The Art of Coaching Read online

  What follows in this chapter is an overview of each theory and some guiding questions to help you consider how the theory might be applied in a coaching setting. Then I'm going to use the lenses to think about Mr. Delgado's class and formulate some questions to ask him. At the end of the chapter, I'll describe the debrief conversation with Mr. Delgado and the coaching he engaged in that year.

  In Appendix A, you will find all of the assumptions and questions for each lens laid out in a format that can be easily referenced and copied. These lenses are one of the few documents that I must always have tucked into my notebook.

  The Six Lenses

  Administrators: these lenses are very useful to apply when you face dilemmas at a site.

  The Lens of Inquiry

  The lens of inquiry encourages questions, valuing them as much as the answers that we find. It purports that the way we define the problem dictates how we define the solution. Our field of possibility narrows depending on our definition, which is why we need to ask many questions from many perspectives. It also supposes that the way we pose the question determines the nature of the answer—if I ask a teacher, “Why did you shout at that student?” I may get a defensive answer.

  The lens of inquiry suggests that evidence and multiple forms of data are critical to making informed decisions and judgments. It reminds us that there's usually more to the picture than what we initially see, and that we need to gather data from various stakeholders before we make decisions or determine a course of action. Finally, this lens reminds us that although we may ask good questions and gather a ton of data, we will never know everything we need to know and we will never have all the answers, but we must act anyway.

  The lens of inquiry assumes the following:

  The way we pose the question determines the nature of the answer

  The way we define the problem dictates how we define the solution

  The questions we ask are as important as the answers we find

  People can create their own knowledge and solutions

  Seemingly intractable problems can be addressed

  It is easier to engage and enroll people to address inequities when we affirm that we don't yet know everything we need to know to create transformed systems, but we have a responsibility to do so, so we must ask questions together and move forward

  If you own the question, you will take responsibility for the answer

  Evidence and data are critical to making informed decisions and judgments

  Multiple forms of data—including authentic and qualitative measures produced by multiple constituencies—are necessary for effective decision making

  Knowledge is socially constructed

  We never know everything we need to know, but we need to act anyway

  Questions that explore the lens of inquiry include the following:

  Who is defining the problem? Whose question is this?

  What data do we have on this problem? What problems do that data say we should address?

  Is this a question I really care about? Who does care about this question?

  From what perspective am I seeing this? What other perspectives would help me understand this?

  How is this connected to other things?

  Applying the Lens of Inquiry in Mr. Delgado's Class

  It was the principal who sent me to work with Mr. Delgado, saying that he had a “classroom management problem.” When I walked into this classroom, I was primed to see this problem, with Mr. Delgado's deficiency as the cause. However, looking through the lens of inquiry, I began to wonder how Mr. Delgado would define the “problem?”

  The principal has observed Mr. Delgado's class on several occasions; he has also gathered data on office referrals that indicate that Mr. Delgado struggles with classroom management. I would like to take a closer look at the referral data—are there specific groups of students with whom Mr. Delgado struggles? Are there times of the day, or certain periods, when he has more difficulty? I wonder what the students would identify as the cause of the classroom disruptions. Perhaps a student survey would yield useful data.

  I know that the principal really cares about this question, but I wonder if Mr. Delgado does. I'm reminded that the teacher needs to “own the question,” so that he'll take responsibility for the answer. I am seeing this problem from the principal's perspective at first. I clearly need to hear Mr. Delgado's perspective, and perhaps the perspective of students.

  I went in to observe Mr. Delgado's classroom management, but I wondered about a number of other factors: the lesson plan, classroom routines and procedures, the assignment students were asked to complete, Davontae, and about Mr. Delgado himself. I wondered how he felt, what he thought about what was going on, what he envisioned for himself as a teacher.

  I left Mr. Delgado's class not convinced that “the problem” was his management. I felt there were many dynamics going on that needed to be explored in order for solutions to be considered.

  The Lens of Change Management

  Now, let's shift the lenses on our optical refractor and see what is visible when we look through the lens of change management, which pushes us to consider how change might be made. First, this perspective reminds us that beneficial change is possible, which can be easy to forget when a situation looks particularly grim. Then it suggests an analysis of the conditions for change. This lens reminds us to look at the state of leadership within the problem area—certain leadership qualities need to be present in order for positive change to occur. We are also reminded to look for other conditions that need to be present in order for change to happen: incentives, resources, vision, and a clear action plan. Change cannot be made unless many, if not most, of these elements are in place.

