Even
when you are working with groups of teachers, coaching is ultimately an
individual process. Each teacher grows and changes in a particular, personal
way, taking a unique path to the way she comes to understand and giving a
unique shape to her understanding.
This
week, I was talking with a group of coaches, including one who was new to the
position. She felt a little shaky about her skills. We’d talked about the
Gradual Increase of Responsibility Model for Coaching, and she said, “I want to
make sure I’m doing this right! Can you tell me what I should be doing right
now?”
Coaches
who were experienced with the GIR model chimed in. “The thing about it,” one
said, “is that every teacher is different.” Another said, “What you do for one
may not be what another teacher needs. It’s different every time!” I nodded my
head and emphasized, “When we meet, I make suggestions about what coaching move
you might consider based on where you are in the coaching cycle, but it’s
always about what your teachers need.” I went on to describe how they might
consider each of the five coaching moves (modeling, recommending, questioning,
affirming, and praising) and think about where they’ll get the most
bang-for-their-buck at that time. That is the move they’ll emphasize…but not to
the complete exclusion of the others.
When
planning for a coaching conversation, it’s helpful to identify the coaching
move you feel should dominate, and recognize that, over time, you’ll gradually
shift your attention to less-supportive coaching moves. Coaches who give thoughtful consideration to
how they’ll coach are strong guides on the learning journey.
I
sometimes try to visualize all the children who will be sitting in one
teacher’s classroom over the course of her career. A sea of faces, changing one
August after another. This helps me realize the far-reaching impact of our work
as coaches and mentors. In this one-by-one process we call coaching, there is
no single “right way.” As you thoughtfully work with teachers, the GIR model
can be a guide along the unique journey of change that you and a teacher undertake
together. Supporting teachers one-by-one
helps each teacher become the best teacher she can possibly be.
This week, you might want to
take a look at:
Multisensory
learning and movement = learning that sticks:
Lessons
on conferring from the dermatologist’s office (think about how these might
apply in a coaching situation as well):
A
podcast about creating classroom places and maker-spaces in your classroom
(download for easy listening while you walk the dog!):
An
excellent article about making collaborative work time work:
For a tour-by-anchor
chart of an research/argument writing unit, take a look at this blog post:
That’s it for this week. Happy
Coaching!
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