Think of a time recently when someone
offered you praise. What did they say? (Can you think back to their specific
words?) How did you feel?
After class today, a student, Adison, was
reflecting on what we’ve been learning, and she said to me, “It’s as if I was
reading things on a surface level and now I have gone beneath the surface and
dove into the actual meaning behind everything, and it really has made me enjoy
learning a lot more!”
Adison’s
words resonated with me because they aligned with my own goals: I hope to
support students’ deep understanding, not just give them a
surface-level knowledge of the content. I
took this praise to heart. I was smiling, inside and out! And more than that, Adison’s praise caused me
to stop and reflect on the learning experiences that might have supported
Adison’s learning. I want to be sure to
repeat things that work!
It’s
like this when coaches give feedback to teachers, too. When the praise coaches
give aligns with what teachers value, it gets more uptake. In a pre-observation
meeting, we can listen for what the teacher values. What are they hoping the lesson will achieve?
What is their philosophy about how learning occurs? Figure this out and look for points of
intersection. Where do the teacher’s
values align with your own? What is it
that the teacher is looking for that you want to see, too? Finding alignment between your own values and
those of the teacher means that your praise with be authentic.
Here’s
a non-example: If a teacher values giving a great lecture that keeps listeners
on the edge of their seats, but you value student participation, your praise of
their entertaining saga will probably not ring true. You’ll have to dig deeper for something you
both value.
At
the beginning of this post, I asked you to reflect on being a recent recipient
of praise. Now flip that. Can you
remember a time when you recently offered praise? It’s fine if it was not in a professional
setting. I just want to encourage you to
think of a recent experience with giving praise. Who did you praise? What did you praise? What was the recipient’s response? How did you feel? If the response and feelings were positive,
chances are their was alignment between your values and those of the recipient.
The
beginning of the school year is a great time to check your alignment. By
listening and asking questions, you can gain a better understanding of what
each teacher you are working with values. Plan a way to keep track of these
values (not just in your head!). As authentic opportunities arise, practice
praising in ways that align with what teachers care about. Adjusting your alignment can keep you moving
straight ahead in your coaching work!
This week, you might
want to take a look at:
Building
a support network for YOURSELF as a coach:
Why
complaining about students is toxic:
An
entertaining video with advice to first-year teachers:
You’ve
got to read this blog with a valuable perspective about reading difficulties:
The
relationship between trust and feedback:
That’s it for this
week. Happy Coaching!
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