A Road Map as Empowerment

Lisa Weiss contributed this post. Click here to read more of Lisa's thinking.

Shortly after I wrote my last blog entry, Cathy Toll was invited to my district for the purpose of modeling a coaching conversation. This year my PreK-5 counterpart, Deb and I have provided coaching-related professional development to all of the K-12 coaches in our district: literacy coaches, instructional coaches, technology coaches, and the media and information specialists. Our purpose during these monthly learning sessions is to develop common understandings of coaching, built around some common experiences and professional development, so that our coaches can  work to build capacity in the teachers they partner with in their buildings, with a full understanding of the district expectations for coaches.

We often talk about coaching in the ways that Cognitive Coaching identifies; we are either consulting, collaborating, or coaching. While we had many coaches who understood what we meant by consulting (which we try to avoid because there isn’t much opportunity to build capacity if we are simply telling people what to do) and collaborating (where the majority of us spend our coaching time), we had yet to demonstrate what a true coaching conversation looks like--one where the coach is the facilitator of another person's thinking, and that was why Cathy Toll was with us last month…

Viewing that conversation between Cathy and a literacy coach who volunteered to be coached, provided a reminder for me, a critical one for when a difficult conversation must take place. Even when you know what it is that you need to say, and you know what questions you need to ask of the person you are having the critical conversation with, it is wise to have a road map for the conversation. Cathy had shared her coaching conversation format with us, so we could follow it as she demonstrated, and it occurred to me that while having a plan mapped out is important for any coaching conversation, it could make a courageous conversation a bit easier. Knowing your goal for the conversation is important, so that you can set the pace within the time you have to hold the conversation.  

In the actual conversation, it is Cathy’s steps of problem solving (setting a path) and planning (getting on the path) that had me thinking about how this could help a coach get through the muddiness of a brave conversation. When the problem solving step comes into play, the coach is giving the teacher an opportunity to set a goal related to the problems that have already been discussed, and then, after the teacher has a chance to talk a bit more about the specific self-selected problem he/she wants to zero in on, the teacher has the opportunity to do some visioning/thinking about what success will look like when it comes to that goal, plan for small steps that will move one toward the goal, and clarify who will do what in the small steps…..

This map of Cathy’s provides an opportunity for the coach to empower the teacher, even if difficult truths are being discussed. The path leads the teacher to be a problem-solver who is in control of his/her plan to accomplish the common expectations. Naturally, it is not always possible to leave a heated discussion with a clear plan, but having a guide for the conversation certainly improves the odds that a courageous conversation can also be a productive one, with goals set to move the teacher forward.