התמלול המלא של Crafting Powerful Coaching Questions with Connie Hamilton

00:04:37.220 --> 00:04:42.940 process within coaching is really similar to student questioning in the sense 00:04:42.940 --> 00:04:45.100 that we're looking to create a cognitive journey. 00:04:45.100 --> 00:04:50.220 We're looking to have that aha and to really reveal the thinking process. 00:04:50.420 --> 00:04:53.880 So it's less about how do I get to the right answer? 00:04:54.100 --> 00:04:57.380 How do I get to that end point for this specific lesson? 00:04:57.880 --> 00:05:03.080 And more about how do I embrace instructional moves that work and are likely 00:05:03.080 --> 00:05:04.860 to work again in another lesson? 00:05:04.860 --> 00:05:11.380 And how do I create that metacognitive awareness so that I'm in tune to, 00:05:11.680 --> 00:05:15.660 whoops, this lesson is going sideways and it's time for me to pivot? 00:05:15.940 --> 00:05:24.060 Just being aware of that instead of just following a system or a structure in place. 00:05:24.200 --> 00:05:28.400 And so those well-crafted questions focus more on the journey, 00:05:28.720 --> 00:05:31.900 the thought process. What are you thinking about in the moment? 00:05:32.140 --> 00:05:37.180 What do you want to be noticing in the moment? and less about what is, 00:05:37.360 --> 00:05:39.380 what should be, what should have 00:05:39.380 --> 00:05:44.260 been, but more about how did we get there or how did we not get there? 00:05:44.400 --> 00:05:50.040 And then how are we going to tweak that again the next time that we go to teach a lesson? 00:05:50.980 --> 00:05:55.880 Yeah, you're really providing that space for the thinking to happen on the coachee's part. 00:05:56.000 --> 00:05:59.040 And that's something often, you know, at the busy pace of education, 00:05:59.220 --> 00:06:03.540 we kind of miss. So by asking those intentional questions gives them that space 00:06:03.540 --> 00:06:06.120 and time to be reflective. For sure. 00:06:06.845 --> 00:06:11.845 Many coaches struggle with balancing curiosity and leading a teacher toward 00:06:11.845 --> 00:06:16.205 reflection. How can coaches frame questions that avoid being directive while 00:06:16.205 --> 00:06:18.305 still supporting the instructional growth? 00:06:19.525 --> 00:06:24.785 So as I think about that, I think it's important for the listeners to know that 00:06:24.785 --> 00:06:28.785 my role is both of as a coach and a consultant. 00:06:29.165 --> 00:06:35.025 And so I flip flop with those different mindsets, but I'm really intentional with those mindsets. 00:06:35.025 --> 00:06:41.565 So I definitely see a value of staying in that coaching mindset to support the 00:06:41.565 --> 00:06:46.185 teacher through an awareness process, bringing things forward, 00:06:46.925 --> 00:06:52.465 thinking about their priorities, making tough decisions, and just helping them to think about that. 00:06:52.465 --> 00:06:58.525 There's also a time and a place where it's helpful to contribute and be a thought 00:06:58.525 --> 00:07:04.465 partner with that person to say, would you like some ideas or may I share some perspectives? 00:07:04.765 --> 00:07:10.025 I remember being on the opposite side of a coaching conversation and not really 00:07:10.025 --> 00:07:12.865 understanding what the coach's role was. 00:07:13.265 --> 00:07:17.245 And I don't remember, it felt like a million years into the conversation. 00:07:17.245 --> 00:07:23.605 She said, would you like me to step out of the coaching role and move into the 00:07:23.605 --> 00:07:26.405 consulting role and offer some suggestions? And I was like, well, 00:07:26.545 --> 00:07:29.085 yes, that's what I thought this was all about. 00:07:29.705 --> 00:07:35.485 And so I've always kept that in mind that there are many times that teachers... 00:07:36.453 --> 00:07:42.473 Need more than simply reflection. Sometimes like our toolbox is just exhausted 00:07:42.473 --> 00:07:47.813 and we're interested in some fresh ideas and that is what is helpful. 00:07:48.093 --> 00:07:55.513 So I find that it's easiest to balance that process of staying in the coaching 00:07:55.513 --> 00:08:00.093 mode initially to establish rapport and to connect with the teacher when the 00:08:00.093 --> 00:08:04.393 initial conversation is before the lesson occurs. 