Well, I had some processing to do after that last post.
Wow. As much as I run my mouth pretty much constantly and work really hard to tell people exactly how I feel, that was a hard one. It doesn't feel good to feel vulnerable. Especially about my personal thoughts and feelings, which I pretty much hide all the time.
I used the second part of my week last week differently than the first part and I think it was good. But it's going to take some time for me to get the hang of it. I didn't make it to every grade level like I wanted to because other things got in the way. Could I have just not done the other things to be able to actually coach and do my job? That's another post for another day...
Today - Feedback vs. Advice. That's what it all boils down to this time.
Recently I read an article (Seven Keys to Effective Feedback by Grant Wiggins) about providing feedback. It was mostly about providing feedback to students, but there were also quite a few statements about feedback from adults for adults. One of the points that it made was how less teaching but more feedback was actually a better way for people to learn. Interesting. I give feedback all the time. Or so I think.
This year I have promised myself that every other week (weeks when I don't pull my usual PowerUp classes) that I will get into every room to give some feedback. What is the purpose of these visits for me?
My number one priority is to be able to give a compliment or two or three. I feel very strongly about the importance of lifting people up and making them feel good about who they are and what they are doing, AND to give them some credit for the amazing things that are happening under their supervision. I know there have been many moments in my professional life when craziness in my personal life just about sunk my ship. Those moments of chaos and confusion were so oppressive that it felt like everything I was doing was a disaster. I had lost all control over everything at my house and I threw myself into controlling all the things at school. It was so difficult, but the positive feedback I got from my students and colleagues kept me going. It was the only thing that kept me going.
I have no idea what's going on in the lives of our staff outside of school. Maybe it's something wonderful... maybe something awful... maybe something life-changing. I do know that if I can make them feel good about what they are doing every single time they step into our building that can go a long way. It feels good for someone to recognize that we are working hard for our students and our school, and we certainly don't always feel like we get that credit. The constant pressure of testing and pacing and new initiatives can just make the entire day seem like an overwhelming chore. I know how that feels and it's terrible. If I can save just one teacher a day from feeling that way I want to. Educators are so completely overworked ans shamefully underpaid. We need all the building up that we can get!
My secondary purpose for these visits is to provide some feedback or outside insight. My role is not evaluative in any shape or form. I have no authority over anyone in the building, and it isn't meant to be used as any sort of reflection of the staff member. It's really just trying to encourage teachers to take a look at something that they may not have, in a way that they may not have considered. I have been working on trying to phrase this feedback in the form of a question. But, I'm still finding that this doesn't feel right. I DO want teachers to think about things differently or consider things from different angles, but I DO NOT want them to think that only my different angle is the way to do that.
For me, asking questions like, "Have you ever tried..." or "Have you ever thought about..." is offering a different perspective, but is this feedback or advice?
Listen, there is absolutely no requirement that anyone I work with do anything I say. Don't get excited, I legit have no power! So, when I leave these notes and feedback, what am I hoping for? Notice I started out this nonsensical post thinking about MY reasons for these visits. What different perspective do I need to see here to make this actually helpful for teachers?
I've been thinking a lot about it. How do I balance giving advice and giving feedback? It's easy to see - from an outside perspective - things that may not be so effective. Side conversation, students not really engaged with the task, high ratio of teacher talk/student talk, some students working hard while some fly under the radar... I can observe all of these things and write them down to share with a teacher. Is that feedback? Sure. Is it valuable feedback? I kind of doubt it. Would it be better to give the feedback that a teacher has requested? Is there something in particular he or she wants me to look for?
Getting information from the teachers before I visit about what they'd like me looking for seems like a much better use of my time for them. Additionally, providing them with my observations of whatever they chose and then discussing it without providing advice seems like a super effective way to let them talk through the results, come up with a plan that works for them, then start addressing the need. This totally makes sense.
So, why don't I do that?
I'm a fixer. I love to fix things. And I think I'm really good at it. However, I need to stop and think about that old fishing statement - the teach a man to fish one... Basically, it's like this: If I point out the problem and the solution, what work is the teacher doing? Well, she's doing the work of about 23 people, that's what! I think that's why I do it. I feel like it's just super helpful for me to help them see the little (sometimes unnoticed) things that happen in the room and tell them how to make it better. But, that isn't what makes someone grow.
