The Art of Coaching Page 9
The Lens of Systemic (Structural) Oppression
The lens of systemic, or structural, oppression is premised on the assumption that oppression resides in systems and structures (such as our education system and school structures), as well as within our individual consciousness. Social inequality, therefore, is woven throughout our institutions. In order to transform our system, a close examination of the structures that hold oppression must be made along with our examination of the individual consciousness of those within.
A premise of the lens of systemic oppression is that human beings are born without prejudice. Prejudice is a preconceived judgment or opinion that is usually based on limited information. We are continually exposed to misinformation about others—which is how we end up with prejudices. Stereotypes, omissions, and distortions all contribute to the development of prejudice. Given that prejudice is something we acquire, it is something we can unlearn.
Racism is a system of advantage based on race—a personal ideology and a system of institutional policies and practices that manifest in the beliefs and actions of individuals. Racism is prejudice plus power—racial prejudice combined with social power (access to resources and decision making) leads to the institutionalization of racist policies and practices. Racism is more than just individual beliefs and attitudes; it is systemic.
Individual prejudices are different from systematic mistreatment. Entire groups of people have been intentionally disempowered because of their identity in order to maintain an unequal power structure that subjugates one group over another—this is the definition of structural oppression. Racism, sexism, classism, and homophobia, therefore, are not simply individual prejudices, but they have historical antecedents and they manifest in economic, political, social, and cultural systems. Systemic oppression is sometimes blatantly visible and sometimes insidiously obscure.
The lens of systemic oppression assumes the following:
Oppression and injustice are human creations and can therefore be undone
Systemic oppression exists and negatively affects relationships and the educational process in multiple ways
Oppression and systematic mistreatment (such as racism, classism, sexism, and homophobia) are more than just the sum of individual prejudices
Systemic oppression has historical antecedents; it is an intentional disempowering of groups of people based on their identity to maintain an unequal power structure that subjugates one group over another
Systemic oppression manifests in economic, political, social, and cultural systems
Systemic oppression and its effects can be undone through recognition of inequitable patterns and intentional action to interrupt inequity and create more democratic processes and systems supported by multicultural, multilingual alliances and partnerships
Discussing and addressing oppression and bias will usually be accompanied by strong emotions
Questions that explore the lens of systemic oppression include the following:
Who is at the table? Who isn't?
Who has power here? What is that power based on here?
How are power relations affecting the truth that is told and constructed at any given moment?
Where and how does each person locate herself in a conversation?
How are oppression, internalized oppression, and transferred oppression playing out right here, right now? (In this school, group, organization, or district?)
How safe is it here for different people to share their truths?
Does the truth telling connect to shared purposes and commitments for action?
How can I build the alliances here to move forward?
How is leadership constructed here? What forms does it take? Who is missing?
What can we do to make room for different cultural constructions of leadership?
How do I understand my practice as an antiracist, antibias educator, given my differences from and similarities to my colleagues? To the people I am serving?
How can I build my practice as a leader for equity starting with who I am and what I bring because of who I am?
Applying the Lens of Systemic Oppression in Mr. Delgado's class
I have a feeling that in Mr. Delgado's situation there may be a number of factors that stem from systemic oppression, but it's hard to tease those out. I wonder what it's like for Mr. Delgado—who is a black man from a different culture and country—to teach these African American students. I wonder how the students see him—do they relate to him? Do they feel he is “other” because of his background, accent, and different ways?
When I read over the questions that address the lens of systemic oppression, I pause at the questions about power: Who has power here? What is that power based on? At first glance, I don't feel that anyone has power—the teacher struggles to assert his place in the classroom, the students gain power by being disruptive, and then they lose it. There is an uncomfortable void of power. What does seem to have power, however, is the “behavior management system” that the principal would like Mr. Delgado to use, and that ultimately is the entity determining the student's outcome—suspension. If I consider that this source of power is fraught with the implications of a system that historically has oppressed African American men, then I wonder how Mr. Delgado might feel using it, or not using it.
The lens of systemic oppression infuses my increasing wonderings about Mr. Delgado's classroom with some questions, but also with an awareness. I am reminded to pay attention to the invisible tentacles of a historical system of oppression.
The Lens of Emotional Intelligence
The final lens on the Coach's Optical Refractor is the lens of emotional intelligence. This perspective will tune us in to an individual's ability or skill to identify, assess, and control the emotions of oneself, others, and of groups. We have learned a tremendous amount about this “intelligence” from Daniel Goleman, who pioneered this field. As coaches supporting others in their learning, this field offers us valuable insights.
