Name Your Strength: Coach Self-Fulfilling Prophesies

I love the “Expert Wall” I saw in a first-grade classroom. Children had named their strengths, and they became resources for others in the class.  Sergio had listed soccer as his strength; classmates wanting information about soccer knew to come to him. Estelle was good at math, and Harvey’s entry said he knew all about dinosaurs. Children became confident in their named strengths as their insights were acknowledged and requested. They were praised and the praise turned inward – these named areas of expertise became self-fulfilling prophesies as the children sought to authentically fill their “expert” roles.
 
Although teachers generously view others through a lens of optimism and strength, their self-analyses may not be so charitable. They may lack the first-graders’ confidence to name their strengths.
 
I read recently about a way to encourage teachers to create self-fulfilling prophesies, and I decided to give this idea a try – by asking them to write aspirational letters of recommendation for themselves.
 
Before introducing the letter idea, I asked the team of teachers I was working with to think of one of their favorite teachers: to picture him or her and take a minute or two and write down words that described that teachers. Then I asked them to think more broadly, taking another minute or two to write words that describe an effective teacher. Next, I had them list qualities they want to be known for as a teacher. Finally, I suggested they consider what they would like the principal to be able to write if they were asked at the end of the school year to write a letter of recommendation for them. I gave an overview of what I thought might be the benefits of such an exercise. Then I gave them some prompts and had them jot notes in response to:

• My biggest strengths are . . .  

• If asked, I want my students to say this about me . . .  

• My goal is to . . .  

• When the principal is visiting, I hope she notices . . .  

• I want to be known for . . .  

• As a teacher, I aspire to be . . .  

• I will contribute to the school community in these ways . . .

I encouraged them to use these ideas to write an aspirational letter of recommendation for themselves, using the third person (she/her/their name).  I asked them to describe the teacher they hoped to be by the end of the school year and to send that letter to me if they were comfortable doing so. I suggested that writing the letter might help them recognize their current strengths and set some new goals, and sharing the letter with me would help me coach them toward these strengths.
 
This week, after they had completed their letters, teachers seemed happy and positive as they talked about the experience. It gave them a boost to think about areas where they were strong and helped them consider how they would get to their aspirational goals. They said they thought things through in ways that they probably wouldn’t have if they hadn’t been asked to write the letter.
 
I loved reading the letters! Having teachers name their strengths, whether current or hopeful, helped me understand what each teacher values. Like the first-graders who grew into their named strengths, I’ll be ready to coach teachers toward the attributes they aspire to. And I’ve already started thinking about the aspirational letter of recommendation I’ll write for myself, hoping to name my own self-fulfilling prophesies!

This week, you might want to take a look at:
 
Strategies for strengthening teacher-coach relationships:
 
https://www.ascd.org/el/articles/how-good-coaches-build-alliance-with-teachers
 
 
A stance of confident humility:
 
https://barkleypd.com/blog/confident-humility-and-coaching/
 
 
A reminder for coaches to be active listeners:
 
https://simplycoachingandteaching.com/blog/2021/10/05/better-listener/
 
 
5 ways to help students ask better questions:
 
https://www.teachthought.com/critical-thinking/5-ways-help-students-ask-better-questions/
 
 
Why the 5 paragraph essay is a problem:
 
https://blog.heinemann.com/why-the-five-paragraph-essay-is-a-problem-now-and-later
 
That’s it for this week.  Happy Coaching!

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Lean In to Question: Coaching Outside Your Content Area

What do you do when you’re an instructional coach for a chemistry teacher and don’t remember chemistry? If you don’t have the content knowledge – or pedagogical content knowledge – for the subject, it changes how you coach.
 
During a coaching-the-coach session, I talked with Elias, an instructional coach who is responsible for all content areas in his high school. He’s a former English Language Arts teacher, and it’s been a long time since he did any trigonometry or calculus, but he’s working with the math teacher. It’s been a long time since he balanced any chemical equations, but he’s working with the science teacher. He is also working closely with an ELA teacher, and he feels pretty confident in that role! We talked about how Elias’s own background knowledge and experience are impacting his use of the GIR model for mentoring and coaching (below).
 