Again, no one has to comply with my advice or suggestions or anything else. But, I feel like my feedback isn't very helpful to them even if they do follow it. Does my feedback help a teacher find his/her own areas for growth? Do they own what happens in their own room? Do they develop a plan to improve little aspects of teaching and learning based on their own goals that they set? No to all of that.
How do I do better for the teachers that I work with?
Ask questions. That's where I have to start. And the questions that I ask have to encourage teachers to think about their own practice and reflect on it. I had the pleasure of being a part of an Instructional Coach Academy last year through Radford University and we did exercises where we could do nothing but ask questions. It was hard. And awkward. But, this is what I need to do.
Encouraging teachers to be self-reflective is going to go a lot farther toward making those little changes permanent than me saying "Why don't you try this..." I can never reach goals that someone else makes for me. I have no ownership of that. We want our students to have voice and choice in what they do. We know this is an effective way to get students to own their learning and work hard toward end goals giving their very best effort. Isn't this also true for adult learners? Shouldn't they have voice and choice in their practices?
There's more to think about and I'm going to continue mulling it over. I've got to get this right. This year, for the first year since I started this job 4 years ago, I'm ready to throw in the towel. I got super excited last year after the Coaching Academy to go out and be better. And it was better. But, I spent all year trying to make my coaching fit inside their mold and it was hard. It worked sometimes, but not other times, and all the other things that I do as a part of my job made it hard to stick to their timelines and calendars. Did I have voice and choice in what worked for me? I mean, I guess I could've, but I stuck completely to their script. That didn't work for me. I need to be me. I need to bring myself to these tasks.
I've got to figure this out. I have to feel like I am making a difference for students and teachers. I've got to keep the things I love about me in place and use them for the greater good, meshing together everything I know about education, child development, assessment, planning, coaching, and so much more. It's a huge undertaking. I've never thought this hard about what I do before. Maybe that's part of the problem.
I've got a lot of work to do to stand beside and behind teachers this year.
I'm determined to figure this out and feel like I am making a difference.
I'm determined to make a difference.
Wow. As much as I run my mouth pretty much constantly and work really hard to tell people exactly how I feel, that was a hard one. It doesn't feel good to feel vulnerable. Especially about my personal thoughts and feelings, which I pretty much hide all the time.
I used the second part of my week last week differently than the first part and I think it was good. But it's going to take some time for me to get the hang of it. I didn't make it to every grade level like I wanted to because other things got in the way. Could I have just not done the other things to be able to actually coach and do my job? That's another post for another day...
Today - Feedback vs. Advice. That's what it all boils down to this time.
This year I have promised myself that every other week (weeks when I don't pull my usual PowerUp classes) that I will get into every room to give some feedback. What is the purpose of these visits for me?
My number one priority is to be able to give a compliment or two or three. I feel very strongly about the importance of lifting people up and making them feel good about who they are and what they are doing, AND to give them some credit for the amazing things that are happening under their supervision. I know there have been many moments in my professional life when craziness in my personal life just about sunk my ship. Those moments of chaos and confusion were so oppressive that it felt like everything I was doing was a disaster. I had lost all control over everything at my house and I threw myself into controlling all the things at school. It was so difficult, but the positive feedback I got from my students and colleagues kept me going. It was the only thing that kept me going.
I have no idea what's going on in the lives of our staff outside of school. Maybe it's something wonderful... maybe something awful... maybe something life-changing. I do know that if I can make them feel good about what they are doing every single time they step into our building that can go a long way. It feels good for someone to recognize that we are working hard for our students and our school, and we certainly don't always feel like we get that credit. The constant pressure of testing and pacing and new initiatives can just make the entire day seem like an overwhelming chore. I know how that feels and it's terrible. If I can save just one teacher a day from feeling that way I want to. Educators are so completely overworked ans shamefully underpaid. We need all the building up that we can get!