00:08:04.593 --> 00:08:09.113 So it's when there is a lesson plan or a lesson is beginning to develop. 00:08:09.233 --> 00:08:13.653 It just feels more like a draft at that point. 00:08:13.873 --> 00:08:19.953 And so teachers are often more open in that moment to exploring opportunities 00:08:19.953 --> 00:08:24.493 and thinking about their choices and rethinking some of their decisions and 00:08:24.493 --> 00:08:29.433 being mindful about options that they have and talking about those options because 00:08:29.433 --> 00:08:30.413 they haven't done it yet. 00:08:30.733 --> 00:08:35.393 And everyone's interested in picking the thing that's most likely to be. 00:08:35.832 --> 00:08:43.632 Support student learning. So that, how you set it up initially is communicating, what is my role? 00:08:44.152 --> 00:08:48.652 I'm going, for me, I'm going to be serving as a coach to help you kind of think through things. 00:08:48.812 --> 00:08:54.732 And then also, everyone will get the benefit of some glows and grows of when 00:08:54.732 --> 00:08:57.752 the lesson is over, we'll look at what worked, what worked well, 00:08:57.952 --> 00:09:02.172 what data supports that, and then what are some opportunities that we can throw 00:09:02.172 --> 00:09:05.752 to fill up your toolbox that you can tinker with and try out. 00:09:05.832 --> 00:09:11.272 So that's the consulting piece of it is that I'm not just here to listen and 00:09:11.272 --> 00:09:17.132 ask a bunch of questions, but also to be that thought partner so that there's 00:09:17.132 --> 00:09:18.392 some credibility established. 00:09:19.372 --> 00:09:26.112 So balancing that when we're trying not to be directive is to be really mindful 00:09:26.112 -->

00:09:28.572 about where your headspace is. 00:09:28.732 --> 00:09:32.332 So if you begin to ask questions that you're thinking, that's not what I was 00:09:32.332 --> 00:09:36.392 hoping that they would say, that's an indication that you're slipping into the 00:09:36.392 --> 00:09:40.632 consulting mode and perhaps without intention. 00:09:41.452 --> 00:09:46.772 So thinking about just your own thought process, are you still curious about 00:09:46.772 --> 00:09:53.092 what it is that they are, how they're making their decisions and helping them to reveal it versus. 00:09:53.532 --> 00:09:54.892 Hmm, I'm curious if I can, like, 00:09:55.132 --> 00:09:59.712 well, do you think that you should put a formative assessment in here? 00:09:59.852 --> 00:10:05.012 Like, right, that's an obvious, not a coaching question. It's a suggestive, 00:10:05.152 --> 00:10:10.192 a suggestion raised as a question. So we want to be really intentional, 00:10:10.192 --> 00:10:14.012 and we want those questions to spark reflections. 00:10:14.372 --> 00:10:18.492 And some of those questions that do that the best are things like, 00:10:18.632 --> 00:10:22.232 how will you know when it's time to pivot? 00:10:22.592 --> 00:10:27.552 Or what will tell you that this is working? Or what? 00:10:27.992 --> 00:10:32.432 How long do you think that it will take for students to, quote unquote, get it? 00:10:32.532 --> 00:10:38.132 Or what might happen when you facilitate this specific instructional move? 00:10:38.332 --> 00:10:45.112 So revealing some of those what ifs helps to highlight the fact that it's not 00:10:45.112 --> 00:10:49.132 a it's not written in stone path of how you get to that end point. 00:10:49.312 --> 00:10:52.672 But it's that's the art. That's the pedagogy of our profession. 00:10:52.672 --> 00:10:58.452 And it highlights that we have lots of decisions and those decisions can differ. 00:10:58.732 --> 00:11:04.312 So really trying to make sure that we're mindful of providing that awareness, 00:11:04.612 --> 00:11:10.092 tapping into the expertise that teachers have, but also knowing when it's time 00:11:10.092 --> 00:11:19.052 to offer your own expertise if the teacher is showing signs of wishing for it or wanting it. 00:11:19.557 --> 00:11:23.077 And I love how you so beautifully said, may I offer. 00:11:23.577 --> 00:11:27.917 It's still honoring that coachee and not just jumping in and seeming like we 00:11:27.917 --> 00:11:30.457 have all the answers as the coach, because we certainly don't. 00:11:30.577 --> 00:11:33.697 But you're still honoring them and saying, hey, let's partner together. 