Joellen Killion and Cindy Harrison have produced a book for the National Staff Development Council titled, Taking the Lead: New Roles for Teachers and School-based Coaches. After exploring why coaching is important to student achievement, they dedicate a chapter to each of the following roles that school-based coaches can play:
Resource Provider
Data Coach
Instructional Specialist
Curriculum Specialist
Classroom Supporter
Learning Facilitator
Mentor
School Leader
Catalyst for Change
Learner
I have had the opportunity this year, along with my colleagues, Steve Sassaman and Mark Thompson, to work with the instructional coaches in the Salem Keizer School District in Salem, Oregon.
At Houck Middle School, I met and worked with Instructional Coach, Shanda Brown. I was told that Shanda had a middle school team that found great value in working with a coach. The team agreed to meet with me over lunch and shared how they work. I was impressed with their “teamness”. One neat example was that the Social Studies teacher had agreed to assume responsibility for one of the writing standards in the English curriculum.
I asked the team if they would be willing to create a list of the benefits they gained from working closely with an instructional coach. Also, what did they feel it cost them.
They provided me the following:
Instructional Coach Payoffs/Costs
Synergy Team 2007-08
As evidenced by anecdotal notes re: Shanda Brown, Instructional Coach
Shanda’s List:
Payoffs:
Was an additional team teacher, working alongside all members of the team.
She knew all the kids. This not only assisted us in the classroom, but also in hall supervision/lunch supervision/after-school supervision; i.e. she could catch kids who “forgot” after-school study hall at the crosswalk!
Tracked students of concern.
Facilitated student calls home. Made calls home on behalf of the team when we were in class and unable to get to the phone.
Liaison to administrative staff in office regarding discipline or other issues.
Support for rookie teacher on the team; i.e. classroom management, teaching strategies, etc.
Modeled lessons for veteran teachers, which provided a chance for self-reflection on our current practices as compared to the strategies she used with our classes.
Observed lessons for all teachers, focusing on whatever aspect(s) we asked her to observe, and wrote anecdotal accounts, which provided a chance for low-key self-evaluation. Made suggestions for improvements. Answered teacher questions such as, “What’s going on behind my back when kids are working in groups?!” so that we could gain awareness of potential problem situations and adjust our practices accordingly.
Did research on unit materials, literacy materials, and supplementary math materials. Obtained materials when requested.
Did action research as requested, following the most difficult class from class to class and providing anecdotal notes for teachers which were valuable in self-reflection on classroom strategies and procedures. Pointed out “holes” / resources the team had that we could make better use of. (effort poster)
Visited a LA arts class in Albany and shared her observations at a team meeting, which prompted reflection on the way we were doing team vocabulary, followed by a brainstorming session on making it more useful and relative to test-taking skills. Also gave us tips for new strategies/materials that would relate to building reading fluency.
Helped track kids for after-school mandatory study hall.
Helped facilitate curriculum projects on in-service days.
Was a resource for subs in our classrooms. Knew all our procedures and practices, so she could give them specific assistance.
Costs:
We had to be willing to be transparent and have another instructor in the room at any given time. She saw the good, the bad, and the ugly!
We had to develop a trust relationship, in that she was a part of the team and not there to evaluate us in any way.
We had to release control in our classrooms when she was modeling lessons.
We had to be willing to accept constructive criticism/suggestions without allowing ego to get in the way. Having developed the trust relationship, we knew she had our best interest and the kids’ best interest in mind.
We had to be interested in self-reflection and bettering our practices.
We had to remember to include her in all team communications.
We had to make time for conversations following observations, etc.
Take a moment and compare the list of Shanda’s work with the NSDC roles.
