Coaching the Dream

Cinderella sang, “A dream is a wish your heart makes.” In today’s post, I’m thinking through the role of dreams and wishes in instructional coaching. Cinderella goes on to specify dreams that occur while sleeping. But wide-awake, wishful dreams can help identify a coaching focus.
 
When coaches ask, “What do you wish your students could do?” teachers’ responses identify areas of need and open the door to possibilities. The word wish carries positive connotations, shifting teachers away from a deficit mindset and toward action.
 
When a teacher is concerned about classroom management, I’ve found that a slight variation of the wish question shifts the conversation in a fruitful direction: “What do you wish your students would do?” This question moves the teacher to identify needs that can become a coaching focus.
 
A dream is a version of life without weaknesses and limitations. When teachers lay out a dream for hoped-for classroom outcomes, they are looking beyond current concerns. After the vision for the future is clear, coaches can help teachers tackle the real-life vulnerabilities that might get in the way. Being willing to look at current limitations can lead to transformation – in fact, it’s probably the only way to create that path.  Wishes and dreams create a positive mindset that builds willingness to look limitations in the face and do something about them.
 
Cinderella was clearly onto something when she said, “A dream is a wish your heart makes.” With the support of a coach, teachers gain confidence that “the dream that you wish will come true.”
 
This week, you might want to take a look at:

Balancing small-group and one-on-one time:

https://choiceliteracy.com/article/balancing-conferences-and-small-groups/
 
 
Books for beefing up nonfiction libraries:
 
http://www.nonfictiondetectives.com/
 
 
Writers workshop with young writers:
 
https://www.eschoolnews.com/2014/07/16/writing-workshop-authors-930/
 

A digital compare/contrast map:
 
https://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/student-interactives/compare-contrast
 
 
Make way for play (in 5^th grade):
 
https://catchingreaders.com/2012/05/08/playing-in-5th-grade/
 
That’s it for this week.  Happy Coaching!
 
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Hooray!!! My new book, Differentiated Mentoring & Coaching in Education: From Preservice Teacher to Expert Practitioner is a fall release from Teachers College Press!  I’m so excited to share it with you! During November, you can use the code: DEC2022 for 15% off plus FREE SHIPPING. Click  here  and I’ll email you the free Book Group Study Guide that includes questions, prompts, and activities you can use as you share the book with colleagues.  I hope you’ll love this book as much as I loved making it for you!
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