“Don’t
just do something…..stand there!” This maxim
caught my attention as I was scrolling through internet content. There are many times when it is preferable to
“stand there” rather than “do something.”
The pregnant pause is a teacher’s, and coach’s, best friend. A pause after asking a question allows for
think time. A pause before responding,
when you have been asked a question, gives you time for a considered response.
One
of my most important jobs as a coach is to give a teacher the space to “stand
there.” In the rush of the day, I want
the time with me to be an opportunity to push the pause button and
reflect. So the tone I set for our meeting
is important. Sometimes, when I am also
caught up in the rush, our meetings feel like crossing something off of a to-do
list. But when I offer a seat, take a
deep breath and force my own shoulders down, I invite reflection. When I let the teacher open the conversation
by unloading about the morning, no matter what our agenda, we will be better
off. If I rush in, our work will be less
effective. If we “stand there,” our
eventual solutions are more likely to be solid ones.
This
is important with PLC time, too. Sharing
celebrations and concerns before we dig into the agenda may be more important
than the agenda itself. A teacher
recently reminded me of this need, asking for “a quick little discussion to
start so we can include specific things that are happening and meaningful to
us.” During those open discussions,
examples often emerge that give purpose to our work.
“Standing
there” can also mean taking a brain break.
Just like planning a lesson for students, when we plan professional
learning for teachers, we need to be thoughtful about concentration
capacity. And if, despite our planning,
we see that glazed-over look, we know it is time for a change. We can’t assume that, because they are in
grown-up bodies, teachers’ attention span is unlimited. No matter how engaging the work, we all need
to “stand there” from time to time, both figuratively and literally.
As
coaches, we can create a space for thinking and offer the time and tools to do
so. We can create pauses that become
thought-filled. We can also be sensitive
to the need for a change of pace. “Standing
there” allows us the opportunity to “do something” better!
This week, you might want to
take a look at:
Ideas to support teachers’ resilience
(and avoid burn-out):
Ideas for sharing student
writing:
Is pacing causing a problem for a
teacher you are working with? Take a look at this post:
Creating visual essays:
Teaching children to fail well:
That’s it for this week. Happy Coaching!
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