00:11:33.857 --> 00:11:35.397 Can I offer you some suggestions? 00:11:36.377 --> 00:11:41.497 And I like how you say that plural, right? So offering multiple suggestions, 00:11:41.497 --> 00:11:45.077 then it puts that decision back into their hands. 00:11:45.257 --> 00:11:50.637 So if you want to do some kind of a cognitive check for understanding, 00:11:50.937 --> 00:11:55.477 well, some teachers use whiteboards, some teachers use a turn and talk, 00:11:55.677 --> 00:12:00.197 some teachers use a stop and jot, some teachers use a kahoot. 00:12:00.737 --> 00:12:03.397 You know, are there some of those that you've had success with in the past or 00:12:03.397 --> 00:12:05.797 there's something that you are interested in trying? 00:12:06.057 --> 00:12:10.117 So it just puts them back like, hey, there are still lots of choices and the 00:12:10.117 --> 00:12:12.417 decision ultimately remains in your hands. 00:12:13.277 --> 00:12:17.537 Yeah, and you're building on prior success. We know these things have worked for you before. 00:12:17.877 --> 00:12:21.297 So what one do you want to bring forward? And it's just really building that 00:12:21.297 --> 00:12:24.497 time to think through. And that's why the planning conversation is so important. 00:12:24.697 --> 00:12:28.677 I agree. In your experience, what types of questions tend to open the door for 00:12:28.677 --> 00:12:31.457 deeper teacher reflection versus those that shut it down? 00:12:32.313 --> 00:12:37.673 So as I mentioned, when I go into schools, I work oftentimes with six teachers 00:12:37.673 --> 00:12:40.513 and I see them, typically I see them three days a year. 00:12:40.833 --> 00:12:44.733 And the first time that I see them, like, hello, my name is Connie. Nice to meet you. 00:12:45.133 --> 00:12:51.813 So in my role, I don't have the benefit of knowing people in advance and kind 00:12:51.813 --> 00:12:55.153 of knowing their strengths already or visiting their classroom multiple times. 00:12:55.153 --> 00:12:59.893 So this is particularly an area that I'm really mindful of because I have to 00:12:59.893 --> 00:13:01.513 establish rapport quickly. 00:13:01.893 --> 00:13:06.373 So there are a few ways that I establish rapport, 00:13:06.673 --> 00:13:12.293 create a sense of safety, and then that sense of safety allows teachers to be 00:13:12.293 --> 00:13:18.113 vulnerable, which leads to deeper reflection and doesn't cause them to be defensive or shut down. 00:13:18.113 --> 00:13:23.553 So the first is kind of a consistency in the way that I frame questions. 00:13:24.273 --> 00:13:28.513 So every time I sit down with a teacher, I start off with, what do you want 00:13:28.513 --> 00:13:30.873 students to learn today? Or what is your learning target? 00:13:31.053 --> 00:13:36.053 So we always start with that particular piece and how will you know that they've met that target? 00:13:36.273 --> 00:13:40.053 And then we just kind of work our way through that. So because there's a bit 00:13:40.053 --> 00:13:45.293 of familiarity in the structure of the conversation, there is less surprise 00:13:45.293 --> 00:13:47.173 about some of the initial questions. 00:13:47.173 --> 00:13:53.073 So when the follow-up questions are more specific, there's still some level of comfort. 00:13:53.333 --> 00:13:59.333 So trying to be consistent and a bit predictive in

the way that you pose questions, 00:13:59.333 --> 00:14:01.833 when you are predictive in that way, 00:14:02.093 --> 00:14:07.613 then those questions can then transfer to the teacher so they can begin asking 00:14:07.613 --> 00:14:10.353 themselves those questions when you're not there. 00:14:10.773 --> 00:14:15.493 So there's multiple reasons for providing some consistency in the way that the 00:14:15.493 --> 00:14:18.313 questions are formatted. I hadn't thought of it like that. 00:14:18.612 --> 00:14:23.152 With getting teachers to ask themselves those questions, if you are consistent 00:14:23.152 --> 00:14:27.212 in your line of questioning, that's a beautiful gradual release process there. For sure. 00:14:27.412 --> 00:14:30.992 And a lot of times the teachers will say, this is when I know that I'm having 00:14:30.992 --> 00:14:34.332 an impact, is when teachers will say, I could hear you in my head. 00:14:34.472 --> 00:14:37.112 I knew what question you were going to ask me. 00:14:37.332 --> 00:14:41.092 And last night when I was getting ready to see you today, I asked myself all 00:14:41.092 --> 00:14:43.592 those same questions and I'm thinking, jackpot. 