Asset-Based Coaching for Reluctant Teachers

Ana was so unsure of herself as a teacher that, when she initially invited me to observe in her classroom, it was during the class period when only three students were enrolled. Knowing that Ana’s previous coach had faced excuses and last-minute cancellations and had never even observed Ana’s classes, I counted this a win.
 
It was an even bigger win when, after that first observation, Ana agreed for me to observe one of her larger classes; the one before lunch, not the group at the end of the day, which she said was “a big mess.”
 
I knew that helping Ana feel comfortable with me and gaining her trust was the only way I would ever be of service to her and to her students. An asset-based coaching approach could help, and I was reminded of a success notebooking practice I’d used in the past. It may seem silly, but before leaving for school, I reread my own post twice, printed it off, and highlighted it. I wrote myself a little sticky-note cheat sheet with the prompts I wanted to use and stuck it in my pocket.

As I observed Ana’s class, I wrote notes about what I was seeing and hearing in a tiny notebook. When the bell rang and Ana’s students left, she said, “Well, that was a mess!” as she walked toward me. I asked if she had 15 minutes or so to talk, and she said she did. When Ana left to heat up her lunch, I reviewed the post I had printed, re-read the prompts on the sticky note, and highlighted my observation notes. When she got back to her room, I followed my own formula for creating an affirming experience.

First, I gifted her a small, unintimidating notebook for our coaching work. It was the same as the one I’d taken notes with during her lesson, but hers was more colorful. Then, I suggested she reflect on one of the successes of the lesson. I told her that I’d be doing the same, and then we’d share. When she stopped writing, I said, “Let’s take another minute or so to add details about what happened.” When her pen stopped, I said, “Let’s take just a few more seconds and add at least one more detail.”  I explained that it was the details that would really be helpful.

Then I asked her, “What seems important about the success you wrote about?” She said that her students seemed to really enjoy the lesson, a small-group, collaborative writing idea that had been mentioned in our previous PLC work. I asked, “What is your big ‘Aha!’ about this?” She said she realized she could give her students more control than she thought, and that they would participate more. After she described how some students more-typically behaved, I asked, “Where could you do this in upcoming lessons?” Ana said they were about to start a new unit. At first she talked about small-group peer feedback that could happen near the end of the unit. Then she circled back to the success I’d described – about discussion as a pre-writing activity – and decided that would be a good way to kick off their writing. She and I captured these two ideas in our notebooks before wrapping up our conversation.

As I left Ana’s room, I thought about the difference between Ana’s self-effacing initial comment, “That was a mess!” and her insight that she could give students more control. I felt that Ana and I were moving together in a productive direction. Affirming successful aspects of the lesson had opened a door. 

 
This week, you might want to take a look at:

Participate in the National Day of Writing on Oct. 20:
 
https://ncte.org/national-day-writing/
 
 
Check in on students’ feelings:
 
https://choiceliteracy.com/article/detours-a-reminder-of-the-humanity-of-students/
 
 
Using drama and role playing for English Learners:
 
https://www.middleweb.com/38032/try-drama-and-role-play-with-english-learners/
 
 
Every teacher needs a mentor:
 
https://www.edutopia.org/article/every-teacher-needs-mentor
 
 
Why kids need play:
 
https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/54326/childhood-as-resume-building-why-play-needs-a-comeback
 
 
That’s it for this week. Happy Coaching!
 
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: OCT2024 for 20% off. 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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