When
the Mighty Mississippi and the Ohio River converge, the intersection is obvious:
the brown Ohio and the green Mississippi swirl together. There is a change in
energy and flow. Confluences are important to the ecology of rivers because
they mark where changes in river current, chemistry, and habitat take place.
Like
the confluence of strong rivers, coaching can be the intersection of greatness.
When coach and teacher join together to form a single channel of thought, there
is symmetry in the relationship, with discovery on both sides. They are
co-learners. This merging is not the overlap of common traits like the
intersection in a Venn diagram. At its best, coaching is just the opposite: the
coming together of the distinctly different knowledge sets of teacher and
coach.
When coaches and teachers effectively collaborate, they work together in positive and trusting ways despite their different roles. There is mutual sharing – flow between the coach and teacher that acknowledges that each has relevant knowledge and experience. They inquire together, using shared questions to guide their learning.
Effective coaches establish a horizontal stance with teachers, rather than a vertical stance above them. In coaching conversations, they are a guide-by-the-side. We can acknowledge and draw on teachers’ expertise and experience while sharing our own.
Teachers are usually best equipped to understand the specific needs of their own students. They often have deep understanding of the content they are teaching and the resources they are using. Coaches bring another skillset. They stay current on evidence-based practices. They are good listeners and keen observers. They recognize patterns. They communicate clearly, productively paraphrasing and summarizing. Effective coaches ask open-ended questions that foster reflective thinking. Bringing these skillsets and knowledge-bases alongside one another results in improved student learning.
There is powerful energy at the convergence of coaches’ and teachers’ knowledge and skills. Ongoing collaboration leads to interdependence and increasing teacher responsibility, as shown in the GIR model. In this view, the coach becomes a tributary as the relationship flows on.
When coaches and teachers effectively collaborate, they work together in positive and trusting ways despite their different roles. There is mutual sharing – flow between the coach and teacher that acknowledges that each has relevant knowledge and experience. They inquire together, using shared questions to guide their learning.
Effective coaches establish a horizontal stance with teachers, rather than a vertical stance above them. In coaching conversations, they are a guide-by-the-side. We can acknowledge and draw on teachers’ expertise and experience while sharing our own.
Teachers are usually best equipped to understand the specific needs of their own students. They often have deep understanding of the content they are teaching and the resources they are using. Coaches bring another skillset. They stay current on evidence-based practices. They are good listeners and keen observers. They recognize patterns. They communicate clearly, productively paraphrasing and summarizing. Effective coaches ask open-ended questions that foster reflective thinking. Bringing these skillsets and knowledge-bases alongside one another results in improved student learning.
There is powerful energy at the convergence of coaches’ and teachers’ knowledge and skills. Ongoing collaboration leads to interdependence and increasing teacher responsibility, as shown in the GIR model. In this view, the coach becomes a tributary as the relationship flows on.
This week, you
might want to take a look at:
How
to make the most of mistakes:
https://www.edutopia.org/article/mistake-friendly-classroom/
Benefits of teaching expectations:
https://studysites.corwin.com/highimpactinstruction/videos/v13.1.htm
The value of “just reading”:
https://choiceliteracy.com/article/just-reading/
Pinterest board for building classroom community:
https://www.pinterest.com/search/pins/?q=classroom%20community&rs=typed&term_meta[]=classroom%7Ctyped&term_meta[]=community%7Ctyped
A Calendar of “National Days” (both serious and silly) to celebrate throughout the year:
https://nationaldaycalendar.com/calendar-at-a-glance/
That’s it for this week. Happy Coaching!
Was this helpful? Please share!
Want to know about new posts? Click “Follow” (bottom right)
Follow on Facebook at: facebook.com/mycoachescouch and Twitter and Instagram @vscollet for more coaching and teaching tips! You can also find me at VickiCollet.com
---------------------------------
Want more coaching tips? Check out my book, Differentiated Mentoring & Coaching in Education: From Preservice Teacher to Expert Practitioner, available from Teachers College Press! I’m so excited to share it with you! You can use the code: AUG2023 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!
https://www.edutopia.org/article/mistake-friendly-classroom/
Benefits of teaching expectations:
https://studysites.corwin.com/highimpactinstruction/videos/v13.1.htm
The value of “just reading”:
https://choiceliteracy.com/article/just-reading/
Pinterest board for building classroom community:
https://www.pinterest.com/search/pins/?q=classroom%20community&rs=typed&term_meta[]=classroom%7Ctyped&term_meta[]=community%7Ctyped
A Calendar of “National Days” (both serious and silly) to celebrate throughout the year:
https://nationaldaycalendar.com/calendar-at-a-glance/
That’s it for this week. Happy Coaching!
Was this helpful? Please share!
Want to know about new posts? Click “Follow” (bottom right)
Follow on Facebook at: facebook.com/mycoachescouch and Twitter and Instagram @vscollet for more coaching and teaching tips! You can also find me at VickiCollet.com
---------------------------------
Want more coaching tips? Check out my book, Differentiated Mentoring & Coaching in Education: From Preservice Teacher to Expert Practitioner, available from Teachers College Press! I’m so excited to share it with you! You can use the code: AUG2023 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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