Particularly useful is Goleman's work on emotional intelligence and leadership. The work he coauthored with Richard Boyatzis and Annie McKee, Primal Leadership: Learning to Lead with Emotional Intelligence (2002), is invaluable when coaching principals, administrators, and teachers.
Administrators: this book is a must-read for leaders!
The lens of emotional intelligence assumes the following:
We are all born with a certain level of emotional intelligence, and we can also develop these skills and capacities
The emotional intelligence of a leader is a primary act of leadership
There are four areas of emotional intelligence: self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, and relationship management
An effective leader can speak about her emotions, welcomes feedback, and knows when she needs help
An effective leader manages her emotions by demonstrating self-control and by being clear about her beliefs and actions
Adaptability and flexibility are indicators of high emotional intelligence
A high degree of emotional resiliency is an indicator of emotional intelligence; an effective leader sees adversity as opportunity
Demonstrating empathy is an expression of social awareness
Organizational awareness and an understanding of power relationships are indicators of emotional intelligence
Managing relationships between people is the skill of an emotionally intelligent leader
Questions that explore the lens of emotional intelligence include the following:
Self-Awareness
When does he recognize how his feelings are affecting him at work? How does he speak about his feelings?
When does he recognize his limits and strengths?
How does he invite or welcome feedback?
Is he aware of the times when he needs help?
Self-Management
How does she respond to disturbing emotions?
How does she manage high stress?
; Is she clear about her feelings, beliefs, and actions? Can she admit her mistakes or faults?
How does she adapt to new challenges?
Does she welcome or create new opportunities? Or does she usually wait for them?
How does she deal with changes and setbacks?
Social Awareness
Can he sense the unspoken emotions in a person or group?
Can he detect social networks and key power relationships? How does he recognize political forces in an organization?
How does he cultivate an emotional climate that ensures that people are getting what they need? How does he monitor the satisfaction of those he serves?
Relationship Management
Does she create resonance and move people with a compelling vision or shared mission? If so, how?
How does she model what she wants from others?
How does she try to appeal to different stakeholders? How does she try to enroll key people?
When does she seem to be genuinely interested in developing her people? How does she learn about their goals, strengths, and areas for growth? When does she give feedback? Is it useful and well received?
When does she recognize the need for a change and aim for transformation? When does she strongly advocate for change, even in the face of opposition? How does she find practical ways to overcome barriers to change?
When there's a conflict, how does she understand different perspectives? How does she surface the conflicts, acknowledge views from all sides, and then redirect the energy toward a shared ideal?
In what ways does she model respect, concern, and collaboration? How does she build relationships, identity, and spirit?
Source: Adapted from Goleman, Boyatzis, and McKee, 2002, 253–256.
Applying the Lens of Emotional Intelligence in Mr. Delgado's Class
Because this lens offers so many questions to consider, when I am faced with a situation such as Mr. Delgado's, I skim the list of questions, starring specific ones that immediately jump out as those that might possibly offer insight.
The questions about emotional awareness make me wonder how Mr. Delgado views his emotional experience in the classroom. I wonder if he recognizes his own mounting frustration and whether he has tools to manage these feelings. Within the domain of self-management, I wonder how Mr. Delgado feels about the challenges he's facing in his classroom. Does he see them as opportunities to improve his teaching practice? How has he dealt with challenges like this in the past? Does he feel pessimistic or optimistic about being able to address these issues? I wonder, in general, how Mr. Delgado will respond to my inquiries about his feelings—I am aware that speaking about feelings is more accepted in certain cultural and social groups and often more comfortable for women. I know that some people believe there is no place in our work contexts for discussing feelings. I will need to activate my own emotional intelligence and be attuned to how Mr. Delgado responds to my inquiries in this area.
Within the area of social awareness, I wonder if Mr. Delgado noticed Davontae's increasing agitation. I wonder what tools he has to address the emotional ups and downs that most eighth graders experience. Again, I am aware that there are different cultural assumptions about feelings—and teenagers with feelings—so I will be mindful of the assumptions that I make (that Mr. Delgado should notice a student's emotions and should respond) when I speak with him. The purpose of my coaching is not to impose a belief system, but to help my coachee explore his beliefs and actions.
Finally, under the domain of relationship management, I wonder how Mr. Delgado thinks about developing a community of learners. How does he try to get his students to buy into learning Spanish and into the vision that he has for his classroom? How has he explored who his students are and what their goals and aspirations are? And how does Mr. Delgado model the kind of behavior that he wants his students to demonstrate? Does he feel that he needs to?