  The lens of change management also reminds us to consider a person's will, skill, knowledge, and capacity to change—and to understand where the gaps are in these four domains. Finally, we must look at the larger picture and the presence or absence of necessary conditions for change—and then we can determine how to go about supporting change.

  The lens of change management assumes the following:

  Beneficial change is possible

  Conditions and strategies can be manipulated to get the system to produce different outcomes

  Change can be studied, understood, and influenced

  Analysis of conditions for change is necessary for effective implementation

  Certain elements need to be present for successful change to occur: leadership, vision, skills, incentives, resources, a clear plan of action

  People need to have the will, skill, knowledge, and capacity to change

  Questions that explore the lens of change management include the following:

  What are the conditions for change here?

  What are the strengths that can be built on? What's working?

  Where are the opportunities for leveraging change? What threats to change are present?

  What is the vision people are working toward here?

  What skills are required of people to achieve the vision? What knowledge is necessary?

  Do people have the skills and knowledge necessary to implement change?

  Does the will for change exist here? Where?

  What incentives are in place for people to change? To improve their practice?

  What resources are available to support change?

  Applying the Lens of Change Management in Mr. Delgado's Class

  When I apply the lens of change management to Mr. Delgado's class, I am looking for opportunities for leveraging change. I wonder what Mr. Delgado's strengths are and what skills he feels competent in. I wonder which skills he might need to refine, and what knowledge might help him shift the dynamic in his classroom. I'm also curious about his will to change—I noticed his shaking hands, his frustration—I know he was unhappy, but how much does he want to change? Will, of course, is a tricky thing to assess and measure, and an even trickier thing to build up when reserves are low. I need to f
ind out where his will for change is.

  When I consider the conditions that are necessary for change, my musing shifts into the systems and structures in the whole school. Mr. Delgado's classroom does not exist as an isolated entity; applying this lens pushes me to think through the lens of systems thinking. Within the overlap between these two lenses, I am also wondering what resources exist to support Mr. Delgado in making change in his classroom. Once we identify the areas of skill and knowledge in which he'd like to expand his capacity, then I'll do some exploration into the resources that are available.

  The Lens of Systems Thinking

  The lens of systems thinking provides invaluable information and also builds an increasingly complicated picture. Schools are complex systems, and no single discrete element within a school exists in isolation from the others. Systems thinking helps us explore the ways that pieces are interwoven and affected by each other. It reflects the belief stance that everything is connected.

  The lens of systems thinking presumes that what we observe, whatever is happening in the moment, is exactly what is supposed to happen in the system as it is—there is a logical, rational explanation for what we see. Although we may experience the system as chaotic or disorderly, this framework suggests there is an order. Everything we observe is the result of a complex set of interactions, and we must understand them if we want to intervene. This lens compels us to look at the pieces, the whole, and the interactions in order to understand how the system works and to change it.

  The lens of systems thinking also makes some assumptions that can alleviate our anxiety when facing a seemingly disorderly system. It contends that change is a given, conflict and tension are necessary and natural, and that complexity and diversity are good, healthy things. Finally, it reminds us that all energy moves in cycles—the energy in a classroom, in a school, and in our education system is in some phase of a cycle. If we can identify that phase and understand conditions for change, we might be able to move it into a different phase of the cycle.

  The lens of systems thinking assumes the following:

  What we observe, whatever is happening in this moment, is exactly what is supposed to happen in the system as it is

  Everything we observe is the result of a complex set of interactions

  We must seek to understand these interactions in order to intervene effectively to change them

  Process and product are part of the same whole

  Conflict and tension are necessary and natural

  Complexity and diversity are good, healthy things

  All energy moves in cycles

  Questions that explore the lens of systems thinking include the following:

  How is the current system designed to produce these results?

  Why did that happen?

  What happens when this happens? What happens when that happens? What are the relationships between things here?

  Where is the energy here? Where are the stuck points?

  If I do this here, what will happen over here?

  Applying the Lens of Systems Thinking in Mr. Delgado's class

  When I apply the lens of systems thinking to Mr. Delgado's classroom, a long list of questions comes to mind about what I've observed. Leading from the principal's concern regarding Mr. Delgado's classroom management skills, I wonder about how the current system produced these results. I realize that I don't fully understand the schoolwide behavior management system and the process for bringing new teachers into an understanding of it. I'm curious about the relationships between these elements: the broader expectations for students, teachers, and staff and the process for communicating expectations.

