Coaching happens in all aspects of life. Learning happens in
everything we do and the relationship we have to the learning can decide the
level of success. When a child is being taught a simple task, like tying their
shoes, their desire to learn either helps or hurts the process. In this
situation the parent, or person teaching the child must be willing to adjust to
the child’s willingness to learn. Success in teaching or coaching a strategy
sometimes requires the coach to step back and let the person work it out on
their own. Marzano and Simms (2013) states there are different levels of
willingness to change. Adults and children would like to know why they are
learning and feel safe in the process (Aguilar, 2016).
The
coach and teacher are partners and have the same ultimate goal, student
success. The partnership is a give and take. The coach is there to share
experience and knowledge to the teacher and the teachers is there to share
their problems and concerns. Marzano and Simms (2013) discuss three behaviors
of coaching; modeling, trust, and feedback. Whether the partnership is assigned
by administration or requested by the teacher, trust is an important component.
If the teacher trusts the coach they may be more likely to let down their
defenses and accept change. As teachers we scaffold new skills and strategies
in our classrooms for our students. Through coaching teachers can receive the
same type of give and take instruction. Adults may find the idea of being
coached intimidating. Admitting we need assistance isn’t always easy to do.
The third component of successful coaching is feedback. Marzano
and Simms (2013) state “feedback should be timely and specific” (p. 217).
Feedback should be honest and open to discussion. When providing feedback
coaches can use various types of coaching language. As teachers we tailor our
instruction to the needs of our students, coaches can do the same (Marzano
& Simms, 2013). Successes and failure are valuable to the success of
teachers and students in my experience. I plan to use all aspects of this
coaching process in my partnership. I hope learn as much from this process as I
hope my partner will learn.
Aguilar,
E. (2016). The art of coaching
teams: Building resilient communities that transform schools. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass, A Wiley
Brand.
How Coaching Works [Video File]. Retrieved from
https://www.youtube.com
Marzano, R. J., Simms, J. A., Roy, T., Heflebower, T., &
Warrick, P.
(2013). Coaching classroom
instruction.
Bloomington: Marzano Research Laboratory.
What Coaching is (EI) [Video File]. Retrieved from
https://www.youtube.com
"Success in teaching or coaching a strategy sometimes requires the coach to step back and let the person work it out on their own." This can work and backfire depending on the teacher and situation. When you are building based coach it is easier to determine when to do this because you are knowledgeable about all of the teachers in your building. When you move to the district level and beyond, you will have 100 plus teachers to serve. At this point, allowing a teacher to struggle can cause a breakdown with the teacher and the building administrator. If you choose to let the teacher figure it out on her own, make sure the building administrator is aware of your decision. Although Marzano, Sims, Roy, Heflebower, and Warrick (2013) suggest involving administrators when reluctant teachers are disrespectful, it is a good idea to involve them when any decision you make may end up on their radar.
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ReplyDeleteMarzano, R., Simms, J., Roy, T., Heflebower, T., and Warrick P. (2013). Coaching classroom instruction. Bloomington, IN: Marzano Research.
Tracy, love the video that explains coaching! I agree with you that a huge part of the coaching process has to be trust. It doesn't matter what type of learner we are coaching- if the learner doesn't feel they can trust the coach, growth will probably not happen. One strategy presented in our text for fostering trust in a coaching relationship was active listening (Marzano & Simms, 2013, p. 218). I personally can improve in this area and spend more time listening than explaining. I think this will prove to be a powerful tool.
ReplyDeleteMarzano, R. J., Simms, J. A., Roy, T., Heflebower, T., & Warrick, P. B. (2013). Coaching classroom instruction. Bloomington, IN: Marzano Research.