Showing posts with label COACHING. Show all posts
Showing posts with label COACHING. Show all posts
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Sunday, June 1, 2008
INSTRUCTIONAL COACHES AND CLASSROOM TEACHERS: SHARING THE ROAD TO SUCCESS
Cheryl Jones and Mary Vreeman, who lead the Reading Coach Project in Hillsborough County, FL, have published Instructional Coaches and Classroom Teachers: Sharing the Road to Success. I have had the opportunity to work with Mary and Cheryl for the past seven years and have seen the results of their work with elementary reading coaches. In addition to training their new coaches each summer, I have worked with coaches and administrators to plan for building implementation with faculty. [click here to read about their program]
Instructional Coaches and Classroom Teachers: Sharing the Road to Success will be helpful to principals and coaches planning to maximize the value of coaching. But the strongest payoff is that the book is written for teachers. In my comments that I wrote for the book’s cover, I noted that most teacher training programs, new teacher orientations, and professional development activities, do not prepare teachers to “make the most” of an instructional coach resource.
Here are a few quotes that will give you a sense of Mary’s and Cheryl’s message.
“Coaching is a two way street for inspiration—you will find you receive inspiration from and provide inspiration for, those you partner with in coaching activities. Coaching does not entertain any notions of perfection, performance, or evaluation.”
“Coaching builds upon the power of collaboration and provides opportunities to explore and examine our beliefs in the company of others.”
“Relationships are at the heart of coaching”
“Coaching offers something to every teacher—from the beginner to the seasoned veteran.”
Throughout the book you will hear Cheryl’s and Mary’s personal experiences as teachers, coaches, and school leaders. You’ll hear the voices of teachers. You’ll find opportunities for your own reflection, plus research and appendices of resources that support coaching activities.
Those of you working with Quality Teaching in a Culture of Coaching will find Instructional Coaches and Classroom Teachers a valuable complementary text.
Instructional Coaches and Classroom Teachers: Sharing the Road to Success will be helpful to principals and coaches planning to maximize the value of coaching. But the strongest payoff is that the book is written for teachers. In my comments that I wrote for the book’s cover, I noted that most teacher training programs, new teacher orientations, and professional development activities, do not prepare teachers to “make the most” of an instructional coach resource.
Here are a few quotes that will give you a sense of Mary’s and Cheryl’s message.
“Coaching is a two way street for inspiration—you will find you receive inspiration from and provide inspiration for, those you partner with in coaching activities. Coaching does not entertain any notions of perfection, performance, or evaluation.”
“Coaching builds upon the power of collaboration and provides opportunities to explore and examine our beliefs in the company of others.”
“Relationships are at the heart of coaching”
“Coaching offers something to every teacher—from the beginner to the seasoned veteran.”
Throughout the book you will hear Cheryl’s and Mary’s personal experiences as teachers, coaches, and school leaders. You’ll hear the voices of teachers. You’ll find opportunities for your own reflection, plus research and appendices of resources that support coaching activities.
Those of you working with Quality Teaching in a Culture of Coaching will find Instructional Coaches and Classroom Teachers a valuable complementary text.
Sunday, May 4, 2008
QUESTIONS-the Coach's Tool
This week, I had the opportunity to spend two days, coaching coaches. Visiting instructional coaches in Salem-Keizer Public Schools in Salem Oregon, I had the opportunity to observe instructional coaches conducting pre and post observation conferences, as well as, conduct observations of classrooms. In some cases after the observation, I role-played with the coaches how I would conduct the conference and then they conducted the actual conference with the teacher with my observation. As we debriefed, many of the coaches shared with me a renewed understanding of the importance of the questions that a coach uses.
For example, a coach who was concerned how to mention the off task student behaviors that she observed found that when she asked the teacher, "what she saw during the lesson that made her feel most comfortable and most uncomfortable”, the teacher shared the off task behaviors and opened the door for conversation. When I stopped a coach in the middle of a pre-conference after the teacher said for the second time that she wanted the lesson to go smoothly and asked “what is smoothly”, the coach gained a much clearer picture into the teacher’s agenda.
Performance Learning Systems is preparing an updated version of our three day coaches’ training (for more information email me at sbarkley@plsweb.com). It includes an extensive review of the research on coaching. What follows is the research summary of the role of questioning.
