Monday, September 19, 2011

My Good Fortune

It was Friday at 4:30 and the clock was ticking. I was due to be at the golf course for our Friday Night Couples League. This is the one evening I must leave the classroom on time… or else I would suffer the wrath of the spousal puppy dog eyes. In walked a colleague which I hold with the utmost respect. This colleague has stopped by on occasion over the past few years and I always look forward to our visits. Our visits range from his child’s education to grade cards and what immediate feedback means to students. He is a Cognitive Coaching trainer. I went through Cognitive Coaching training a couple of years ago and just ate it up! The experience changed how I go about business in the classroom, team meetings and daily life. I love the whole process of helping someone become self-directed. I believe Cognitive Coaching, however limited or in depth, will only improve our classroom experiences. So as I checked the clock, I knew I was on verge of getting into a wonderful, rich conversation that would leave me contemplating improvement and growth for my class. He said he had a proposal for me. I listened (like a good coach) as he expressed his interest in using Cognitive Coaching through a full school year with a teacher. This colleague believes Cognitive Coaching can expose a teacher’s thinking if the teacher has a ‘growth’ mindset.  I could hardly believe the good fortune that had walked into the classroom.  As I listened to his plan, I began to look forward to the instructional planning conversations, problem resolving conversations and the growth that I know is inevitable. He will be helping me by gathering data in the classroom during instruction, helping me process the data and create a plan of action for that instruction. The risk is, all the thinking is on my end. Being metacognitive is great but it is exhausting! He will mediate my thinking while monitoring the states of mind. (efficacy, flexibility, craftsmanship, consciousness and interdependence) These are the foundations that nurture high performance. These are exactly the sources we look for in our students to determine where we need to go in our instruction. My gut has always told me teachers would really benefit from coaches.  So… I could hardly wait to jump at the opportunity. Yes, I left the classroom a bit late on Friday. I still made it to Couples League.  I can’t imagine where this adventure might lead our class, my craft of instruction or who knows, maybe even my golf game!

4 comments:

  1. Sounds like a potentially powerful learning experience for you. Chances are I won't have the opportunity to attend cognitive coaching training any time soon. Can you recommend a professional book on the topic? :)

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  2. It seems that your acceptance of this late visit will lead to great things this year. I hope you will continue to share your experiences. I have taken some workshops in CC and find it very helpful.

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  3. Ditto about sharing and resources, I'm intrigued.

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  4. Diana and OneSunflower the book we used for our study was Cognitive Coaching, A Foundation for Renaissance Schools by Costa and Garmston. The training and practice involved with priceless. I love the process and how it can be used with students.

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