What would it look like if … ?
What do you think would happen if … ?
How was … different from (or similar to) … ?
What sort of an effect do you think … would have?
I'm noticing (some aspect of your behavior) … What do you think is going on there?
What criteria do you use to … ?
Informative Stems
There's a useful book on that topic by …
An effective strategy to teaching … is …
You can contact … in … department for that resource …
Your principal will be in touch with you about that.
Prescriptive Stems
would like you to discuss this issue with your supervisor.
You need to know that the school's policy is …
Have you talked to … about that yet? Last week you said you planned on doing so.
Would it be OK if I shared some advice that I think might help you? You're welcome to take it or leave it, of course.
I'd like to suggest …
Appendix C
Transformational Coaching Rubric
Appendix D
Cheat Sheets and Lists
Essential Frameworks for Transformational Coaching
The Ladder of Inference. To understand how beliefs are constructed and why we do what we do (Chapter Three). Use this to help a client deconstruct beliefs and find other ways of seeing a situation.
The Coach's Optical Refractor. An analytical tool that uses six lenses to provide insight into a current reality or dilemma (Chapter Four). Use this to plan for coaching sessions, to understand problems and dilemmas that arise, and in reflection.
Coaching stances. These are different ways of engaging in coaching conversations and activities (Chapters Nine, Ten, Eleven, and Twelve). Use these to plan coaching conversations, make decisions during the conversation, and guide the next steps we take.
Coaching for Systems Change
Look for the fires
Identify root causes and reflect on the impact
Plan some changes
Communicate those plans
Implement the plan
Gather data and reflect
Tips for Using Different Approaches
Tips for Using a Cathartic Approach
Always ask permission to invite feelings in
Acknowledge the role that emotions play
Affirm the value in processing and releasing emotions
Tips for Using a Catalytic Approach
Nudge gently through questions
Notice metaphor and symbolic language, then explore them
Tips for Using a Supportive Approach
Be authentic
Be specific
Highlight micromovements of growth
Tips for Using a Confrontational Approach
Listen for rut stories and interrupt them
Guide clients down the Ladder of Inference
Identify mental models that are fixed and constricting
Rebuild models and mind-sets and create river stories
Tips for Using an Informative Approach
Be sure to coach within the client's zone of proximal development
Release responsibility gradually, but as soon as possible
Offer a selection of resources and guide the client to make decisions
Tips for Using a Prescriptive Approach
Use this approach to direct behavior around legal, safety, or ethical issues
Use when the client lacks confidence or can't direct her own learning
Use with caution
Tips for Shifting Mental Models
Listen for stories
Interrupt rut stories and ask, “What are the unintended consequences of this story?”
Step back and observe facts, then ask, “What are other ways to view what happened?”
Create a river story
The Coaching Conversation
Planning for a Coaching Conversation
Where does my client need to go?
Who do I need to be?
The Arc of a Coaching Conversation
Check in and chat
Create a plan for the conversation—“What's on your mind?”
Check in on previous commitments—“How'd that go?”
Engage in coaching stances and approaches
Determine next steps
Reflect on conversation and ask for feedback
Five Steps for a Midyear or End-of-Year Reflection
Coach: review work plan and coaching notes and evidence
Coach: reflect on data
Coach: plan conversation
Coach and client: determine the when and where for reflection conversation
Coach and client: engage in reflection conversation
Appendix E
Recommended Resources
This section presents a short list of places to go for more information.
Research on Coaching (Chapter One)
Allen, Joseph P., and others. “An Interaction-Based Approach to Enhancing Secondary School Instruction and Student Achievement.” Science, Aug. 2011, 1034–1037.
Anastos, J., and Ancowitz, R. “A Teacher-Directed Peer Coaching Project.” Educational Leadership, 1987, 45(3), 40–42.
Barr, K., Simmons, B., and Zarrow, J. “School Coaching in Context: A Case Study in Capacity Building.” Paper presented at the American Educational Research Association annual meeting, Chicago, Apr. 2003.