Research shows learning comes not from having experiences, but from reflecting on those experiences (Knight, 2007; Rodgers, 2002). Supportive yet challenging questions can encourage reflection (Barkley & Bianco, 2005; Gimbel, 2008). Wang and Odell (2002) suggested, “Mentors need to know how to question and help novices pose questions about prevailing practice and identify the assumptions underlying one another’s teaching” (p. 521). Dunne and Villani (2007) stressed the importance of asking questions that focus on student learning and student work and that encourage the novices reflect on their practices.
Helping professionals have long realized the potential of active listening as a crucial skill for nurturing growth and learning (Tate & Dunklee, 2005). While little research has been conducted on the use of questions in a coaching/mentoring relationship, a substantial body of knowledge concerning the use of questions in the educational process does exist (Buehler, 2005; Schroeder et al., 2007). It is likely much of this information can be extended to peer coaching situations. Udelhofen and Larson (2003) concluded dialogue and discussion are the primary tools of effective mentoring. Browne and Kelley (2007) suggested the ability to ask the right questions is a crucial to creating effective dialogue
Research shows how a question is asked influences its effectiveness (Bell & Smith, 2004; Dillon, 1997; Wang, 2006). Clarity of educators’ questions correlates positively with student achievement (Jarolimek & Foster, 2008). Bowman and McCormick (2000) found that with effective coaching, teachers could improve their level of clarity in asking questions.
Through the use of carefully framed open- and closed-ended (yes/no) questions, mentors can increase the probability of eliciting the kinds of responses desired (Dunne & Villani, 2007). Certain topics require close-ended questions to elicit factual or specific answers, while open-ended questions are more useful for encouraging evaluation and interpretation. Wang (2006) cautioned close-ended questions “…cannot be used to extend the scope of a conversation because a questioner restricts information, which is introduced” (p. 544). Listening carefully to the answers will enhance mentors’ knowledge of new teachers’needs and concerns (Dunne & Villani, 2007).
Research shows employing pauses and probes to obtain more complete answers is beneficial (Davenport, 2003). “Silence following a question can make a coach feel uncomfortable, but that may be time in which the teacher reflects” (Feger, Woleck, & Hickman, 2004, p. 16).
Research shows when questions stimulate novices’ thinking, rather than leads them to an expected answer, they are more likely to understand on a deeper level (Jarolimek & Foster, 2008; Knight,2007). Follow-up questions that refocus or redirect students’ incorrect or incomplete responses enhance student achievement (Dantonio, 1990). It is likely the same tactic aids learning in a coaching/mentoring environment.
Research shows good mentoring sessions allow novices to ask questions of the coach/mentor. This is best accomplished in an accepting and noncritical working relationship (Knight, 2007). In addition to questions that assess knowledge and understanding, other questions help coaches to explore values, promote creative thinking, and help evaluate situations (Morgan & Saxton, 1991). The most crucial point is that successful questions must be planned, not improvised (Dillon, 1997). Barkley and Bianco (2005) suggested effective listening is more than passively hearing another; active listening requires asking questions and paraphrasing the speaker’s content. As Katch (2003) suggested, asking effective open-ended questions sometimes requires teachers to give up their need to control the discussion and instead listen, for understanding. Active listening, in contrast to passive listening, involves an interactive dialogue in which the listener not only hears the speaker, but also paraphrases, summarizes, clarifies, or otherwise elaborates on the content and feelings revealed by the speaker (Ivey & Ivey, 2006).
For example, a coach who was concerned how to mention the off task student behaviors that she observed found that when she asked the teacher, "what she saw during the lesson that made her feel most comfortable and most uncomfortable”, the teacher shared the off task behaviors and opened the door for conversation. When I stopped a coach in the middle of a pre-conference after the teacher said for the second time that she wanted the lesson to go smoothly and asked “what is smoothly”, the coach gained a much clearer picture into the teacher’s agenda.
Performance Learning Systems is preparing an updated version of our three day coaches’ training (for more information email me at sbarkley@plsweb.com). It includes an extensive review of the research on coaching. What follows is the research summary of the role of questioning.