00:14:44.632 --> 00:14:51.412 Now we're really building the efficacy. see. So the next is building that deeper 00:14:51.412 --> 00:14:56.072 reflection. And again, that sense of safety is normalizing imperfection. 00:14:57.012 --> 00:15:01.172 So assuming that everything is not going to go perfect. 00:15:01.372 --> 00:15:05.192 So posing questions like, what do you think is going to be the most challenging part of this lesson? 00:15:05.372 --> 00:15:10.492 The most challenging part might be, what's going to be the highest cognitive demand for learners? 00:15:10.712 --> 00:15:14.532 Where are they going to have the challenge? Or it might be an instructional 00:15:14.532 --> 00:15:18.512 move like, okay, I have a lot of parts going at this particular time, 00:15:18.552 --> 00:15:21.772 and I want to make sure that engagement doesn't dip while I'm getting out these 00:15:21.772 --> 00:15:24.952 materials and have these students that are going to take longer. 00:15:25.092 --> 00:15:27.512 And it just may be a facilitation component. 00:15:27.692 --> 00:15:33.572 And so bringing out a conversation about, okay, what's going to be the hardest part? 00:15:34.052 --> 00:15:39.712 Now, when teachers identify that in advance, if the lesson turns out to be challenging 00:15:39.712 --> 00:15:44.452 in that moment, they've pre-identified that as a challenging point. 00:15:44.452 --> 00:15:50.712 And so they don't have to be so defensive or explanatory about why it went wrong 00:15:50.712 --> 00:15:52.832 and what they were thinking because we already talked about it. 00:15:52.932 --> 00:15:55.412 And everyone is expecting that in the beginning. 00:15:55.732 --> 00:15:59.232 And in my sense, in the small group, typically when a teacher is like, 00:15:59.352 --> 00:16:01.952 this part is going to be hard, everybody else in the room is like, 00:16:02.112 --> 00:16:04.292 oh, yeah, that is going to be hard. 00:16:04.732 --> 00:16:06.892 And so there's that. 00:16:07.548 --> 00:16:12.428 Camaraderie. There's that collective efficacy that all comes in together that 00:16:12.428 --> 00:16:16.848 we all have been there and it's fine if things go awry. 00:16:17.208 --> 00:16:22.428 And then that other component is establishing yourself as that thought partner. 00:16:22.688 --> 00:16:29.068 And so when you contribute something that they take away, then it makes them 00:16:29.068 --> 00:16:32.128 want to meet with you again and again and again. 00:16:32.268 --> 00:16:36.028 I really enjoy my time with Connie or Courtney or with whomever, 00:16:36.028 --> 00:16:39.888 because I always walk away with something. 00:16:40.488 --> 00:16:45.688 And if they aren't bringing it out in their own, if that coaching conversation 00:16:45.688 --> 00:16:50.828 is just feeling like I got nothing, then that's the time to sort of shift and 00:16:50.828 --> 00:16:54.948 say, would it be helpful if I shared some of the things that I've observed in other classes? 00:16:55.168 --> 00:16:59.448 And then we can just launch from there. Stop me as soon as something really 00:16:59.448 --> 00:17:02.628 sounds exciting to you. And then we'll explore that piece. 00:17:02.788 --> 00:17:06.688 And then I just sort of list it as a checkbox, not as a suggestion, 00:17:06.688 --> 00:17:09.748 but do you like this? Do you like this? Do you like this? Do you like this? 00:17:09.948 --> 00:17:13.108 More like a menu. And then we can dive in. 00:17:13.928 --> 00:17:18.128 When you bring those things in, consistency in the way you frame questions, 00:17:18.488 --> 00:17:21.908 normalizing that imperfection and serving as a thought partner, 00:17:22.128 --> 00:17:27.768 it creates an atmosphere of we are all here to support one another. And it's not a gotcha. 