Elias wouldn’t want to stand up in front of a group of high school seniors to model a lesson on infinite sums in the calculus class, even though he is confident with instructional strategies that would work well in that lesson. Instead, Elias found a video clip online where students were working in small groups to compare their different problem-solving methods. The structures that the teacher in the video had in place were ones that the math teacher could incorporate. The video provided a model. Elias also made recommendations about creating heterogeneous groups for the lesson, recognizing that learning would be enhanced by students’ differing approaches to solving the problems.
 
When working with the chemistry teacher, Elias leaned into the coaching move of asking questions. During their planning conference, he prompted with questions like, “How will this lesson connect with what students did yesterday? “How will you grab students’ attention in a purposeful way?” and “What support might students need to be successful?”  Elias knew that asking these questions would be productive; he didn’t have to be an expert in the content to be able to support the planning of an effective lesson.
 
Of course, Elias finds lots of opportunities to affirm and praise teachers in all academic areas. It’s easy to spot effective instruction, even if you haven’t taught the content. When coaches watch students, they know what is working.
 
The GIR model is a flexible guide for instructional coaching – pliant enough to be useful whether or not you are experienced in the subject being taught.
 

This week, you might want to take a look at:
 
Read this to consider why it’s helpful to do assignments before assigning them and all the places for agency and professionalism in what you think might be a complete, packaged curriculum!
 
https://choiceliteracy.com/article/doing-the-writing-in-a-unit/
 
This learning/PD/collaboration tool – Box It Out:
 
https://www.thecoachingsketchnotebook.com/2021/09/a-new-tool-for-pd-box-it-out.html
 
 
Learning walks with teachers as a coaching practice:
 
https://ashleytaplin.com/2021/09/17/instructional-scouting-a-new-practice-for-learning-walks/
 
Student authority during classroom discussions:
 
https://www.teachhub.com/teaching-strategies/2021/10/classroom-discussion-the-importance-of-student-authority/
 
 
Problems with the 5-paragraph essay:
 
https://blog.heinemann.com/why-the-five-paragraph-essay-is-a-problem-now-and-later
 
That’s it for this week.  Happy Coaching!
 
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No Disguises! Make Coaching Recommendations the Real Deal

October has arrived, and with it, fun thoughts of masks and costumes! However, when it comes to coaching, disguises don’t pay off. So be on the alert for your own disguises as you ask questions during a coaching conversation.
 
Making recommendations seems to come easily to most coaches, and as we work to incorporate questioning as a coaching move, sometimes there’s a temptation to ask questions that are actually thinly-masked recommendations.  Consider the following coaching language:
 
Recommendation:
 
“You could have students use the rubric to assess their own papers.”
 
Recommendation disguised as a question:
 
“What would happen if students used a rubric to assess their own work?”
 
Question:
 
“What would have to change for students to work more for themselves and less for you?”
 
If a coach asks, “What would happen if students used a rubric to assess their own work?” this thinly-disguised recommendation could feel disingenuous, because the coach isn’t really looking for input. If a recommendation is needed, give it. 
 
However, if the teacher is ready to take on more responsibility, ask a question.  When the coach asks, “What would have to change….,” she is genuinely looking for ideas from the teacher.  The question opens the teacher’s thinking to new possibilities rather than funneling her thinking to a single, pre-determined choice.  Authentic questions like these help teachers think flexibly about the decisions they make as they design instruction.  Questions can shake us from our comfort zones as we ponder present practices together and discover new ways to think about our work.  Asking questions creates thoughtful conversations that can lead to lasting change and professional growth.  When a recommendation is called for, share it clearly; a recommendation disguised as a question feels like a trick, not a treat.

This week, you might want to take a look at:
 
Beyond universal screeners: anecdotal records as data:
 
https://choiceliteracy.com/article/balancing-assessments-through-better-classroom-notes/
 
 
Read this to consider: why it’s helpful to do assignments before assigning them and all the places for agency and professionalism in what you think might be a complete, packaged curriculum!
 
https://choiceliteracy.com/article/doing-the-writing-in-a-unit/
 
 
This learning/PD/collaboration tool – Box It Out:
 
https://www.thecoachingsketchnotebook.com/2021/09/a-new-tool-for-pd-box-it-out.html
 
Secondary students describe what makes a good teacher:
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iHapv0Tv7vM
 
 
5 steps for fact-checking:
 
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/5-steps-to-fact-checking-digital-literacy-in-action/id1201263130?i=1000527085151
 
That’s it for this week.  Happy Coaching!
 