My secondary purpose for these visits is to provide some feedback or outside insight. My role is not evaluative in any shape or form. I have no authority over anyone in the building, and it isn't meant to be used as any sort of reflection of the staff member. It's really just trying to encourage teachers to take a look at something that they may not have, in a way that they may not have considered. I have been working on trying to phrase this feedback in the form of a question. But, I'm still finding that this doesn't feel right. I DO want teachers to think about things differently or consider things from different angles, but I DO NOT want them to think that only my different angle is the way to do that.
For me, asking questions like, "Have you ever tried..." or "Have you ever thought about..." is offering a different perspective, but is this feedback or advice?
Listen, there is absolutely no requirement that anyone I work with do anything I say. Don't get excited, I legit have no power! So, when I leave these notes and feedback, what am I hoping for? Notice I started out this nonsensical post thinking about MY reasons for these visits. What different perspective do I need to see here to make this actually helpful for teachers?
I've been thinking a lot about it. How do I balance giving advice and giving feedback? It's easy to see - from an outside perspective - things that may not be so effective. Side conversation, students not really engaged with the task, high ratio of teacher talk/student talk, some students working hard while some fly under the radar... I can observe all of these things and write them down to share with a teacher. Is that feedback? Sure. Is it valuable feedback? I kind of doubt it. Would it be better to give the feedback that a teacher has requested? Is there something in particular he or she wants me to look for?
Getting information from the teachers before I visit about what they'd like me looking for seems like a much better use of my time for them. Additionally, providing them with my observations of whatever they chose and then discussing it without providing advice seems like a super effective way to let them talk through the results, come up with a plan that works for them, then start addressing the need. This totally makes sense.
So, why don't I do that?
I'm a fixer. I love to fix things. And I think I'm really good at it. However, I need to stop and think about that old fishing statement - the teach a man to fish one... Basically, it's like this: If I point out the problem and the solution, what work is the teacher doing? Well, she's doing the work of about 23 people, that's what! I think that's why I do it. I feel like it's just super helpful for me to help them see the little (sometimes unnoticed) things that happen in the room and tell them how to make it better. But, that isn't what makes someone grow.
Again, no one has to comply with my advice or suggestions or anything else. But, I feel like my feedback isn't very helpful to them even if they do follow it. Does my feedback help a teacher find his/her own areas for growth? Do they own what happens in their own room? Do they develop a plan to improve little aspects of teaching and learning based on their own goals that they set? No to all of that.
How do I do better for the teachers that I work with?
Ask questions. That's where I have to start. And the questions that I ask have to encourage teachers to think about their own practice and reflect on it. I had the pleasure of being a part of an Instructional Coach Academy last year through Radford University and we did exercises where we could do nothing but ask questions. It was hard. And awkward. But, this is what I need to do.
Encouraging teachers to be self-reflective is going to go a lot farther toward making those little changes permanent than me saying "Why don't you try this..." I can never reach goals that someone else makes for me. I have no ownership of that. We want our students to have voice and choice in what they do. We know this is an effective way to get students to own their learning and work hard toward end goals giving their very best effort. Isn't this also true for adult learners? Shouldn't they have voice and choice in their practices?
There's more to think about and I'm going to continue mulling it over. I've got to get this right. This year, for the first year since I started this job 4 years ago, I'm ready to throw in the towel. I got super excited last year after the Coaching Academy to go out and be better. And it was better. But, I spent all year trying to make my coaching fit inside their mold and it was hard. It worked sometimes, but not other times, and all the other things that I do as a part of my job made it hard to stick to their timelines and calendars. Did I have voice and choice in what worked for me? I mean, I guess I could've, but I stuck completely to their script. That didn't work for me. I need to be me. I need to bring myself to these tasks.
I've got to figure this out. I have to feel like I am making a difference for students and teachers. I've got to keep the things I love about me in place and use them for the greater good, meshing together everything I know about education, child development, assessment, planning, coaching, and so much more. It's a huge undertaking. I've never thought this hard about what I do before. Maybe that's part of the problem.
I've got a lot of work to do to stand beside and behind teachers this year.
I'm determined to figure this out and feel like I am making a difference.
I'm determined to make a difference.
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