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2014 is going to be an amazing year. Teachers are being coached and trained in ever-increasing numbers which is attracting more teachers to learn about and adopt a coaching approach to their work.
Case StudyI have included a case study, a coaching session with a teacher. I have permission from "John" to use our conversatiion. we hope it will serve to show some of the complexity of the teacher's and the coach's situations.
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Listening in Depth
The theme is Listening in Depth. Here are tools and inspiration for fine-tuning your perception and going beyond what you perceive. The material is split into three sections, the first section describes how you can fine-tune the information that's coming to you through your eyes, ears and gut (for want of a better name) and the second section gives you five steps for getting access to a wider range of responses to what you are perceiving. The third section is a Case Study of a teacher who used listening in depth to change the behaviour in the classroom.
- Perception - fine-tuning
- Going beyond perception
- Case Study
Section One: Perception - fine-tuning
When you ask your students a question, listen to how they answer as well as what they answer. The way that a student answers will give you information about how the student is feeling. Pay attention to shifts in loudness, speed, tone and also softness, harshness, smoothness... there are many indicators. You can make a list of indicators and share them with a colleague.
When you ask the class a question, pay attention to shifts in what you see. Often body language is more difficult for students to control, and it can give you a more honest indicator of how they are feeling. Watch out for shifts in posture, calmness, agitation, leaning back, turning away, leaning forwards, standing up, walking around... there's a long list. You can make a list of indicators and share them with your teacher team.
What to do with all that shifting information?
Use your ears, eyes and your gut instinct. When you feel a shift in your gut that the student is too far out of their comfort zone you can choose to back off, or invite them to stay with the discomfort, or challenge them to get through it. You might say "It seems like this is tough for you, do you want to continue?", or if you feel the student is not close enough to the edge of their comfort zone, you might say "This sounds too easy for you, I am going to ask you more challenging questions. OK?"
When you ask the class a question, pay attention to shifts in what you see. Often body language is more difficult for students to control, and it can give you a more honest indicator of how they are feeling. Watch out for shifts in posture, calmness, agitation, leaning back, turning away, leaning forwards, standing up, walking around... there's a long list. You can make a list of indicators and share them with your teacher team.
What to do with all that shifting information?
Use your ears, eyes and your gut instinct. When you feel a shift in your gut that the student is too far out of their comfort zone you can choose to back off, or invite them to stay with the discomfort, or challenge them to get through it. You might say "It seems like this is tough for you, do you want to continue?", or if you feel the student is not close enough to the edge of their comfort zone, you might say "This sounds too easy for you, I am going to ask you more challenging questions. OK?"
Part Two - Going beyond perception
Generally a coaching approach will require you to move from 'the perceived problem' towards a 'creative and mutually-arrived-at solution'. That's something of a mind-twister. It's good to get some training in twisting your mind the way you want it to go so that you have more flexibility and agility in the situations that you are facing. Mind-twisting is an exercise that has plenty of challenge to it, which is why it's fascinating and rewarding, I think.
Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference
Problems = Opportunities
Having the wisdom to know that a particular situation is indeed within your power to change, you have found an opportunity. Now you need to find the the courage to make some changes.
When I talk about 'perceived problem', I mean the kinds of situations that you feel uncomfortable about and want to change what is going on. In this case we are looking at what you can do to change the actions and interactions in those situations.
When I talk about 'perceived problem', I mean the kinds of situations that you feel uncomfortable about and want to change what is going on. In this case we are looking at what you can do to change the actions and interactions in those situations.
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I asked teachers "What problems do you hear in your classroom?". They told me that the students:
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I also asked teachers "What problems do you see in your classroom?". They described their students:
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Five Steps to go beyond perception
As teachers we spend quite a lot of our energy in perceiving (seeing, hearing and feeling...) the behaviours and activities that are going on in the classroom. In some cases our attention is fully on 'what is going on', and there's no attention left over for anything else. In such cases we can feel overwhelmed by the activity in the room as well as the thoughts in our heads. There can be just too much of that. What's needed on those days is to move our attention somewhere else, and below are the steps that will achieve that for you.
