected continuously in classroom interactions. Teaching dispositions include characteristics
such as:
---Fostering
supportive relationships (teacher-student and student-student)
---Respecting
diversity
---Holding
high expectations for students
Coaches
tell me that modeling is an effective way to draw attention to these attributes. One coach said, “It’s about how I speak to
kids. That’s another part of modeling –
the rapport she sees, the relationships with kids, the way I respond, the way I
react to student behavior. It’s a big
part of the modeling.” Another said, “She
sees what my expectations are, what is acceptable, what is not.” Coaches point out that these intangibles get
noticed during modeling. And often the
teacher brings them up unsolicited during a debrief conversation. One coach noted, “I model respect for the
kids, and she has commented on that. I
don’t raise my voice. Just my
demeanor. I think maybe that set her at
ease, too.”
The
same dispositions that made you an effective teacher constitute your
effectiveness as a coach. The supportive
relationships you established in your classroom are critical in your
coaching. The high-expectations you had
for your students are also needed for the teachers you are working with. Display these attributes in your work with
teachers and draw attention to them when you model in the classroom. Your work and the work of teachers you coach
will profit from an increased emphasis on the intangibles that create a
respectful learning environment.
*Danielson,
C. (2009). Talk About Teaching, Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin, p. 58.
This week, you might want to
take a look at:
A
coaching blog about examining the impact of where
you sit during a coaching conversation:
A
podcast on making formative assessment useful:
An
inspiring video, “What Teachers Make”:
A video on mirror neurons that will give food for thought about establishing rapport:
Tried-and-true
protocols for professional conversations:
That’s
it for this week. Happy Coaching!
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