Brown, C., Stroh, H., Fouts, J., and Baker, D. Learning to Change: School Coaching for Systemic Reform. Seattle: Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, 2005.
Burkins, J. M. Coaching for Balance: How to Meet the Challenges of Literacy Coaching. Newark, Del.: International Reading Association, 2007.
Center for Collaborative Education. The Role of the Coach at CCE. Boston: Center for Collaborative Education, n.d. www.ccebos.org/coaching_intro.doc
The Elementary School Journal, 2010, 3(1). Contains eight articles about the effectiveness of coaching. It includes the article “Assessing the Value-Added Effects of Literacy Collaborative Professional Development on Student Learning,” by G. Biancarosa, A. S. Bryk, and E. R. Dexter.
Elish-Piper, L., and L'Allier, S. K. “Examining the Relationship Between Literacy Coaching and Student Reading Gains In Grades K–3.” Elementary School Journal, 2011, 112(1), 83–106.
Lockwood, J. R., McCombs, J. S., and Marsh, J. “Linking Reading Coaches and Student Achievement: Evidence from Florida Middle Schools.” Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, 2010, 32(3), 372–388.
Marsh, J. A., McCombs, J. S., and Martorell, F. “How Instructional Coaches Support Data-Driven Decision-Making: Policy Implementation and Effects in Florida Middle Schools.” Educational Policy, 2010, 24(6), 872–907.
McCombs, J. S., and Marsh, J. “Lessons for Boosting the Effectiveness of Reading Coaches.” Phi Delta Kappan, 2009, 90(7), 501–507.
Neufeld, B., and Roper, D. Coaching: A Strategy for Developing Instructional Capacity. Washington, D.C.: The Aspen Institute Program on Education and the Annenberg Institute for School Reform, 2003.
von Frank, V. “Coaches Root out Deep Bias.” Journal of Staff Development, 2010, 31(4), 20–25. Reports on the National Equity Project's coaching model.
Race, Racism, and Systemic Oppression (Chapters One and Four)
Boykin, A. Wade, and Noguera, Pedro. Creating the Opportunity to Learn: Moving from Research to Practice to Close the Achievement Gap. Alexandria, Va.: ASCD, 2011.
Delpit, Lisa. Other People's Children: Cultural Conflict in the Classroom. New York: The New Press, 1995.
Delpit, Lisa. The Skin That We Speak: Thoughts on Language and Culture in the Classroom. New York: The New Press, 2002.
Hooks, Bell. Teaching to Transgress: Education as the Practice of Freedom. New York: Routledge, 1994.
Horton, M., Freire, P., Bell, B., Gaenta, J., and Peters, J., eds. We Make the Road by Walking: Conversations on Educati
on and Social Change. Philadelphia: Temple University Press, 1990.
The National Equity Project offers powerful and engaging workshops: www.nationalequityproject.org
Rios, Victor. Punished: Policing the Lives of Black and Latino Boys. New York: NYU Press, 2011. An essential book to read to gain an understanding of the larger systemic oppression that manifests in our criminal justice system.
Steele, Claude. Whistling Vivaldi and Other Clues to How Stereotypes Affect Us. New York: Norton, 2010.
Tatum, Beverly D. “Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria?” and Other Conversations About Race. (Rev. ed.) New York: Basic Books, 1999.
Wise, Tim. White Like Me: Reflections on Race from a Privileged Son. Berkeley, Calif.: Soft Skull Press, 2008.
Coaching Models (Chapter Two)
Bloom, Gary, Castagna, Claire, Warren, Betsy, and Moir, Ellen. Blended Coaching. Thousand Oaks, Calif.: Corwin, 2005. A classic in this field. It's a foundational read for all coaches and extremely useful for leadership coaches.
Costa, Arthur, and Garmston, Robert. Cognitive Coaching: A Foundation for Renaissance School. Norwood, Mass.: Christopher-Gordon, 1994. Costa and Garmston are the pioneers of cognitive coaching.
Hargrove, Robert. Masterful Coaching. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2003. Those interested in transformational coaching might start by reading this core text.