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To Do: Making Positive Recommendations when Coaching

This week, the coaches I met with were grumbling a bit. Academic Year 3 of the pandemic is wearing us down, and we’re approaching October, which research suggests is a low month for teachers, so I understand where they were coming from. These weights were affecting our work, however, in a way that I felt we could easily change.
 
We were talking about the coaching move of making recommendations, and I noticed that most of the ideas for recommendations that were being shared were coming in the form of don’ts.
 
“Don’t call on a student before asking the question.”
 
“Stop reading from the teachers manual during the lesson.”
 
“Quit calling on the same student all the time.”
 
These recommendations were all in the negative: Things a teacher should stop, rather than things they should start. They were a “to don’t” list rather than a “to do” list.
 
What if instead we said:
 
“Ask everyone to get an answer in their head before you call on someone to respond.”
 
“It might be helpful to write key questions on sticky notes and put them in the book you’re going to be reading aloud.”
 
“The Dojo randomizer could help you get a variety of students talking.”
 
There may, of course, be times when something is happening that needs to be directly addressed; however, in most cases, we can avert a negative behavior by suggesting a positive one. In a coaching conversation, this keeps the tone more upbeat and the communication more collegial.
 
If you’re feeling frustrated with a teacher’s practice or just plain having a negative day, pay attention to your recommendations. Replace “stop” and “quit” with something the teacher could do instead. Creating a “to do” list rather than a “to don’t” list is more likely to support instructional improvement.

This week, you might want to take a look at:
 
This video about grouping to increase eye contact and learning:
 
https://www.edutopia.org/video/what-social-brain
 
 
4 steps to define your coaching purpose:
 
https://simplycoachingandteaching.com/blog/2021/09/08/coaching-purpose/
 
 
Pitfalls and pivots for instructional coaches:
 
https://www.edelements.com/blog/secret-lessons-and-common-pitfalls-from-a-former-instructional-coach
 
 
Picture books about worry:
 
https://choiceliteracy.com/article/reassuring-worried-children-with-picture-books/
 
 
Supporting comprehension of ebooks:
 
https://www.readingrockets.org/article/teaching-interactive-picture-e-books-grades-k-6
 
That’s it for this week.  Happy Coaching!
 
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Coaching Attributes

This week, I reached out to teachers asking them the attributes they value in a coach. I wondered which characteristics draw them in and help them be better versions of themselves. I learned a lot from teachers’ responses! 

There were some characteristics that weren’t surprising, but having them come up again and again reinforced their importance: Someone who can see the humor in a situation. Someone who looks at mistakes as an opportunity to grow. Someone who is caring. Someone positive. Someone who is supportive and comfortable to be around. Someone who gives feedback in an encouraging way – who confronts when needed, but does it with grace.   

The idea of respect and trust came up over and over again. Someone who shows trust in me. Someone who values my input. Someone who respects me. Someone who works alongside me. Someone who recognizes and appreciates my contributions.

There were also some themes describing what not to be and do. Teachers don’t want a coach who is high-anxiety, someone who gets easily frustrated, or someone who is a natural complainer. They don’t want a coach who continually points out the negative.  

Some interesting ideas came up when I asked teachers about their own personalities and how that related to attributes they wanted in a coach. Teachers often valued attributes in their coaches that the viewed as positive in themselves. If they saw themselves as organized, they wanted a coach who was organized. If they saw themselves as flexible, they wanted a coach to have that characteristic. From these comments, I recognized that it could be helpful to listen to what a teacher perceives as her own strengths and mirror them.
 
Alternatively, sometimes teachers mentioned valuing someone who was different in ways that balanced personal attributes they wanted to adjust. For example, a teacher who described herself as shy wanted a coach who would pull her out of her shell. I found it interesting that a teacher who felt he was too strict with students wanted a coach who would help him “loosen up a bit.” From these comments, I recognize that it can be helpful for me to tune in to what a teacher perceives as a weakness and be a counter-balance, pulling him through the area of need with my own modeling.
 
Reflecting on the responses I got when I asked teachers about the attributes they value in a coach has given me a laundry list of things to self-assess for and work on. I think it’s a question I’ll ask regularly as part of my quest to become a better version of my coaching self!  