Research shows learning comes not from having experiences, but from reflecting on those experiences (Knight, 2007; Rodgers, 2002). Supportive yet challenging questions can encourage reflection (Barkley & Bianco, 2005; Gimbel, 2008). Wang and Odell (2002) suggested, “Mentors need to know how to question and help novices pose questions about prevailing practice and identify the assumptions underlying one another’s teaching” (p. 521). Dunne and Villani (2007) stressed the importance of asking questions that focus on student learning and student work and that encourage the novices reflect on their practices.
Helping professionals have long realized the potential of active listening as a crucial skill for nurturing growth and learning (Tate & Dunklee, 2005). While little research has been conducted on the use of questions in a coaching/mentoring relationship, a substantial body of knowledge concerning the use of questions in the educational process does exist (Buehler, 2005; Schroeder et al., 2007). It is likely much of this information can be extended to peer coaching situations. Udelhofen and Larson (2003) concluded dialogue and discussion are the primary tools of effective mentoring. Browne and Kelley (2007) suggested the ability to ask the right questions is a crucial to creating effective dialogue
Research shows how a question is asked influences its effectiveness (Bell & Smith, 2004; Dillon, 1997; Wang, 2006). Clarity of educators’ questions correlates positively with student achievement (Jarolimek & Foster, 2008). Bowman and McCormick (2000) found that with effective coaching, teachers could improve their level of clarity in asking questions.
Through the use of carefully framed open- and closed-ended (yes/no) questions, mentors can increase the probability of eliciting the kinds of responses desired (Dunne & Villani, 2007). Certain topics require close-ended questions to elicit factual or specific answers, while open-ended questions are more useful for encouraging evaluation and interpretation. Wang (2006) cautioned close-ended questions “…cannot be used to extend the scope of a conversation because a questioner restricts information, which is introduced” (p. 544). Listening carefully to the answers will enhance mentors’ knowledge of new teachers’needs and concerns (Dunne & Villani, 2007).
Research shows employing pauses and probes to obtain more complete answers is beneficial (Davenport, 2003). “Silence following a question can make a coach feel uncomfortable, but that may be time in which the teacher reflects” (Feger, Woleck, & Hickman, 2004, p. 16).
Research shows when questions stimulate novices’ thinking, rather than leads them to an expected answer, they are more likely to understand on a deeper level (Jarolimek & Foster, 2008; Knight,2007). Follow-up questions that refocus or redirect students’ incorrect or incomplete responses enhance student achievement (Dantonio, 1990). It is likely the same tactic aids learning in a coaching/mentoring environment.
Research shows good mentoring sessions allow novices to ask questions of the coach/mentor. This is best accomplished in an accepting and noncritical working relationship (Knight, 2007). In addition to questions that assess knowledge and understanding, other questions help coaches to explore values, promote creative thinking, and help evaluate situations (Morgan & Saxton, 1991). The most crucial point is that successful questions must be planned, not improvised (Dillon, 1997). Barkley and Bianco (2005) suggested effective listening is more than passively hearing another; active listening requires asking questions and paraphrasing the speaker’s content. As Katch (2003) suggested, asking effective open-ended questions sometimes requires teachers to give up their need to control the discussion and instead listen, for understanding. Active listening, in contrast to passive listening, involves an interactive dialogue in which the listener not only hears the speaker, but also paraphrases, summarizes, clarifies, or otherwise elaborates on the content and feelings revealed by the speaker (Ivey & Ivey, 2006).
Sunday, March 23, 2008
RESPONDING TO RESISTANCE
In the last two postings, Resistance in Coaching Conferences and Using Questions in Coaching Conferences, I’ve explored the need to uncover agendas and sometimes resistance before moving to problem solving in coaching conferences. In this post we will explore responding to resistance that has been identified. Paraphrasing, active listening, is a good step to confirm the resistance you believe you are hearing. In this scenario,
A fifth grade teacher tells you that she believes reading aloud is an important component of reading workshop time, but she doesn’t use it often because the students don’t listen during the reading. They fidget and are seldom able to respond to questions she asks.
You might paraphrase...
The teachers thinking:
A fifth grade teacher tells you that she believes reading aloud is an important component of reading workshop time, but she doesn’t use it often because the students don’t listen during the reading. They fidget and are seldom able to respond to questions she asks.