00:17:27.948 --> 00:17:31.588 Whenever it feels like a gotcha or a judgment, that's when people get defensive 00:17:31.588 --> 00:17:34.448 and they tend to just say, I've had enough of this and they shut down. 00:17:35.131 --> 00:17:39.231 Yeah, it's really about that collective efficacy and how we can tap everyone 00:17:39.231 --> 00:17:44.451 and all the resources to bring together that ideal lesson or to improve our lesson. 00:17:45.171 --> 00:17:49.731 For sure. So you touched on it earlier, but especially working with new teachers, 00:17:49.731 --> 00:17:54.291 how can we adapt our questioning or maybe thinking about their emotional state 00:17:54.291 --> 00:17:55.931 when we're going into a coaching session? 00:17:55.991 --> 00:17:59.531 What are some of your tips and tricks with that? You know, 00:17:59.851 --> 00:18:08.971 I first tried to really read the person less on the experience because in my 00:18:08.971 --> 00:18:13.131 own experience, I've had brand new teachers who are overconfident. 00:18:13.391 --> 00:18:17.511

They think they know it all already and, you know, I'm ready to do this and 00:18:17.511 --> 00:18:20.431 I've had great teachers before and I got this teaching thing down. 00:18:20.611 --> 00:18:25.271 And then I've had veteran teachers who are dynamic, but they still question 00:18:25.271 --> 00:18:30.211 their effectiveness. So I really look to see, like, where is their level of confidence? 00:18:30.811 --> 00:18:35.711 Do they present themselves more as what we would typically think as a new teacher? 00:18:35.831 --> 00:18:39.491 Or do they present themselves more as somebody who's really kind of perfecting 00:18:39.491 --> 00:18:41.371 this? And then I go from that perspective. 00:18:42.211 --> 00:18:47.591 So teachers that are a bit more guarded, I tend to, well, I always focus on 00:18:47.591 --> 00:18:52.231 strengths, but I really lead hard on the strengths. You're doing this really 00:18:52.231 --> 00:18:54.591 well. This is definitely a strength of yours. 00:18:54.791 --> 00:19:00.891 And so in this moment, how do you decide when it's time to. 00:19:01.607 --> 00:19:07.587 And the independent work? How do you decide when you're going to throw in a think-pair-share? 00:19:07.667 --> 00:19:11.527 What is it that you notice that says, okay, this is the time? 00:19:11.887 --> 00:19:17.147 Or what are you thinking about as you're framing those on-the-fly questions? 00:19:17.147 --> 00:19:18.527 What's going through your mind? 00:19:18.707 --> 00:19:23.967 So it's still this curiosity component. It's building on their strengths, 00:19:23.967 --> 00:19:29.467 and yet it's still revealing their thought process, And it allows them to shine 00:19:29.467 --> 00:19:33.007 and really share where they perceive their expertise. 00:19:33.427 --> 00:19:36.787 And then I watch for some of their nonverbals. 00:19:36.947 --> 00:19:42.027 Are they jotting down some notes when other people are sharing ideas or, 00:19:42.027 --> 00:19:48.967 I don't know, offering small little tweaks? Or when we are sharing raw data, 00:19:49.387 --> 00:19:51.727 do they really lean in on the data? 00:19:51.967 --> 00:19:58.447 Or are they saying, well, this doesn't happen all the time, or that was an anomaly? 00:19:58.787 --> 00:20:01.947 Or, you know, how are they responding to those data points? 00:20:02.207 --> 00:20:07.627 And then I try to lean into that wherever they are leaning. 00:20:07.787 --> 00:20:11.187 I try to flip it a bit. So if they're leaning into being defensive, 00:20:11.487 --> 00:20:14.627 then I come in on this is what is working well, heavy, heavy. 00:20:14.627 --> 00:20:20.307 If they are focusing on what's working well and everything is dynamo, 00:20:20.447 --> 00:20:25.307 then I come into where do you think that students had this, 00:20:25.567 --> 00:20:28.767 where would you make a tweak or where do you think students struggle the most 00:20:28.767 --> 00:20:31.767 and how can we provide in that perspective? 00:20:32.067 --> 00:20:34.687 For teachers who are already more reflective of. 00:20:35.429 --> 00:20:39.629 And maybe kind of think of them as sponges and just gimme, gimme, gimme. 00:20:40.489 --> 00:20:45.989 In my experience, those teachers often tend to be a bit harder on themselves than they ought to be. 00:20:46.229 --> 00:20:51.489 They often verge on the edge of perfectionism. 