One question I have tried to add to my conversations with teachers is,  “How will you know it was successful?” Or “What does that look like?”  It is important for teachers and really anyone when setting or planning to have the end in sight.  I love the idea of Cognitive Coaching and the benefits of noticing the positive.  I will continue working on “noticing” and  not providing my own feelings and experience.  

The beginning of the process seems natural, acknowledging the coachee’s emotions and clarifying goals.  However, I did seem lost in the language following the steps.

Reflection #2 

In my various  planning conversations, I realized the importance of the plan for collecting evidence.  What does success look like? How will you know it was successful?  I plan on working on this with my coaching. If success looks like A then what necessary steps should be taken. The importance of utilizing backwards planning is highly beneficial when goal setting.  

Reflection #3 

As everyone has stated, the last question is unnatural.  Maybe with more practice, it will become authentic.  I understand the reasoning behind reflecting and “feeding forward”, it will just take practice.  My mat will be with me for awhile.

1. Teachers used to be very good at design thinking when we were required to create SMART goals which were integrated into our teacher appraisal system.  Not always was the “try again and repeat” part of the process one with great follow through but it did lend itself to teachers using the design thinking in their professional day to day operations.  How do we creatively get our teachers to start utilizing this process again?  Could we perhaps convince them that following this process may take the stress and anxiety of attempting to change w/o a framework and push themselves out of the zero-learning zone?

2. More info on a “hope audit.”  Reading this portion of the article it seemed a little silly at first but when I went back and reread it made me think that there are probably a whole lot of teachers out there who are feeling hopeless. Partnering this teacher up with a mentor teacher in their content area may be a great way to assess the audit and help with the reflection process. 

3.  “Hope involves agency, our belief that we have control over our lives and that we can meet our goals.”  I believe this is an uphill battle to convince people of right now with the current conditions happening in our environment.  I love the idea of helping to provide multiple ways of getting to the goal.  How as coaches and administrators do we continue to bring the hope day in day out in such a trying time?  It seems like such a daunting task some days but yet one of the most rewarding opportunities other days. 

2 Applications for yourself and peers: 1

1. Keep it simple and targeted.  Consistently revisit when needed.

2.  Try again and repeat if necessary.   

1 Ah-Ha/Golden Quote: 

1. “real learning requires a real picture of reality that comes from flipping our perspective.” How true this is to life in general.  We have to take a step back and become vulnerable in order to get a true picture of ourselves.  

How many times have we sat in a PD and teachers have left saying “I will never use this”?  First, we need to believe we can do what we are considering. Second, we need to believe that what we are considering is worth the effort.  I wonder if we all went into PDs with an openmind how the outcome would look.  

 

Teachers, educators and honestly people in general are their own worst critics.  We don’t see the good for the over shadow of our faults or “needs improved”.  I wonder how we change this ingrained trait in educators and treat ourselves like we treat others.  

 

Blindspot- We don’t know what we don’t know.  A colleague of mine says this quite often and I wonder how we can reverse this to I am willing to learn what I don’t know.  How can I help myself  and others see ourselves “ truly objectively”?

 

The idea of flip-perspective is honestly frightening to me; however, I know there are immense benefits.  Allowing one to look at oneself through a different lens, leads to growth. It just isn’t the path most want to take.  Listening or viewing ourselves on camera can be difficult but truly beneficial. 

 

Keep life simple my dad has always said.  His saying, and many others, is applicable in many venues.  When new learning takes place, small, focused lessons are best. Teachers teach mini-lessons leading toward the learning objective not units.  As I work with teachers, I have set this as a goal for myself. Chunk information, lessons, material so it doesn’t seem overwhelming.  

 

A-Ha/Golden Quote:
"Adaptive change stimulates resistance because it challenges people's habits, beliefs, and values. It asks them to take a loss, experience uncertainty, and even express disloyalty to people and cultures...it also challenges their sense of competence...That's a lot to ask. No wonder people resist."