Planning the Debrief Conversation
After reflecting on how each lens applies to Mr. Delgado's class and situation, the next step for me is to select some questions to ask him—I can't explore all of my wonderings in this first meeting. I also need to think through why I'm asking what I'm asking, and what I'll listen for. Just as teachers create lesson plans, a coach needs to create a plan for a debrief. This plan might change, and we need to be flexible, of course, but we need to go in with a plan. Table 4.1 presents my plan.
Table 4.1 Coaching Conversation: Debrief Plan
Teacher observed: Mr. Delgado
1 Question: How are you feeling about today?
My Thinking Lenses Used
This will reveal some information about Mr. Delgado's emotional intelligence: What language does he use to discuss what happened? How does he name his own emotions? Or does he bypass that topic and move into other topics? I want to start our conversation by opening this space because in order to have a discussion about other areas, we often need to clear emotions first. This is what makes coaching unique and effective—we acknowledge the presence and role of emotions, we attend to them, and we support our clients in processing them. Emotional Intelligence
2 Question: How do you see the problem or the challenge in that incident? What do you think was going on?
My Thinking Lenses Used
I want to understand how Mr. Delgado sees “the problem.” Is it his own management skills, as the principal believes? Is it the students and the disruptive student, as teachers sometimes feel? Does he feel that someone else (the principal) has defined “the problem” and determined that Mr. Delgado is the problem? Inquiry
If Mr. Delgado talks about the students' behavior, I may ask if there are groups of students in specific periods that he struggles more with. Inquiry
I am curious how Mr. Delgado will speak about the students' emotional expressions—how does he name their feelings? How does he interpret them? Did he recognize Davontae's frustration level when he entered the room? How does Mr. Delgado deal with students' feelings? Did he recognize his own increasing frustration? Emotional Intelligence
I will be listening in this conversation for how Mr. Delgado talks about power, if he does at all. Does he see power as residing within the classroom teacher? Does he feel students have “too much power” or none at all? I may ask him directly where he feels that the power lays, if he doesn't address this question. Systemic Oppression
I am also wondering if Mr. Delgado makes any connection between his own instructional skills and student behavior. I wonder if there's an entry point here for instructional coaching, which could incorporate everything from instructional objectives to his vision for himself as an instructor. Inquiry
3 Question: What are your strengths as a teacher? What areas would you like to work on?
My Thinking Lenses Used
Although I believe that I'll need to start this conversation by addressing what I observed today, I would like to shift it at some point (fairly early if I can) into a broader conversation about Mr. Delgado's strengths and areas for growth. I really want to know what he feels he's bringing as an educator—I want to start building on these immediately. I also want to know what areas he identifies as areas for growth. Change Management and Adult Learning
Based on what he identifies as areas for growth, I will let him know that I'm going to explore what resources there are available to support him. It's important that he not feel that he needs to grow but that there are no supports. Change Management
I will also listen carefully throughout our conversation for indicators of his will to change and what areas he seems more willing to work on. When exploring the area of will, I'll pay close attention to the tone of voice he uses, his cadence, the words he chooses, his body language and all nonverbal cues as to how he feels. Will is very tricky to explore. Change Management and Adult Learning
4 Question: I don't know much about your background. Could you tell me a little story about why you got into teaching and when you've felt successful as a teacher?
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nbsp; My Thinking Lenses Used
These questions will give me some valuable background on Mr. Delgado. If I'm going to coach him I not only need this information but I want him to know that I'm interested in it, that I want to know who he is and what he's done well. In order to get to a goal setting place, we need to get this information on the table first. I also need to understand his perspective—based on his age, gender, ethnicity and life experiences—in order to support him. Adult Learning Emotional Intelligence
5 Question: I'm also curious about your feelings and beliefs about classroom management—what have you seen that's effective with young people?
My Thinking Lenses Used
This question might allow me to explore how Mr. Delgado views himself within a system of management, or oppression. It will also give me insight into what his knowledge base is, what kinds of skills he has in this area, and what his will to change might be. Systemic Oppression Change Management
6 Question: I know that you're new to this school this year. Can you tell me a little about how you learned the behavior management system this school uses?
My Thinking Lenses Used
I'm curious about how the administration made their expectations clear for teachers; how was Mr. Delgado brought into a system? Systems Thinking
7 Question: I'm also wondering about how students are assigned to Spanish. What's your understanding of this process?
My Thinking Lenses Used
Another question to explore the school's systems and Mr. Delgado's understanding of how this system is set up and run. Systems Thinking
Depending on his answers and understanding, I want to let him know that I'd like to ask the principal and counselor some questions about how schedules are made and student assignments determined. Systems Thinking and Inquiry