00:20:51.729 --> 00:20:57.809 And so for them, it's important to me to make sure that they have a mental plan 00:20:57.809 --> 00:21:04.469 B and plan C so that we're normalizing that plan A doesn't always have to work. 00:21:04.469 --> 00:21:11.769 And empowering them in the moment to be noticing when is it time to shift to 00:21:11.769 --> 00:21:18.789 plan B or C and what am I seeing that tells me that C is better than B but I know A isn't working. 00:21:19.109 --> 00:21:24.189 And so that feels super empowering when you're like, I got a plan for that, I'm ready. 00:21:24.589 --> 00:21:30.429 And so I try to just kind of lean into where is that level of confidence. 00:21:31.029 --> 00:21:34.069 And then the last piece that you kind of talked about, emotions, 00:21:34.709 --> 00:21:39.649 sometimes people cry, you know, even especially after the lesson. 00:21:40.529 --> 00:21:44.129 Sometimes it's because the lesson just really actually did flop. 00:21:44.269 --> 00:21:50.529 And everybody, anybody who saw it would be like, yep, that happens to all of us and no biggie. 00:21:50.649 --> 00:21:54.149 But of course, to the host teacher, it is a big deal. 00:21:54.309 --> 00:21:59.509 We take our profession so personally that it means a lot to us. 00:21:59.609 --> 00:22:02.689 And so when I see tears, I learned this through therapy. 00:22:03.579 --> 00:22:07.459 Cognitive behavior therapy. When you see tears, you acknowledge it, 00:22:07.519 --> 00:22:10.059 but we don't dwell on it. We're not trying to fix the tears. 00:22:10.539 --> 00:22:17.999 And so what I have observed from evaluators, other coaches, fear observers, 00:22:17.999 --> 00:22:22.979 when we see tears, we want to fix it. We want the teacher to feel good in that moment. 00:22:23.539 --> 00:22:27.599 And my take is, let's just lean into it. Like, it's okay to be emotional. 00:22:27.599 --> 00:22:34.679 What that tells me is that you care, but I'm not going to provide excuses like, oh, that happened. 00:22:34.799 --> 00:22:37.699 It's Friday afternoon. And of course they were this. 00:22:37.799 --> 00:22:42.659 And it was after lunch. And we had a fire drill this morning. 00:22:42.679 --> 00:22:44.919 I'm not going to offer excuses because you know what? 00:22:44.959 --> 00:22:48.539 We have Friday afternoon every week. We have lunch every day. 00:22:48.659 --> 00:22:53.579 We have fire drills multiple times a year. And so when those things happen, 00:22:53.739 --> 00:22:59.439 because they will, we want teachers to be armed with, okay, let's be mindful. 00:22:59.799 --> 00:23:04.659 This is a moment when I'm going to need to shift

because all of my go-to default 00:23:04.659 --> 00:23:07.179 strategies are not working right now. 00:23:07.259 --> 00:23:12.179 And so now we have to embrace the failure to. 00:23:12.887 --> 00:23:18.207 Dig into an analysis of why didn't it work when it usually does? 00:23:18.407 --> 00:23:20.127 And then what can we do differently? 00:23:20.407 --> 00:23:25.527 I find it a bit comical sometimes that you walk into a classroom and they have 00:23:25.527 --> 00:23:29.747 the bulletin board, F-A-I-L, right? First attempt in learning. 00:23:29.987 --> 00:23:34.147 And yet we don't practice what we teach. and so 00:23:34.147 --> 00:23:41.667 re-normalizing that teaching is not perfection and that we measure success of 00:23:41.667 --> 00:23:46.567 teaching of did students learn what they were supposed to learn or do we have 00:23:46.567 --> 00:23:51.367 more information about where students are in the learning journey so we can 00:23:51.367 --> 00:23:53.527 meet them where they are tomorrow. 00:23:54.047 --> 00:23:57.447 Yeah, thank you for so beautifully highlighting all the cognition that's happening 00:23:57.447 --> 00:24:01.807 on the coach's part and then how you get your coachee to think through all the 00:24:01.807 --> 00:24:04.187 A, B, and C. If this doesn't work, how do we shift? 00:24:04.427 --> 00:24:07.467 And that really just highlights all the decisions teachers are making. 