Killion, Joellen, and Harrison, Cindy. Taking the Lead: New Roles for Teachers and School-Based Coaches. Oxford, Ohio: National Staff Development Council, 2006. Very useful for those setting up coaching programs.
Knight, Jim. Instructional Coaching: A Partnership Approach to Improving Instruction. Thousand Oaks, Calif.: Corwin, 2007.
Knight, J., ed. Coaching Approaches and Perspectives. Thousand Oaks, Calif.: Corwin, 2009.
Psencik, K. The Coach's Craft: Powerful Practices to Support School Leaders. Oxford, Ohio: Learning Forward, 2011. A recent contribution to the field of coaching leaders in education.
Reeves, D. B., and Allison, E. Renewal Coaching: Sustainable Change for Individuals and Organizations. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2009.
Tschannen-Moran, Bob, and Tschannen-Moran, Megan. Evocative Coaching. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2010. An excellent resource for coaches with a few years of experience to help deepen their practice.
Wahl, Christine, Scriber, Clarice, and Bloomfield, B., eds. On Becoming a Leadership Coach. New York: Palgrave MacMillan, 2008. A volume of twenty-three brilliant, insightful essays that are not specific to education but are incredibly useful.
Beliefs (Chapter Three)
Coyle, Daniel. The Talent Code: Greatness Isn't Born, It's Grown. Here's How. New York: Bantam, 2009.
Dweck, Carol S. Mindset: The New Psychology of Success. New York: Ballantine, 2006.
Senge, Peter. The Fifth Discipline: The Art and Practice of the Learning Organization. New York: Doubleday, 1990.
Theoretical Foundations for Transformational Coaching (Chapter Four)
Argyris, Chris, Putnam, R., and Smith, D. Action Science. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1985.
Argyris, C., and Schön, D. Theory in Practice: Increasing Professional Effectiveness. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1975.
Goleman, Daniel, Boyatzis, Richard, and McKee, Annie, Primal Leadership. Boston: Harvard University Press, 2002.
Heath, Chip, and Heath, Dan. Switch: How to Change Things When Change Is Hard. New York: Broadway Books, 2010.
Senge, Peter. The Fifth Discipline: The Art and Practice of the Learning Organization. New York: Doubleday, 1990.
Senge, Peter. The Fifth Discipline Fieldbook. New York: Doubleday, 1994.
Vella, J. Learning to Listen, Learning to Teach: The Power of Dialogue in Educating Adults. (Rev. ed.) San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2002.
Wheatley, Margaret. Leadership and the New Science: Discovering Order in a Chaotic World. (3rd ed.) San Francisco: Berrett-Koehler, 2006.
Wheatley, Margaret. Turning to One Another: Simple Conversations to Restore Hope to the Future. San Francisco: Berrett-Koehler, 2009.
Wheatley, Margaret. Perseverance. San Francisco: Berrett-Koehler, 2010.
Wheatley, Margaret, and Frieze, Deborah. Walk Out, Walk On: A Learning Journey into Communities Daring to Live the Future Now. San Francisco: Berrett-Koehler, 2011.
Trust (Chapter Five)
Anthony S. Bryk and Barbara Schneider's work on relational trust is essential to understand the role of trust and system change. I recommend starting with “Trust in Schools: A Core Resource for School Reform.” Educational Leadership, 2003, 60, 40–45.
Covey, Stephen M. R The Speed of Trust. New York: Free Press, 2008.
Stephenson, Susan. Leading with Trust. Bloomington, Ind.: Solution Tree, 2009. Includes a wealth of research about trust and very useful reproducible ideas.
Personality Assessments (Chapter Six)
Dr. Martin Seligman's website: www.authentichappiness.sas.upenn.edu
The National School Reform Faculty website: www.nsrfharmony.org
Goal Setting (Chapter Seven)
O'Neill, Jan, and Conzemius, Anne. The Power of SMART Goals. Bloomington, Ind.: Solution Tree, 2006.
