Coaching with Kindness Reflection via Free Verse Poetry

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

I spent time rereading what I wrote this year, and in doing so, I started to play with phrases and lines that jumped out to me. This post is my expository writing from the year, reinvented as free verse poetry, using only the blog posts about coaching with kindness. There are many ways to go about this, but I pulled the six posts, highlighted the words and phrases that felt most powerful and/or carried importance, and then wrote them, in the order they occurred in the texts. But then, the organizational nut that lives in my head had to do some rearranging of the original words and phrases...great way to show students how expository writing can be repurposed into creative writing.

Honesty is the kindest move

Uncomfortable, but necessary

Navigating the uncomfortable territory

Providing honest feedback

with kindness

facilitates change

Commitment: Investing in the professional lives of teachers

Responsibility to provide feedback

given with integrity and kindness.

Feedback as an act of kindness

Courageous conversations

Brave conversations

Crucial conversations

Critical conversations

Uncomfortable conversations

What would I do if I wasn’t afraid?

Name the issue

Gently,

Respectfully,

Kindly,

A philosophy of coaching with kindness

Two permeating questions

What is the expectation?

What did I see?

Just the facts!

Just the facts!

Just the facts!

I’d avoid these conversations altogether

But…

Our purpose far too great!

I owe it to students

I owe it to teachers

But…

provide it kindly.

Gently coach back into the tracks,

Partnering,

Putting teacher back in position to SHINE!

But...

Sometimes

Even truth covered in kindness

stings.

Up to the teacher to embrace it...or not

Issue does not belong to me

Listening intently

Identifying defense mechanisms:

Excuses

Blaming

Topic -hopping

Challenging: What would you do?

Calmly thinking

Pondering the next question, thinking through the conversational map

Facilitate thinking through the defensiveness

Maintaining focus

Fears disappear: It’s not about me!

It’s about students, advocating for them

Knowing they deserve the best possible teacher

Had to hold the courageous conversation

Craving peace and

healthy relationships

Knowing feedback to teachers is

Unavoidable for

Effective coaches,

Even when peace will erupt

Knowing I am doing what is right for kids

Knowing I am doing what is right for the teacher, and

Knowing I am doing what is right for me

Peace returns