This week, you might want to take a look at:
 
Name your strength:
 
https://choiceliteracy.com/article/self-fulfilling-prophecies-recommending-yourself/
 
Using pop culture to teach writing (10 minute podcast episode!):
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SpZSIPvkZsE
 
Have you used Kahoot?  This video (1 minute and 40 seconds!) describes how to use a blind Kahoot to introduce new material:
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KwGE758uWuc
 
 
How to support those who mentor new teachers:
 
https://www.niet.org/newsroom/show/feature/support-teacher-mentors
 
 
Ideas for culturally-sensitive communication:
 
https://www.tolerance.org/magazine/publications/critical-practices-for-antibias-education/family-and-community-engagement
 
That’s it for this week.  Happy Coaching!
 
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Listen First

Yesterday, I was strongly reminded of the value of listening first in a coaching situation.
 
In last week’s post, I described the disrupted experience my student-teaching interns have had during their COVID teacher-preparation experience – cancelled practicums meant these interns stepped into student teaching with almost no experience in the classroom. Coupled with that, the majority of them are in kindergarten classrooms, and their mentors reminded me that many of these kids were still three years old when COVID began. They’ve spent much of their young lives socially distanced, and this seems to be reflected in their classroom interactions. I reminded myself to be aware of these issues as I started the first round of interns’ formal evaluations.
 
My experience in Leslie’s classroom seemed to confirm my fears. Students were complaining about each other, telling on their peers, needing frequent reminders to participate, Many students disregarded Leslie’s requests. Kids pulled them arms inside their shirts and flapped the sleeves around, and several were laying down on the carpet where the group was seated, During the short lesson, Leslie had students move from the carpet to their desks several times, in what appeared to be an attempt to keep them engaged – but it backfired as students became more distracted from the content. Admirably, Leslie’s voice was firm and calm throughout, but most of her talk was directed toward student behavior rather that teaching content.
 
I had observed this lesson at 11:30, and after school I was driving back to meet with Leslie so that we could discuss the lesson. As I drove, I reminded myself of all the things that were working against Leslie. I knew I should acknowledge these. I wanted to make sure the feedback felt manageable. I decided on just one recommendation I could make that would have the most impact (“Increase the proportion of instructional talk to management talk”). Thankfully, I also reminded myself to listen first.
 
As Leslie and I walked together into a room where we could have a conversation, I asked, “How was the day?” The floodgates opened, and Leslie told me about a situation that had unfolded due to one student in the class who consistently exhibited challenging behaviors. To protect privacy, I won’t go into details, but it was clear that the other children in the class felt unsafe until the child was removed from the classroom, and the situation was traumatic for the student teacher and mentor as well.
 
After the child with challenging behaviors was gone, the mentor and intern had a conversation with the rest of the class about what had happened, trying to restore calm. It was time for recess then, so they went outside.
 
“When did all this happen?” I asked, as Leslie’s description of the situation came to a close.
 
“Right before you observed,” Leslie said. They were just coming in from recess as I joined the class.
 
When I had observed that morning, I had no knowledge of what had recently transpired. As I reflected on the observation, I hadn’t known about the incident that had so impacted students. Now, I recognized that what I had seen had likely been more of a reflection of the morning’s events than the intern’s teaching skill. I backpedaled on my planned recommendation and instead empathized. Leslie talked about how thrown off she had been by the morning’s events, and how atypical her students’ behavior was during the lesson I had observed.
 
Although I’d been in her room for a few minutes previously, I didn’t really have a sense of the typical classroom climate, so I asked.  Leslie told me about routines that were beginning to be established, and she described some hopes for the future. It was a very different conversation than I had anticipated. I can’t say we moved the work forward too much, but what would have happened if I’d launched into my recommendation without listening first? I think I’d be undoing damage to the relationship for some time to come.
 
I’ve written so many posts about listening. If you are a frequent reader of this blog, you may be tired of them. But, as for me, I could always use another reminder about this important skill. Over the course of the coming year with Leslie, she and I will reap benefits because I listened first.