00:24:07.487 --> 00:24:11.767 And then when coaches are coaching, all of the things that they're processing 00:24:11.767 --> 00:24:15.747 and taking in when they go to ask those intentional questions. Uh-huh. 00:24:16.650 --> 00:24:19.910 So if coaches were just beginning to refine their questioning practice, 00:24:20.110 --> 00:24:22.850 I know a lot of them after listening to this are going to dive in. 00:24:23.050 --> 00:24:26.750 What's one habit or strategy you'd recommend they start with tomorrow to become 00:24:26.750 --> 00:24:29.290 more intentional and how they frame their questions? 00:24:30.150 --> 00:24:35.070 I think the power in coaching and the ahas really come in the follow-up questions. 00:24:35.630 --> 00:24:42.250 And so staying with a specific topic, it's more of an inch wide and a mile deep. 00:24:42.250 --> 00:24:48.130 Sometimes when it comes to having an impact, we can touch on all the facets of a lesson. 00:24:48.650 --> 00:24:52.110 And then we feel like, yeah, we touched everything, but what did we actually accomplish? 00:24:52.350 --> 00:24:58.410 What are we walking away with? And so if we can just hone in on a specific aspect 00:24:58.410 --> 00:25:01.950 that the teacher is interested in growing their practice, 00:25:02.410 --> 00:25:06.930 then if that's differentiation or it's engagement or it's formative assessment, 00:25:06.930 --> 00:25:13.970 then we can feel okay to kind of ease off of two out of three of those things 00:25:13.970 --> 00:25:20.310 and just hone in on that one and allow the teacher to also focus in on that one. 00:25:20.450 --> 00:25:24.410 So the next time you come in for a session, we're still focused on that one 00:25:24.410 --> 00:25:30.670 area of instruction that we collaboratively agreed is going to be our focus. 00:25:30.910 --> 00:25:33.410 So if a teacher says, hey, I want to work on my questioning, 00:25:33.410 --> 00:25:37.210 I'm not going to come in and say, so what do you think about your formative assessment process? 00:25:37.230 --> 00:25:40.910 Or what do you think about engagement? Or how is your time management? 00:25:41.770 --> 00:25:48.110 That's a gotcha. And so we have to be clear about what it is that we're focusing on. 00:25:48.210 --> 00:25:50.270 And then those follow up questions. 00:25:50.530 --> 00:25:56.150 And a lot of times, it's really the metacognitive questions. How will you know? 00:25:56.450 --> 00:25:59.010 What will you see? What will. 00:26:01.581 --> 00:26:06.001 If you have this choice and this choice and this choice, and you don't know 00:26:06.001 --> 00:26:10.741 which one that you're going to make in the moment, what will cause you to pick A? 00:26:10.881 --> 00:26:13.861 What will cause you to pick B? What will cause you to pick C? 00:26:14.221 --> 00:26:20.121 Those conversations flow into so many more lessons than the single lesson that 00:26:20.121 --> 00:26:23.181 they're about to teach with the plan that you're creating now, 00:26:23.281 --> 00:26:28.681 because now they have articulated, when do I do A? When do I do B? When do I do C? 00:26:28.821 --> 00:26:31.861 And those things are likely to occur over and over and over and over. 00:26:31.981 --> 00:26:37.201 So we're developing that transfer of the metacognitive process of thinking about that. 00:26:37.381 --> 00:26:42.061 So diving deep on those follow-up questions about just being thoughtful, 00:26:42.061 --> 00:26:45.741 what kind of data would be helpful for you? 00:26:45.741 --> 00:26:53.081 That's another way that coaches can establish a value in the process of it's 00:26:53.081 --> 00:26:58.321 impossible for teachers to chart their questions, tally their questions, 00:26:58.641 --> 00:27:03.201 and categorize their questions unless they videotape themselves. 00:27:03.201 --> 00:27:07.581 So as an observer, as a coach or a consultant, I can serve that role. 00:27:07.761 --> 00:27:10.701 Would you like me to come in? And since we're working on questionings, 00:27:10.761 --> 00:27:12.741 I could just gather some data and just share it with you. 00:27:13.261 --> 00:27:17.521 And then here it is. It's just raw data. Now my questions become, 00:27:17.661 --> 00:27:20.581 what do you notice? What stands out to you? What do you like? 00:27:21.301 --> 00:27:29.701 What surprises you? So those then shift into really cool and valuable conversations. 00:27:31.198 --> 00:27:35.218 Are not part of my agenda. They're just part of the process. 00:27:36.238 --> 00:27:40.898 Well, that's great coaching, right? Yes, exactly. Well, I could talk to you