The effect of following these steps will be to create something different than what you are perceiving right now, so focus your attention on what's desirable. As my mother used to say, "Be careful what you wish for."
The effect of following these steps will be to create something different than what you are perceiving right now, so focus your attention on what's desirable. As my mother used to say, "Be careful what you wish for."
- Perceive
- Challenge
- Uncover
- Discover or Create
- Strategise and Implement
1. Perceive
With curiosity and without judgement.
It's useful to hold on to the belief that there's some good intention behind the behaviours such as 'shouting across the classroom' or 'arriving late'. Ask yourself "What's really going on here?". Asssume that there is a deeper level of meaning than the one you are picking up at the surface.
2. Challenge
Less is more - use just a little energy here. Sometimes a whisper will be louder than shouting. When you perceive some particular behaviour that you wish to change, challenge it in a neutral and respectful way. Name what you see or hear for example:
Student walking around the room
"I see you walking around the room"
Student has their feet on the table
"Whose feet are these on this table?"
Student gives a silent answer
"I didn't hear any answer"
Student asks a disruptive question
"That question is way off where I had planned to go today."
3. Uncover, part 1
With curiosity and without judgement.
Ask a couple of questions at most, aimed at uncovering what the student aims to get from their behaviour. You might ask questions like these, as appropriate:
"What's the aim of ... ?"
"What are you thinking?"
"What are you protecting?"
"What are you trying to do?"
"What are you getting out of doing that?"
"What's making you do that?"
3. Uncover, part 2
Tell the student what the undesirable side-effects of their behaviour is for you, them and other students.
"We have agreed on certain rules for behaviour in this classroom, and you are stepping beyond them"
"When you walk around the room, other students get annoyed with you, and expect me to stop you."
4. Discover or Create
Ask a couple of questions aimed at finding a different and acceptable way for the student to get what they need, with minimum side-effects.
Generally "How can you get what you need, without the side-effects?"
"If you could answer the question and get the protection from other student's comments, how would you answer the question?"
"If you could stretch your legs like you need to, without making the desk dirty, or stepping outside the rules of this classroom, how would you be doing that?"
5. Strategise and Implement
Together you can make up strategies for getting what you all need, and implement them over the coming weeks and months.
With curiosity and without judgement.
It's useful to hold on to the belief that there's some good intention behind the behaviours such as 'shouting across the classroom' or 'arriving late'. Ask yourself "What's really going on here?". Asssume that there is a deeper level of meaning than the one you are picking up at the surface.
2. Challenge
Less is more - use just a little energy here. Sometimes a whisper will be louder than shouting. When you perceive some particular behaviour that you wish to change, challenge it in a neutral and respectful way. Name what you see or hear for example:
Student walking around the room
"I see you walking around the room"
Student has their feet on the table
"Whose feet are these on this table?"
Student gives a silent answer
"I didn't hear any answer"
Student asks a disruptive question
"That question is way off where I had planned to go today."
3. Uncover, part 1
With curiosity and without judgement.
Ask a couple of questions at most, aimed at uncovering what the student aims to get from their behaviour. You might ask questions like these, as appropriate:
"What's the aim of ... ?"
"What are you thinking?"
"What are you protecting?"
"What are you trying to do?"
"What are you getting out of doing that?"
"What's making you do that?"
3. Uncover, part 2
Tell the student what the undesirable side-effects of their behaviour is for you, them and other students.
"We have agreed on certain rules for behaviour in this classroom, and you are stepping beyond them"
"When you walk around the room, other students get annoyed with you, and expect me to stop you."
4. Discover or Create
Ask a couple of questions aimed at finding a different and acceptable way for the student to get what they need, with minimum side-effects.
Generally "How can you get what you need, without the side-effects?"
"If you could answer the question and get the protection from other student's comments, how would you answer the question?"
"If you could stretch your legs like you need to, without making the desk dirty, or stepping outside the rules of this classroom, how would you be doing that?"
5. Strategise and Implement
Together you can make up strategies for getting what you all need, and implement them over the coming weeks and months.
Case Study
Working with Silent and Dominant students
These notes from a coaching conversation with teacher "John" will give you some insight into the coaching conversation and the results that can be achieved.
