Hi Paige - what struck me most in your reflections was your statement - "not only do teachers need to feel connected to me, but I need to feel connected to them". It was an important reminder that for our own growth as leaders, we also need to feel seen and understood. So, whether we think of these four conditions as steps for our staff or steps for ourself, they are a good way to build our relationships and ways we work together. Thanks for reminding me that how we are feeling is also important.
In your introduction you talked about all those "little fires" that tend to get in the way of the real work if we aren't cognizant of how much of our time they are consuming. I think that feeds into all the elements of trust, but most specifically the consistency piece. If the "little fires" erode our consistency for meeting with kids and teachers, there is a breakdown in trust because all parties begin to question when and if you show up. When coaches/admin. are consistent in their actions, I really do believe anxiety decreases and confidence increases. I enjoyed reading your thoughts regarding Chapter 3. I too, even as a classroom teacher, appreciate the 3 legged stool analogy for guiding my interactions with colleagues, coaches and admin. In a society that hasn't placed enough emphasis on silence/wait time, it can feel awkward to pause rather than jumping to respond with an answer immediately. For me, that skill, along with inquiring first what my colleague, coach, or admin. might be looking for from me (coaching, collaboration, or consulting) are things I hope to grow more competent in.
I agree with both of you about the "little fires" that get in the way. There was a particular year that I was an instructional coach where I felt like all I did was attend meetings. Sometimes the meetings would be scheduled last minute causing me to cancel meetings with other teachers or time in classrooms. I also think situations where the school administrator requires a coach to work with a particular teacher, possibly due to low test scores, can make building trust a more challenging task. I think working on building a school culture of trust can help with having more teachers seek out instructional coaches with or without the suggestion of a principal.
Matt — I really appreciate you sending me this interview with Brian and Debra. It’s great that Richard C. Owens has published a recent book by Brian. For about ten years I worked with Brian as a national trainer with Frameworks. These trainings produced many ah-ha moments with teachers and administrators. One of the most powerful parts of Brian’s theory is the Principals of Engagement which contains 4 beliefs or orientations that if in place result in a students willingness and desire to engage as an active learner. This has much to do with my way of working with kids and the trust that is developed. It is so powerful, and yet remains missing from many classrooms. Brian is known more for his “Conditions of Learning” theory, which is both intriguing — and as you know, if used in setting up a learning environment result in high engagement. Some great teachers intuitively operate in a way that produces these conditions in the classroom through their planning and their way of interacting under game conditions. It’s exciting to me that you are in the arena that is exploring and using grounded classroom-based research and are exposing yourself and others to people like Cambourne and Routman. I look forward to further interactions with you. I will be getting into strategies that emulate Brian’s work in the action-oriented classroom in two newsletters that I have begun to work on. One is The Emotionally Health Literacy Classroom and the other, not yet released is Creating the School of the Future… on Paper. Thanks again, Matt. It was a great interview.
Hi Paige. I enjoyed reading your post about the critical element of trust and the way to get there. Your dedication is admirable and inspiring. I will read your post again to let it sink in. Because of the position you hold as a coach of teachers, I will share something that has helped me as a teacher, coach, and administrator. It’s the « principles of engagement » by Brian Cambourne. There are 4 principles, which, if in place, result in the likelihood of a student engaging with instruction. Unfortunately these 4 principles are often missing from the reality of school. You may be interested in my Substack, The Emotionally Healthy Literacy Classroom. Cheers and best wishes.
I really appreciate your feedback and will look into Brian Cambourne's resource. I am grateful that you sent it my way. I will also read your Substack, The Emotionally Healthy Literacy Classroom. I truly believe that this, the collaboration of all educational leaders, is where the true magic happens!
Thanks Matt. I will be thrilled to listen to your conversation with Brian. He and I go way back. His research and insights into the critical aspects of learning turbo-charged my practice. I am gratified to be associated with you as a colleague.