You might paraphrase...
The teachers thinking:
You feel that it’s wasting time to read aloud with them.
You’d like to motivate them to listen.
The teachers emotions:
You’d like to motivate them to listen.
The teachers emotions:
You’re upset with the students behavior.
You are worried their behavior could get worst if you keep
doing the read aloud.
I find it helpful to identify resistance as coming from three sources: ego (pride), intellect(brain) and emotions (feelings). Then, select a matching response.
Pride resistance- respond with approval statements
Emotion resistance- respond with empathy statements
Intellect resistance- respond with supporting statements
You are worried their behavior could get worst if you keep
doing the read aloud.
I find it helpful to identify resistance as coming from three sources: ego (pride), intellect(brain) and emotions (feelings). Then, select a matching response.
Pride resistance- respond with approval statements
Emotion resistance- respond with empathy statements
Intellect resistance- respond with supporting statements
Approval-- In most cases, I look to provide some approval as soon as possible within the conference.
It is so great to hear your understanding of the value of the read aloud. Many intermediate and middle level teachers assume it is just for use with younger students.
Your desire to find a way to make this work shows a real commitment to your students.
Empathy-- It is annoying to work hard and not see students respond. When we find the right mix of motivation and listening skill development your students’ responses will become your reward.
When you feel that you don’t have control, it is scary. Sometimes perseverance is the key.
Support--You are right that there is no time to waste, especially this time of year. What benefits of the read aloud are most important to your students?
Changing student behavior is hard work; motivating listen, reading, and thinking behaviors can have very long term payoffs for your students.
Notice in the diagram on resistance, that sometimes all three areas are present at once. The more resistance present the slower the coach needs to go, fighting the temptation to offer suggestions to end the conference sooner.
For greater study of verbal skills for working with agenda and resistance, see PLS course Building Communication and Team Building.
It is so great to hear your understanding of the value of the read aloud. Many intermediate and middle level teachers assume it is just for use with younger students.
Your desire to find a way to make this work shows a real commitment to your students.
Empathy-- It is annoying to work hard and not see students respond. When we find the right mix of motivation and listening skill development your students’ responses will become your reward.
When you feel that you don’t have control, it is scary. Sometimes perseverance is the key.
Support--You are right that there is no time to waste, especially this time of year. What benefits of the read aloud are most important to your students?
Changing student behavior is hard work; motivating listen, reading, and thinking behaviors can have very long term payoffs for your students.
Notice in the diagram on resistance, that sometimes all three areas are present at once. The more resistance present the slower the coach needs to go, fighting the temptation to offer suggestions to end the conference sooner.
For greater study of verbal skills for working with agenda and resistance, see PLS course Building Communication and Team Building.
Sunday, March 16, 2008
USING QUESTIONS IN COACHING CONFERENCES
In last week’s posting, I described the process of uncovering agenda and working with any resistance before moving into problem solving conversations. I was asked in a recent coaches’ training session to model my thinking out loud about questions as I applied it to a coaching scenario. Here is the scenario, my thinking and the questions I created. I have labeled the questions from Performance Learning Systems training called Questions for Life. If you are unfamiliar with Questions for life, drop me an email and I’ll forward the model to you.(sbarkley@plsweb.com )
Scenario
• A fifth grade teacher tells you that she believes reading aloud is an important component of reading workshop time, but she doesn’t use it often because the students don’t listen during the reading. They fidget and are seldom able to respond to questions she asks.
My thinking :
I thought that I’d want to tackle this in two steps. First would be questions to uncover the teacher’s understanding of reading aloud and her commitment to wanting to make reading aloud effective. Second would be uncovering a process to start working on changing the reading aloud student outcome.
Step 1 Questions:
What benefits do you see from using reading aloud? Analysis
Which of these benefits is of most important to your students? Appraisal
Are these benefits important to all your students or more important to some? Same/Different
How much do you want to invest in making reading aloud lessons work effectively?
Why? Evaluation
My Thinking:
If these questions uncover an understanding of the read aloud strategy and a commitment of the teacher to want it to work, I’d proceed with a problem solving approach.