[Current Scenario]
[Verbal]
As with most coaching conversations, it starts with John talking in quite heated terms, and the coach listening actively. John starts the coaching session by describing his current situation, which he finds demoralising and frustrating. The coach listens and when John has said most of what he needs to say, the coach summarises,
"What I hear you saying is that a few students dominate the classroom. They talk all the time and steal attention from other students. A third of the students say almost nothing, even though you know they understand the work you are doing."
John agrees. His body language (legs crossed, arms crossed, shoulders slumped, head up, eyes scanning the horizon) suggests that he is locked in this view of the situation, and is looking for new ideas.
[Visual + Physical]
The coach switches from John's verbal representation to a visual representation of the situation, so that John can get a different perspective and asks John to get up off the chair so that he can break his locked body position.
"What's your question? Write your question on the board."
John writes How do I work with silent and dominant students?
In order to generate a more useful question, the coach asks "How would your question sound if it was more specific and with a stronger focus on the situation that you want to achieve?"
John thinks for a minute and changes his question to How can I work with silent and dominant students so that every student learns as much as possible?
In order to reveal some information about what is driving John to make changes to his teaching the coach asks about the personal benefits to be gained for John.
"What do YOU get from .. students learning as much as possible John?"
John relates what's important to him as a person and a professional regarding the results that his students get from his course at his school. The coach notes possible values that seem to underly John's drive to working better with silent and dominant students. Later in the coaching it might be useful to explore these values. For now the coach checks with John on a couple of values.
"It seems that XXX is important to you, is that right?"
"and YYY is also important to you, true?"
John agrees and adds another value for the coach to take note of.
These notes from a coaching conversation with teacher "John" will give you some insight into the coaching conversation and the results that can be achieved.
[Current Scenario]
[Verbal]
As with most coaching conversations, it starts with John talking in quite heated terms, and the coach listening actively. John starts the coaching session by describing his current situation, which he finds demoralising and frustrating. The coach listens and when John has said most of what he needs to say, the coach summarises,
"What I hear you saying is that a few students dominate the classroom. They talk all the time and steal attention from other students. A third of the students say almost nothing, even though you know they understand the work you are doing."
John agrees. His body language (legs crossed, arms crossed, shoulders slumped, head up, eyes scanning the horizon) suggests that he is locked in this view of the situation, and is looking for new ideas.
[Visual + Physical]
The coach switches from John's verbal representation to a visual representation of the situation, so that John can get a different perspective and asks John to get up off the chair so that he can break his locked body position.
"What's your question? Write your question on the board."
John writes How do I work with silent and dominant students?
In order to generate a more useful question, the coach asks "How would your question sound if it was more specific and with a stronger focus on the situation that you want to achieve?"
John thinks for a minute and changes his question to How can I work with silent and dominant students so that every student learns as much as possible?
In order to reveal some information about what is driving John to make changes to his teaching the coach asks about the personal benefits to be gained for John.
"What do YOU get from .. students learning as much as possible John?"
John relates what's important to him as a person and a professional regarding the results that his students get from his course at his school. The coach notes possible values that seem to underly John's drive to working better with silent and dominant students. Later in the coaching it might be useful to explore these values. For now the coach checks with John on a couple of values.
"It seems that XXX is important to you, is that right?"
"and YYY is also important to you, true?"
John agrees and adds another value for the coach to take note of.
[Dream situation]
At present there is no clear description of the situation in which every student learns as much as possible, so the coach asks for a clearer and more exciting description.
"If it were possible, how would you want it to be in your classroom so that every student learns as much as possible ?"
After a couple of verbal descriptions the coach asks John to write a description on the board.
No dominant students. Every student is equally involved and interacting appropriately.
The coach checks with John and labels this as the Dream situation.
The word 'appropriately' is one that John used to cover the fact that some lessons required more activity than others, and that he had a clear idea of what level of activity was 'appropriate'.
[Visual]
Since John's measure of the situation now includes numbers of students and levels of involvement and interaction, it could be useful to have a shared visual image of that to use in the coaching session. The coach asks John to draw a picture on the board.
