Last week’s post talked about setting
the stage before being observed to make modeling a more meaningful part of the coaching experience.
What happens after a lesson is even more critical for making modeling
worthwhile.
Before beginning a debrief
conversation, a few quiet moments to review notes and highlight things that
seem important will help the teacher who observed recall what she saw and
reflect on aspects of the lesson that address her personal learning target. This
is also a good time for her to write down any questions she has about the
planning, on-the-spot decision making, and instruction.
After this quiet think-time, invite
your observer to share a “noticing” (something she saw or heard) and the “so
what” (why that is important). Your primary job is to listen while the observer
unfolds her thinking. Once the initial noticing has borne fruit, encourage
another “noticing” or two, probing as needed to make sure the “so what” is
fleshed out in a way that enables the teacher to apply this new learning in her
own classroom. This process works equally well with a small group of
teacher-observers, who take turns sharing their noticings.
Next it will be your turn to talk,
responding the any questions the observing teacher has about what she has seen
or the planning that preceded it. In your responses, make connections to the
teacher’s learning focus – the areas she identified as the inquiry for her
observation.
There is so much to take in when
observing a lesson, so staying focused on a single dimension of instruction will
increase the impact of your modeling. Modeling that is preceded and followed by
conversations that draw attention to a specific aspect of instruction can make
this coaching move an effective beginning to a coaching cycle.
Instead
of modeling with a group of students, Jim Knight models “I do/We do/You do”
during this coaching conversation:
Thoughts
about the importance of high expectations and consistency (this piece is about
much more than capitalization and punctuation!):
“I,”
“We,” and “You” – the power of pronouns when coaching:
Ten Black Dots launches project-based
learning: a math-centered interdisciplinary approach:
It’s the little things! Reviewing these body language mistakes before an observed lesson (and charting and then looking for their opposite appropriate body-language messages during the lesson) can increase awareness about hidden messages that affect classroom management: (click "continue to site)
That’s
it for this week. Happy Coaching!
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