If it did not, I’d explore other areas or interest or ways to increase teacher understanding and commitment.
Assuming understanding and commitment ...
Step 2 Questions:
Pick a lesson or activity (any content area) where you’ve seen your students listen well.
Describe what you saw. Perception
Identify another 6 times you’ve seen that. Analysis
What is common about those times? Induction
What is the critical issue to focus on… improving our students listening skills or motivating your students to use the listening skills they possess? Why? Evaluation
If I were to model a read aloud lesson with your students, what would you recommend I pay particular attention to when planning? Idea
My thinking: Hopefully, the teacher would invite me to do the modeling using her advice.
If that happened, I would ask the teacher to observe and collect the following data:
Question:
Where did you see the students listening the same as in previous lessons, less than in previous lessons, more than in previous lessons? Analysis
My thinking: This modeling and data collection would set the stage for repeated models, experimentation, and hopefully an invitation for the coach to observe the students as the teacher experimented.
Scenario
• A fifth grade teacher tells you that she believes reading aloud is an important component of reading workshop time, but she doesn’t use it often because the students don’t listen during the reading. They fidget and are seldom able to respond to questions she asks.
My thinking :
I thought that I’d want to tackle this in two steps. First would be questions to uncover the teacher’s understanding of reading aloud and her commitment to wanting to make reading aloud effective. Second would be uncovering a process to start working on changing the reading aloud student outcome.
Step 1 Questions:
What benefits do you see from using reading aloud? Analysis
Which of these benefits is of most important to your students? Appraisal
Are these benefits important to all your students or more important to some? Same/Different
How much do you want to invest in making reading aloud lessons work effectively?
Why? Evaluation
My Thinking:
If these questions uncover an understanding of the read aloud strategy and a commitment of the teacher to want it to work, I’d proceed with a problem solving approach.
If it did not, I’d explore other areas or interest or ways to increase teacher understanding and commitment.
Assuming understanding and commitment ...
Step 2 Questions:
Pick a lesson or activity (any content area) where you’ve seen your students listen well.
Describe what you saw. Perception
Identify another 6 times you’ve seen that. Analysis
What is common about those times? Induction
What is the critical issue to focus on… improving our students listening skills or motivating your students to use the listening skills they possess? Why? Evaluation
If I were to model a read aloud lesson with your students, what would you recommend I pay particular attention to when planning? Idea
My thinking: Hopefully, the teacher would invite me to do the modeling using her advice.
If that happened, I would ask the teacher to observe and collect the following data:
Question:
Where did you see the students listening the same as in previous lessons, less than in previous lessons, more than in previous lessons? Analysis
My thinking: This modeling and data collection would set the stage for repeated models, experimentation, and hopefully an invitation for the coach to observe the students as the teacher experimented.
Sunday, March 9, 2008
RESISTANCE IN COACHING CONFERENCES
In coach’s training, I often present a structure for planning and reflecting on conferences that are focused on bringing about change:
Agenda
Resistance
Problem Solving
First, identifying the teacher’s agenda (What are the emotions and thinking behind the teacher’s actions?). Often as the agenda is revealed, resistance is uncovered. It is then critical to work through the resistance before looking for solutions. A common mistake of coaches is to offer solutions or options when the teacher isn’t really ready to explore them.
Here is a scenario I recently received from a Student Engagement Coach:
Day One: The teacher asks if I know of a story that would fit in with her Black History Unit. I look at one and ask her if it is too long. We think about it, and then she suggests another story that I know well. I say,"Yes, that would be a great story. That would be a great vehicle for a lesson on inference". She looks at me in a questioning way. I say, "You could do this activity that is described in The Readers Handbook." I show her the "during reading" activity that uses two column notes. She would have to find quotes from the story that infer something about the characters, plot, setting, etc. Students would have them on the left side of the paper, and on the right side students explain what they inferred. She said it looked like too much and the students will not like stopping as they read to do the activity. I said that perhaps four quotes would be enough. Then, I showed her another activity from the book that would be a great "after reading "activity. Both activities are simple and would enhance any class discussion following the reading. Students were to read in pairs.