Listening (Chapter Eight)
Julian Weissglass's articles, such as “Constructivist Listening for Empowerment and Change.” The Educational Forum, 1990, 54, 351–371.
Wheatley, Margaret. Turning to One Another. San Francisco: Berrett-Koehler, 2009.
Coaching Conversations (Chapters Nine and Eleven)
Heron, John. Helping the Client. (5th ed.) Thousand Oaks, Calif.: Sage, 2001.
Kegan, R., and Lahey, L. How the Way We Talk Can Change the Way We Work: Seven Languages for Transformation. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2001.
Patterson, Jerry L., and Kelleher, Paul. Resilient School Leaders: Strategies for Turning Adversity into Achievement. Alexandria, Va.: ASCD, 2005.
Robbins, Mike. Focus on the Good Stuff. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2007.
Ross, Rick, “The Five Whys.” In P. Senge, The Fifth Discipline Fieldbook. New York: Doubleday, 1994, pp. 108–112.
Stoltzfus, T. Coaching Questions: A Coach's Guide to Powerful Asking Skills. Virginia Beach, Va.: Pegasus Creative Arts, 2008.
Coaching Actions and Activities (Chapters Ten and Twelve)
Alterio, M. “Collaborative Journaling as a Professional Development Tool.” Journal of Further and Higher Education, 2004, 28(3), 321–332.
Bambrick-Santoyo, P. Driven by Data: A Practical Guide to Improve Instruction. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2010.
Blackstone, P. “The Anatomy of Coaching: Coaching Through Storytelling.” Journal of Language and Literacy Education, 2007, 3(1), 48–58.
Dyer, K. “The Power of 360-Degree Feedback.” Educational Leadership, 2001, 58(5), 35–38.
Schwarz, Dale, and Davidson, Anne. Facilitative Coaching. San Francisco: Pfeiffer, 2008.
Coach Habits of Mind and Heart (Chapters Thirteen and Fifteen)
Foster, Rick, and Hicks, Greg. How We Choose to Be Happy. New York: Perigree, 2004.
The International Coach Federation: www.coachfederation.org
International Reading Association. “Standards for Middle and High School Literacy Coaches,” 2006. www.reading.org/resources/issues/reports/coaching.html
Intrator, Sam, and Scribner, Megan, eds. Teaching with Fire: Poetry That Sustains the Courage to Teach. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2003.
Palmer, Parker. The Courage to Teach. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1998.
Salzberg, Sharon. Lovingkindness: The Revolutionary Art of Happiness. Boston: Shambhala, 1995.
Salzberg, Sharon. The Kindness Handbook: A Practical Companion. Boulder, Colo.: Sounds True, 2008.
Rosenberg, Marshall. Nonviolent Communication. Encinitas, Calif.: PuddleDancer Press, 2003.
Wheatley, Margaret. Perseverance. San Francisco: Berrett-Koehler, 2010.
Appendix F
Glossary
Achievement gap:
The disparity
between the academic performance of groups of students, especially groups defined by race/ethnicity, gender, and socioeconomic status. However, when structural, economic factors are causing the gap in performance, then the achievement gap may actually be an opportunity gap.
Active listening:
A communication strategy where the listener feeds back what the speaker said by restating or paraphrasing what was heard. The listener seeks confirmation that he understood what the speaker was saying.
Adult learning:
A theory holding that there are key differences between the ways adults learn and the ways children learn. Adults want to be the origin of their own learning and want control over the what, who, how, why, and where of their learning. They need to see that what they are learning is applicable to their day-to-day activities and problems. Adults also need direct, concrete experiences to apply what they have learned to their work.
Beliefs:
Strongly held opinions; we often think they are truths.
Capacity:
A person's potential to learn or retain knowledge; their potential for growth, development, or skill building.
Change management:
A lens that suggests an analysis of the conditions for change; reminds us to consider a person's will, skill, knowledge, and capacity to change; and reminds us that beneficial change is always possible.
Coaching:
Professional development.
Cognitive coaching:
The Art of Coaching Page 36