"If you were to line up your students according to their level of involvement and interaction as it is today, what would the current situation look like?"
John draws
"and what would the Dream situation look like?"
John draws
The coach and John spend several minutes contemplating what John has drawn.
The coach notices something about the drawing and asks, "Look at the total amount if involvement and interaction in the two drawings. What do you notice about the difference between the current situation and dream situation?"
John notices that the total level of interaction is higher in the dream situation, and relates that to his values regarding the desirable outcomes of the lessons, the course and the students' opportunities in life.
At present there is no clear description of the situation in which every student learns as much as possible, so the coach asks for a clearer and more exciting description.
"If it were possible, how would you want it to be in your classroom so that every student learns as much as possible ?"
After a couple of verbal descriptions the coach asks John to write a description on the board.
No dominant students. Every student is equally involved and interacting appropriately.
The coach checks with John and labels this as the Dream situation.
The word 'appropriately' is one that John used to cover the fact that some lessons required more activity than others, and that he had a clear idea of what level of activity was 'appropriate'.
[Visual]
Since John's measure of the situation now includes numbers of students and levels of involvement and interaction, it could be useful to have a shared visual image of that to use in the coaching session. The coach asks John to draw a picture on the board.
"If you were to line up your students according to their level of involvement and interaction as it is today, what would the current situation look like?"
John draws
"and what would the Dream situation look like?"
John draws
The coach and John spend several minutes contemplating what John has drawn.
The coach notices something about the drawing and asks, "Look at the total amount if involvement and interaction in the two drawings. What do you notice about the difference between the current situation and dream situation?"
John notices that the total level of interaction is higher in the dream situation, and relates that to his values regarding the desirable outcomes of the lessons, the course and the students' opportunities in life.
Exploring possibilities
The coach opens up the conversation to look at what's possible,
"What classroom activities do you use that promote involvement and interaction?",
"What classroom activities could you use that might encourage dominant students to better share the involvement and interaction? What results did you get?"
"What classroom activities could you use that might encourage silent students to better share the involvement and interaction?"
John has asked the silent students to speak up more. He has put them on the spot in class, met with reluctance and resistance. Has asked dominant students to restrain themselves. It worked but only for a short while.
"What about the short and long term benefits to the students? How much was included in conversations with students?"
John usually works with the whole class at the time, to ensure that everyone has the chance to see and hear the necessary material and facts that will be tested. Class discussions turn into arguments between John and dominant students and between dominant students. Groupwork has resulted in students talking about nonesense stuff, and avoiding the point of the lesson.
"In which situations do you want there to be a more equal sharing of involvement and interaction?"
"What of the total involvement is it that is being shared?"
Draw a picture of the whole class discussion situation
Draw a picture of the groupwork situation
"What's been the change in the balance between whole class discussion and groupwork over the term?"
"In which activities do you get the best sharing of the total involvement?"
"What mostly successful actions have you already taken to get a better sharing of the time?"
The coach opens up the conversation to look at what's possible,
"What classroom activities do you use that promote involvement and interaction?",
"What classroom activities could you use that might encourage dominant students to better share the involvement and interaction? What results did you get?"
"What classroom activities could you use that might encourage silent students to better share the involvement and interaction?"
John has asked the silent students to speak up more. He has put them on the spot in class, met with reluctance and resistance. Has asked dominant students to restrain themselves. It worked but only for a short while.
"What about the short and long term benefits to the students? How much was included in conversations with students?"
John usually works with the whole class at the time, to ensure that everyone has the chance to see and hear the necessary material and facts that will be tested. Class discussions turn into arguments between John and dominant students and between dominant students. Groupwork has resulted in students talking about nonesense stuff, and avoiding the point of the lesson.
"In which situations do you want there to be a more equal sharing of involvement and interaction?"
"What of the total involvement is it that is being shared?"
Draw a picture of the whole class discussion situation
Draw a picture of the groupwork situation
"What's been the change in the balance between whole class discussion and groupwork over the term?"
"In which activities do you get the best sharing of the total involvement?"
"What mostly successful actions have you already taken to get a better sharing of the time?"
Coaches don't give advice
But maybe you could? What advice would you give John?
