What is an instructional coach? What does an instructional coach do? What is the theoretical foundation for instructional

coaching? How can coaching programs address barriers to

change? What specific communication strategies can a coach

use to build learning relationships?

Enrollment Identify intervention Explain intervention Model Lessons (You

watch me) Observe (I watch you) Collaboratively

Exploration of Data (CED) Continue on-going

collaborating Create an after-action

report

Equality Praxis Dialogue Choice Voice Reflection Reciprocity

Change is Paradoxical

School culture

can stop

change dead in its tracks!

People can be irrationalDecisions can be made poorlyPersonalities can get in the way

State, district, school, classroom

goals can be out of

alignment Any change can be difficult to accept

Sometimes the most difficult leadership acts

are to refrain from intervening through popular quick fixes

~Peter Senge

AttackAbandon

Attempt

“as the number of changes multiplies, and as the time demands

increase, people approach a dysfunction threshold, a point where they lose the capacity to implement changes”

--Darryl Conner, Managing at the speed of change

• Top-down AND bottom-up• Easy AND powerful• Self-organizing AND tightly managed

• Gaining commitment by not demanding commitment

Top-down, by itself, doesn’t work… “The direct approach of naming the goal and mobilizing to achieve it does not, and cannot work in something as complex as change agentry.”

Michael Fullan

Our work embodies the principles of equality, choice, voice, reflection, dialogue, praxis, and reciprocity.

“We want to be just like any other teacher in the school”

Bottom-up alone is not sufficient◦ Teachers may choose not to change

when they need to improve◦ Strategies may not get cued in

additional classrooms◦ There may be a lack of coherence in

what is implemented

Need to be on the same page Do the coach and principal

◦ Understand all of the interventions?

◦ Have a shared understanding of all teachers needs?

◦ Have a shared vision about school improvement?

In most cases, if the principal does not support the coach, the coach will not be effective.

How can the principal show support?

• Be super-organized• Respect their time (30

min.)• Provide solutions, not more

problems

What can you do next week to start turning this paradoxical idea into an

action?

Provide as much support as necessary & no more

Prepare materials

Simplify & translate teacher manuals (TPOV)

Use observation forms

Model in the classroom

Observe and collaborate

How do we make it easy?

What can you do next week to start turning this paradoxical idea into an

action?

Ideas Spread Like a Virus ( )

How is this video like new ideas in schools?

Anyone with power can demand commitment

What can you do next week to start turning these paradoxical

ideas into an action?

• Top-down AND bottom-up• Easy AND powerful• Self-organizing AND tightly managed• Gaining commitment by not demanding

commitment

How coaches utilize partnership communication

What do you think about Lori’s actions in the school? Is there anything she should be doing differently?

Is it OK for Lori to gossip behind Mike’s back? What can she do to avoid gossiping?

What should she do now? If she should work with Mike, how should she use the partnership approach with him?

Responsive turns help you change the dynamics taking place in an encounter. They represent different levels of challenge and varying potential for creating learning.

Kolb & Williams (2000) The Shadow Negotiation

Interrupt Cutting off negative conversation before it begins

“Oh crap, I’m late; I’ve gotta go.”

Name Describing what’s going on so everyone can see it

“I thought we agreed we weren’t going to gossip”

Correct Clarifying that a statement is not true

“Mr. Smith was actually opposed to the plan.”

Divert Moving the conversation in a different direction

“Speaking of Tom, when does basketball season start this year?”

Team up with a partner One of you gets to be the gossip One of you gets to be the good guy or girl The gossip starts with an innocent

conversation and then slides in some very interesting gossip

The good person practices using responsive turns to move out of the gossip

Please watch this film clip of a

masterful communicator What does she do to make sure that she

communicates her message?

Speaker Message Listener Interference Perceived Message Feedback

MisconceptionsAttentivenessSelf-awarenessHonesty and authenticityEmpathy and respect

1. Developing inner silence2. Listening for what contradicts our

assumptions3.Clarifying4.Communicating our understanding5.Practicing every day6.Practicing with terrible listeners7.Developing a routine

The problem is this. You are taught what to say and how to sit, but the heart of good listening is is authenticity. People “read” not only your words and posture, but what’s going on inside you. If your “stance” isn’t genuine, the words won’t matter… If your intentions are false, no amount of careful wording or good posture will help. If your intentions are good, even clumsy language won’t hinder you.

Listening is only powerful and effective if it is authentic. Authenticity means that you are listening because you are curious and because you care, not just because you are supposed to. The issue, then, is this: Are you curious? Do you care?

Stone, Patton, Heen (1999) Difficult conversations

Listening is at the

heart of the

partnership relationship

Being understood is a deep human need

Understanding is not the same as agreeing

Your attitude is much more important than your technique

Speaker Message Listener Interference Perceived Message Feedback

So what are some examples of interference?

Three types of conversations* What happened Feelings Identity

*Stone, Patton, & Heen (1999) Difficult Conversations

I have all of the information I need to know I’m right They’re wrong It’s all their fault My job is to persuade them that I’m right since they’re

wrong

My feelings are their fault, Their opinion is morally wrong since it makes me feel

this way So, my opinion has momentum now

I’m competent or incompetent, skilled or unskilled, good or bad, lovable or unlovable (there’s no in-between)

I’m going to protect my all-or nothing self-image

Watch this film clip Look for examples of

(a) what happened conversations(b) feelings conversations(c) identity conversations

The

interference

is the stories we tell ourselves

◦Villain stories◦Victim stories◦Helpless stories

what if the other person really is a villain?

Yet, you have to admit…

you feel like doing this to at least one person every day!

Expression Touch Gesture Location (Personal

Space)

Love or hate Control or submission Interest or boredom Trust or suspicion

Building an emotional connection through emotional bids…

“A bid can be a question, a gesture, a look, a touch--any single expression that says ‘I want to feel connected to you.’

A response to a bid is just that--a positive or negative answer to somebody’s request for emotional connection”

Easy to see or incredibly subtle Verbal or nonverbal Highly physical or totally intellectual High or low energy Funny or dead serious Can be questions, statements, or comments

about thoughts, feelings, observations, opinions, invitations

Turn towardsTurn away fromTurn against

• Foster ongoing regard• Employ partnership feedback• Use responsive turns• Watch out for minefields (Feelings, What Happened,

Identity)• Consider other stories• Practice really listening• Attend to body language• Build an emotional connection

Identify one idea you want to act on:

What do you feel?What do you think?What are you going to do?

Is there any thing David should have done differently in the past?

What should David do now?

What committees should David be on?

What should David do about his principal’s lack of knowledge?

WB pp. 58-60

Looking at Leadership

WB p. 61

…embody a paradoxical mix of personal humility and professional will.

… display a compelling modesty, are self-effacing, understated

… display a workman like diligence, are more plow horse than show horse

… attribute successes to factors other than themselves

… look in the mirror and blame themselves when things go poorly

Partnership LeadershipTactics

What is an instructional coach? What does an instructional coach do? What is the theoretical foundation for instructional

coaching? How can coaching programs address barriers to

change? What specific communication strategies can a coach

use to build learning relationships?