A
coach’s success depends on more than content knowledge and pedagogical
experience. Reading and responding to the nonverbal cues in a coaching interaction
can have a big influence on its impact.
The
body is an abundant source of information. As a coach, I am more successful when
I am tuned in to this information. Today, when I walked up to a teacher, I was
ready to have a conversation about instruction. But in the first split-second
when I looked at him, I knew something was off. The teacher’s eyes were wide,
he was standing stick-straight, and he somehow seemed agitated. He was just not
his normal, laid-back kind of self.
Without
pausing to think, I asked, “What’s up?” Not in the “Hi, how are you?”
kind-of-way, but with an “I’m really wondering” tone in my voice. His keyed-up
body language made me think something out of the ordinary might be happening.
I
was right!
Brent
told me he’d just gotten a text from his friend, and he was going over after
school to hand-craft the engagement ring he planned to propose with! In a
sentence or two, Brent shared the cause of his agitated state. My response
mirrored his enthusiasm, and he felt understood. That exchange laid the foundation
for an equally brief but effective conversation about instruction, with ideas
being shared and Brent walking away with a new approach to try.
What
if I hadn’t picked up on Brent’s intensity? If I’d launched right into a
conversation about teaching, I think Brent’s mind would have been elsewhere,
and our discussion wouldn’t have amounted to much. It reminded me how important
it is to read more than words.
During
a conversation, I can listen for:
*Intonation
*Volume
*Pacing
*Language
choices
And
in addition to listening, I can watch:
*Gestures
*Posture
*Facial
expressions
Interestingly,
psychologists have found that mirroring these nonverbal cues creates
connections and builds rapport. By matching the gestures, postures, or voice
qualities of my dialogue partner, I create connectedness. This mirroring tells
the teacher that I know exactly what he is talking about! When nonverbal
synchrony is part of a dialogue, the listener feels understood.
If
you want to see the impact of this approach, you’ll have to be intentional
about it at first. But, with practice, you’ll come to naturally mirror
nonverbal cues. Being a blatant copy-cat feels unnatural, but subtly adjusting
your own response is a way to be respectful of another’s mindset.
In
addition to mirroring, coaches’ own nonverbal behaviors can convey empathy and trustworthiness.
Leaning forward and making direct eye contact create engagement and confidence.
A
large portion of the meaning in any social situation is carried by nonverbal
cues. Reading and using these cues can create a climate for coaching.
This week, you might want to
take a look at:
This
video example of a coach making a well-received recommendation:
A nice
reminder about keeping our busy lives in balance:
Using
attributes to teach viewpoints (in Social Studies and across other academic
areas):
Top 20
tips for using Pinterest (in the classroom!):
Adding
“fun” to lesson plans:
That’s it for this week. Happy
Coaching!
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