  I'm also curious about how class schedules are determined. I asked several students (who seemed very disengaged) about why they were taking Spanish and they told me that they didn't want to take it, that they'd been assigned to it. I realized that I didn't understand many pieces of the system that I was seeing. It also seemed like everyone in the system was stuck: the teacher, the students, the principal. Considering the different systems at play, and then jumping back to the lens of change management, I wasn't sure where the opportune points were for making change, because I didn't have a clear enough understanding of the systems that had produced this challenge. Using this lens, I realized I had a number of questions for the principal, the counselor who created student assignments, and Mr. Delgado. I also suspect that there may be a number of macro systems affecting what is happening in Mr. Delgado's classroom and the school that are resulting in what I observed. I will explore those as well.

  The Lens of Adult Learning

  Understanding adult learning is essential to effective coaching. Many of the ways in which adults and children learn are similar, but there are also some critical ways in which we learn differently, and the conditions for our learning need to be modified in order to support us.

  One of the most obvious differences between adults and children is that adults have simply lived longer and have had many life experiences. For those of us guiding adults in learning, it means we have more to work with—more starting points and, perhaps, more things to undo. What is essential is that we understand what we're working with—what previous experiences, knowledge, competencies, beliefs, and interests someone is bringing to a new learning space. Then we can build from those, or be mindful about attending to them. It means that we don't meet our adult learners as if they were blank slates (of course, children are not blank slates either, but they have fewer fixed ideas and they are often more malleable). Most adults have come to believe that “experience is the best teacher.” In order for us to extend learning, we need to understand what experiences someone has had, and then we need to create more meaningful experiences for learning. We also have to accept that people can only be where they currently are.

  Because they are not blank slates, adults want to be the origin of our learning and want control over the what, who, how, why, and where of our learning. We will commit to learning when we believe that the objectives are realistic and important for our personal and professional needs. We need to see that what we are learning is applicable to our day-to-day activities and problems. When principals, coaches, or professional developers run into conflicts with teachers who seem “resistant” to, for example, a professional development (PD) session or training, it is often because these essential elements of adult learning theory are not being attended to. Adults need to see very clearly the relevance of what they're being asked to learn; they need to have some say in what they're doing. This is exactly why coaching can be an effective strategy to support adult learners: our coachees have a tremendous amount of control over the objectives of the coaching, and the content of the learning is immediately applicable to daily activities and problems. Coaching is a way to guide—not direct—people through learning; that's why it works.

  Adults also need direct, concrete ways to apply what we have learned to our work. We do not learn by simply hearing or reading about abstract theory; we need to apply the learnings fairly quickly. But we also do not automatically transfer learning into daily practice. We might attend a three-day workshop on strategies for teaching English language learners, but unless there is coaching and other kinds of ongoing support, the learning may not be sustained. Furthermore, we need feedback on the results of our efforts. Without feedback, we are unlikely to sustain new learning or reach a level of mastery. Again, coaching is an effective strategy because it responds to all of these requisites of adult learning.

  Finally, adult learning theory reminds us that adults, like children, need to feel emotionally safe in order to be able to learn. Our emotional states are inextricably tied to our abilities to learn. For those of us who aspire to create learning spaces for adults, we must keep this fact in mind.

  The lens of adult learning assumes the following:

  Problems of change are problems of learning

  People can only be where they are

  Every human being is “on a path”
from one place to another, and it is important to find out both where people have been and where they're going

  We all enter the work of equity and justice from very different starting points

  If you don't acknowledge progress, you lose people's trust

  Adults have had a lot of life experiences that affect how they continue to learn

  Adults must feel safe to learn

  Adults want to be the origin of their own learning; they want to control certain aspects of it

  Adults want and need feedback

  Questions that explore the lens of adult learning include the following:

  What is the goal or objective?

  What came before?

  What is the gap between the goal and what is?

  What progress has been made?

  Is there evidence of prior learning?

  Does the will for learning exist?

  Applying the Lens of Adult Learning in Mr. Delgado's Class

  Thinking about Mr. Delgado through this lens makes me wonder what Mr. Delgado is bringing to his current role in terms of experiences, beliefs, and capacities about classroom management. I am reminded that he is a man in his late fifties who has lived in two different countries in very different time periods; I am curious about his beliefs around the behavior of young people and how they should be regulated.

  I'm also curious about his will to learn. What does he want to work on and improve in his teaching? What might he regard as a realistic goal for himself? What does he need to feel safe in his learning? What does he feel like he's made progress on in his teaching career? Applying this lens makes me curious and also excited to learn more about Mr. Delgado.