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Today I was witness to one of those magical moments teacher live for – when learning erupts like spontaneous combustion, burning new ideas forever into students’ minds. In our PLC we’ve been working on discussion strategies – ways to support genuine conversation among students, where students initiate topics and make unsolicited contributions. We’ve been leading up to grand conversations , supporting students as they take ownership for their own learning and consider, extend, and sometimes refute one another’s ideas. Amy’s fourth-grade class has been studying Native American folktales. They had read Coyote Places the Stars and How the Stars Fell into the Sky , and today they were ready for a grand conversation. Amy invited me in to observe so that we could reflect together on the experience.  As the lesson began, I heard Amy launch the discussion with an open-ended question: “What were some of the similarities and differences between these two book?” Students jumped in with comme...

In my work with an early-career teacher named Kelli, I’m a yo-yo coach, pivoting back and forth between coaching moves in an effort to keep her moving forward. Kelli vacillates between over-confidence (is it for real?) and doubt about her teaching skills.  There has not been a clear gradual increase of responsibility for Kelli as we work together. Instead, I find myself recommending – even when she is confident. And affirming, especially when her confidence wains.  These coaching moves are a natural part of my coaching repertoire, but with most teachers, I move through them in a more systematic way.  When working with Kelli, however, I pull them out on an as-needed basis. However, now that we’ve been working together for a while, I find that questioning is becoming a more effective move. It helps with Kelli when I open with a general question about her work.  After she talks, I rephrase, trying to state back clearly and concisely what I’ve heard.  Having listene...

In the sixth century BC, Greek philosopher Heraclitus said that nothing in this world is constant except change and becoming.  His treatise, About Nature, includes the aphorism:  Everything flows; nothing stands still.   Becoming assumes a changing into and moving toward. What are you changing into? Who is the coach you are becoming? Who are the teachers you work with becoming?  Unless we cultivate an attitude of becoming, we (and those we work with) may remain stagnant. Stagnant. Even the word is unattractive. But becoming, ah, there’s a word for you! Developing, ripening, emerging, enhancing – that is what we are shooting for! The teachers we work with have not deliberately chosen a path of stagnation, but sometimes, it feels like all we can do is maintain the status quo amid the busy-ness of our lives as teachers.  We can support a becoming attitude with our colleagues through our work as coaches. When we point out teachers’ strengths , and help them build...

Andi is one of those teachers for whom instruction seems to come naturally. She is so tuned in to her students’ needs, and she radiates positivity. She loves what she does and it shows.  How does a coach support a teacher like Andi, who is doing so much so well?  Is there a need? I assert that even “Andi’s” benefit from a coach’s support. Teaching is hard work, and we all need celebrations. So even time spent working with expert teachers is worthwhile. But when our coaching “go-to” moves are highly-supportive, it may be hard to adjust the scaffolding we provide to match the needs of already-skillful teachers. That is where affirming comes in. In the GIR model (below), affirming is portrayed as a coaching move that provides less support, even, than asking questions. We use it when reflection has become automatic, when teachers are already asking themselves the questions that we might ask otherwise.  An affirmation compliments the teacher and validates what she is doing. It...