Hi Paige - what struck me most in your reflections was your statement - "not only do teachers need to feel connected to me, but I need to feel connected to them". It was an important reminder that for our own growth as leaders, we also need to feel seen and understood. So, whether we think of these four conditions as steps for our staff or steps for ourself, they are a good way to build our relationships and ways we work together. Thanks for reminding me that how we are feeling is also important.
Great post Paige!
In your introduction you talked about all those "little fires" that tend to get in the way of the real work if we aren't cognizant of how much of our time they are consuming. I think that feeds into all the elements of trust, but most specifically the consistency piece. If the "little fires" erode our consistency for meeting with kids and teachers, there is a breakdown in trust because all parties begin to question when and if you show up. When coaches/admin. are consistent in their actions, I really do believe anxiety decreases and confidence increases. I enjoyed reading your thoughts regarding Chapter 3. I too, even as a classroom teacher, appreciate the 3 legged stool analogy for guiding my interactions with colleagues, coaches and admin. In a society that hasn't placed enough emphasis on silence/wait time, it can feel awkward to pause rather than jumping to respond with an answer immediately. For me, that skill, along with inquiring first what my colleague, coach, or admin. might be looking for from me (coaching, collaboration, or consulting) are things I hope to grow more competent in.
I agree with both of you about the "little fires" that get in the way. There was a particular year that I was an instructional coach where I felt like all I did was attend meetings. Sometimes the meetings would be scheduled last minute causing me to cancel meetings with other teachers or time in classrooms. I also think situations where the school administrator requires a coach to work with a particular teacher, possibly due to low test scores, can make building trust a more challenging task. I think working on building a school culture of trust can help with having more teachers seek out instructional coaches with or without the suggestion of a principal.
Matt — I really appreciate you sending me this interview with Brian and Debra. It’s great that Richard C. Owens has published a recent book by Brian. For about ten years I worked with Brian as a national trainer with Frameworks. These trainings produced many ah-ha moments with teachers and administrators. One of the most powerful parts of Brian’s theory is the Principals of Engagement which contains 4 beliefs or orientations that if in place result in a students willingness and desire to engage as an active learner. This has much to do with my way of working with kids and the trust that is developed. It is so powerful, and yet remains missing from many classrooms. Brian is known more for his “Conditions of Learning” theory, which is both intriguing — and as you know, if used in setting up a learning environment result in high engagement. Some great teachers intuitively operate in a way that produces these conditions in the classroom through their planning and their way of interacting under game conditions. It’s exciting to me that you are in the arena that is exploring and using grounded classroom-based research and are exposing yourself and others to people like Cambourne and Routman. I look forward to further interactions with you. I will be getting into strategies that emulate Brian’s work in the action-oriented classroom in two newsletters that I have begun to work on. One is The Emotionally Health Literacy Classroom and the other, not yet released is Creating the School of the Future… on Paper. Thanks again, Matt. It was a great interview.
Hi Paige. I enjoyed reading your post about the critical element of trust and the way to get there. Your dedication is admirable and inspiring. I will read your post again to let it sink in. Because of the position you hold as a coach of teachers, I will share something that has helped me as a teacher, coach, and administrator. It’s the « principles of engagement » by Brian Cambourne. There are 4 principles, which, if in place, result in the likelihood of a student engaging with instruction. Unfortunately these 4 principles are often missing from the reality of school. You may be interested in my Substack, The Emotionally Healthy Literacy Classroom. Cheers and best wishes.
Greg,
I really appreciate your feedback and will look into Brian Cambourne's resource. I am grateful that you sent it my way. I will also read your Substack, The Emotionally Healthy Literacy Classroom. I truly believe that this, the collaboration of all educational leaders, is where the true magic happens!
Thanks Greg. You might enjoy this podcast conversation I had with Brian Cambourne and his co-author, Debra Crouch: https://readbyexample.substack.com/p/what-kids-offer-to-us-a-conversation?r=hacl&s=w&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web
Thanks Matt. I will be thrilled to listen to your conversation with Brian. He and I go way back. His research and insights into the critical aspects of learning turbo-charged my practice. I am gratified to be associated with you as a colleague.
Thank you Greg.