Day Two; I visit the class to watch the students during this reading activity. They are reading in pairs. They do not have the quotes, nor do they have the after reading activity. I talked to the teacher about this. Her response was that she did not have time to put the quotes on an overhead or on a worksheet. She did have the quotes selected. She said they would go over the quotes the next day.
She seemed to lack understanding of the need to teach the standards and not just entertain the students with a good story. The lesson was designed so the students would do the work and learning.
I had explained to her the day before the importance of having them understand the inference as they read so they could better understand the story. Doing the activity later reduces the impact. Doing the work the next day takes away the student's chance to interact with the story on the higher level.
Was this passive aggressive behavior? Did she not have time? Why didn't she make time?
I had the opportunity to meet with the coach who sent me this scenario. As we began to talk and she began to reflect, the realization of her doing an “end run” of the resistance of the teacher emerged. The teacher gave several signs of resistance that the coach could have explored.
The first was nonverbal, “She looked at me in a questioning way". This was a good spot for a paraphrase,”That doesn’t make sense for you”. However the teacher responds, the coach knows more of her thinking.”
Another spot, the teacher says, "That looks like too much". The coach goes to problem solving saying,”just four could work”. Here is a spot where some questions might work to uncover thinking/resistance.
"Tell me more" or "What makes it too much?".
Next time you feel resistance in a coaching conference look to explore it. It may take longer but it will increase the odds that change really will occur.
Agenda
Resistance
Problem Solving
First, identifying the teacher’s agenda (What are the emotions and thinking behind the teacher’s actions?). Often as the agenda is revealed, resistance is uncovered. It is then critical to work through the resistance before looking for solutions. A common mistake of coaches is to offer solutions or options when the teacher isn’t really ready to explore them.
Here is a scenario I recently received from a Student Engagement Coach:
Day One: The teacher asks if I know of a story that would fit in with her Black History Unit. I look at one and ask her if it is too long. We think about it, and then she suggests another story that I know well. I say,"Yes, that would be a great story. That would be a great vehicle for a lesson on inference". She looks at me in a questioning way. I say, "You could do this activity that is described in The Readers Handbook." I show her the "during reading" activity that uses two column notes. She would have to find quotes from the story that infer something about the characters, plot, setting, etc. Students would have them on the left side of the paper, and on the right side students explain what they inferred. She said it looked like too much and the students will not like stopping as they read to do the activity. I said that perhaps four quotes would be enough. Then, I showed her another activity from the book that would be a great "after reading "activity. Both activities are simple and would enhance any class discussion following the reading. Students were to read in pairs.
Day Two; I visit the class to watch the students during this reading activity. They are reading in pairs. They do not have the quotes, nor do they have the after reading activity. I talked to the teacher about this. Her response was that she did not have time to put the quotes on an overhead or on a worksheet. She did have the quotes selected. She said they would go over the quotes the next day.
She seemed to lack understanding of the need to teach the standards and not just entertain the students with a good story. The lesson was designed so the students would do the work and learning.
I had explained to her the day before the importance of having them understand the inference as they read so they could better understand the story. Doing the activity later reduces the impact. Doing the work the next day takes away the student's chance to interact with the story on the higher level.
Was this passive aggressive behavior? Did she not have time? Why didn't she make time?
I had the opportunity to meet with the coach who sent me this scenario. As we began to talk and she began to reflect, the realization of her doing an “end run” of the resistance of the teacher emerged. The teacher gave several signs of resistance that the coach could have explored.
The first was nonverbal, “She looked at me in a questioning way". This was a good spot for a paraphrase,”That doesn’t make sense for you”. However the teacher responds, the coach knows more of her thinking.”
Another spot, the teacher says, "That looks like too much". The coach goes to problem solving saying,”just four could work”. Here is a spot where some questions might work to uncover thinking/resistance.
"Tell me more" or "What makes it too much?".
Next time you feel resistance in a coaching conference look to explore it. It may take longer but it will increase the odds that change really will occur.
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