This week, you might want to take a look at:
 
Professional growth partners pair teachers for ingrown PD:
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MLBVJfQHQoQ
 
 
Helping anxious students re-adjust to social settings:
 
https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/58462/how-to-help-anxious-students-re-adjust-to-social-settings
 
 
This podcast about the importance of Maslow’s fourth tier:
 
https://www.cultofpedagogy.com/maslow-esteem/
 
Why teachers should be asking more questions in their classroom:
 
https://www.teachthought.com/critical-thinking/always-on-inquiry-asking-more-questions-classroom/
 
Why kids shouldn’t sit still in class:
 
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/21/well/family/why-kids-shouldnt-sit-still-in-class.html?_r=0
 
That’s it for this week.  Happy Coaching!
 
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Good Things Happening! Coaching to Boost Teacher Efficacy

This year, I am working with student-teaching interns who are more novice than any I’ve ever mentored before. Because of the COVID pandemic, these interns have had only one practicum experience. Practicums provide preservice teachers opportunities to observe and try out practices in a school setting, gradually preparing them for their student-teaching experience. Because of school closures, remote teaching, and safety protocols, these interns’ first and last practicum was fall 2019, two years ago. As their university liaison, I have worried and wondered about how the missed experiences will play out. As I met with them during the first weeks of school, I noticed understandably less confidence as they approached their first teaching opportunities. Finding ways to boost their feelings of efficacy seemed important! So I decided it was time for the “Good Things Happening” strategy.
 
When I walked into my 2021 interns’ classrooms for the first time, I was intentionally looking at the world through rose-colored glasses. The lens through which I was viewing instruction allowed me to find opportunities for affirmation. When I walked into a room, I stood quietly to the side. Sometimes I immediately noticed something I could affirm. So I made a quick exit, stepped into the hall, and used my phone to record a memo to myself about what I wanted to applaud. Then I stepped into the next room and repeated the process. Sometimes I told myself, “Wait for it…wait for it…” And with a little patience and the right attitude, I found something encouraging in each classroom.
 
Below are some examples from the first round of “Good Things Happening” emails that I sent to interns this week. Since their focus at the beginning of the year is on the classroom environment (building relationships, managing procedures, and establishing routines), many of my comments focused on these aspects.
 
Each email started with a friendly salutation and an introduction such as, “It was fun to stop by your room Thursday!” This was followed by an affirmation like one of these:

·       I was impressed with the firm teacher voice you used when you redirected an individual student. You were also clear about consequences. And it worked!

·       One thing I noticed is that when a child asked a question during the phonological awareness practice, you listened and responded. That might not seem like a big deal, but often interns are so intent on their part in a lesson that they aren't tuned in to students. I love that you were paying attention. Responsiveness is an important teaching attribute!

·       I noticed that you were checking in with individual students. What a great way to build relationships and get to know their needs!

·       I was impressed with the firm, calm teacher voice you used when giving directions to students. It was helpful, too, that you let them know how much more time before cleaning up. Setting their expectations supports smoother transitions.

·       I was really impressed with the quiet noise level in the classroom. The calm music was floating through the room, and it just felt like things were rolling along as they should be. The culture felt inviting. I felt glad to be there, and I bet the kids did, too!

Soon after I sent the emails, interns responded appreciatively:  “You made my day!” “Thanks for noticing!” “Your ability to see something positive happening has been so appreciated!” Not only that, but their mentors, whom I’d copied on the emails, began replying with their own intern affirmations. It was a chain of efficacy-building assertions – just what these less-experienced interns needed!
 
My “Good Things Happening” routine takes little time but yields big benefits. Mentors and coaches can usually have deep interactions with only a small percentage of the faculty at any given time, so it’s helpful to continue nurturing relationships with the others in an ongoing way. “Good Things Happening” is one of my favorite ways to sustain these important relationships, a method that is especially helpful for preservice and early-career teachers who need a boost.

This week, you might want to take a look at:
 
How veteran teachers can help new teachers this year:
 
https://www.edutopia.org/article/supporting-new-teachers-year
 
 
The role of two-way trust in coaching:
 
https://simplycoachingandteaching.com/blog/2021/08/25/trust-in-coaching/
 
Tips for listening:
 
https://choiceliteracy.com/article/from-hearing-to-listening/
 
 
“Naughty” behaviors that are developmentally appropriate:
 
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/joyful-parenting/201705/not-naughty-10-ways-kids-appear-be-acting-bad-arent
 
 
During lesson closure, ask students to reflect – fist to five:
 
https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/getting-instant-student-feedback
 
 
That’s it for this week.  Happy Coaching!
 
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