00:27:40.898 --> 00:27:44.338 all day about coaching and about crafting great questions. 00:27:44.358 --> 00:27:47.178 How can our listeners learn more from you and with you? 00:27:47.738 --> 00:27:52.418 My website is ConnieHamilton.org. Don't go to ConnieHamilton.com. 00:27:52.518 --> 00:27:54.738 That's a real estate agent in the Midwest somewhere. 00:27:55.018 --> 00:27:59.838 So ConnieHamilton.org. And I think what your coaches might find most valuable 00:27:59.838 --> 00:28:02.338 there is I have a page that's full of free resources. 00:28:02.598 --> 00:28:07.058 Everything is free. And one of them is called SIFT Data Descriptions. 00:28:07.278 --> 00:28:12.498 And it's pages and pages of different data points that observers can collect 00:28:12.498 --> 00:28:15.958 and a description of how you might collect that data. 00:28:16.178 --> 00:28:19.698 It's a great tool that you can download and bring to a coaching conversation 00:28:19.698 --> 00:28:26.378 to say, would any of these be helpful for you if I were to gather this evidence and data for you? 00:28:26.498 --> 00:28:30.978 So it's a good way to bring in data and then put that ownership in the hands 00:28:30.978 --> 00:28:33.438 of the teacher that you're having your conversation with. 00:28:34.038 --> 00:28:36.738 So ConnieHamilton.org is the easiest way to get in touch with me. 00:28:37.298 --> 00:28:41.138 We're going to see those clicks go up. I know a lot of coaches listening are 00:28:41.138 --> 00:28:44.738 going to be downloading that document and diving into collecting some data. 00:28:45.358 --> 00:28:48.738 We're going to move into the rapid fire portion of our interview. 00:28:49.758 --> 00:28:54.338 Roughly 10 seconds or less. What's one strategy every coach should have in their back pocket? 00:28:55.098 --> 00:28:59.478 Well, I mentioned in the pre-brief, what's part of the lesson is most challenging, 00:28:59.858 --> 00:29:02.158 either for student learning or for facilitation. 00:29:02.378 --> 00:29:06.638 And then in the debrief, it's if you could run this lesson again tomorrow, 00:29:06.638 --> 00:29:10.498 what's one thing that you would keep and one thing that you would adjust. 00:29:10.978 --> 00:29:17.038 It normalizes that teaching is iterative and that it shifts from the focus from judgment to growth. 00:29:17.731 --> 00:29:21.891 What a powerful question. If you had 60 seconds with a new teacher, 00:29:22.091 --> 00:29:23.251 what's one thing you'd tell them? 00:29:23.771 --> 00:29:27.991 I'm really big on strength-based coaching, so I would try to make it as personal 00:29:27.991 --> 00:29:31.631 as possible. This is your gift. This is your talent. This is your jam. 00:29:31.851 --> 00:29:35.731 But in the absence of knowing that ahead of time, if I had a room full of first-year 00:29:35.731 --> 00:29:37.991 teachers, I'd say, keep your eye on learning. 00:29:38.351 --> 00:29:42.251 Focus your measurement of success on a lesson with whether or not students learned, 00:29:42.471 --> 00:29:46.771 not whether or not they were busy, or if your lesson went the way that it says 00:29:46.771 --> 00:29:51.391 in the textbook, or in the podcast or on the website that you saw, 00:29:51.531 --> 00:29:53.991 but just focus on did students learn? 00:29:54.251 --> 00:29:57.551 If they did, your lesson is a success. Hopefully we have some new teachers or 00:29:57.551 --> 00:29:59.651 some coaches passing on that information. 00:30:00.051 --> 00:30:04.431 Well, I appreciate so much you joining me today and I can't wait to dive into 00:30:04.431 --> 00:30:07.631 more of your work. Thank you so much. I really enjoyed being here today. 00:30:08.371 --> 00:30:11.591 Connie shared so many insights and great tips on elevating your questions. 00:30:11.931 --> 00:30:15.631 How might you adjust some of the questions you ask your coaches and how might 00:30:15.631 --> 00:30:19.591 you build space and capacity to get them doing the heavy lifting and thinking. 00:30:19.831 --> 00:30:22.011 Thanks for listening to another episode of C3. 00:30:22.351 --> 00:30:24.131 Be sure to follow us on social media.