This blog will serve as a place to reflect on several topics covered in our Teacher Support Specialist course! We will be covering a multitude of topics including mentoring, induction teachers, differentiated instruction, coaching and conferencing, brain based learning, designing for engagement, building relationships and teamwork, and teacher reflection just to name a few topics! Feel free to post and reply to your colleagues as often as you would like!
Monday, February 27, 2012
Coaching and Conferencing!
How will you use the coaching and conferencing strategies with your new teachers/student teacher?Add any other thoughts from class or journal readings that you would like to share.
I am refelecting on Blog Two regarding the use of conferencing and coaching strategies. I see myself being able to utilize conferencing as a fast and painless way to "touch base" with a mentee regarding things that may have happened during the day. It is a nice way to allow the mentee to "be heard" by someone and feel less isolated. This could be done on a quick daily basis or once or twice per week. I see coaching as much more intense in that the mentor is far more "hands on" with the mentee. This could involve help with planning a lesson or having the mentee come into the mentor's classroom during an actual teaching or activity. I see this as being really effective PRIOR to the mentee teaching the lesson in order to know what to expect. Again, the mentee is less likely to "question himself/herself" after having watched an experienced teacher face all the "crazy things" that may happen at given time during the lesson. Hope this was the right spot to blog for this number TWO reflection. Gina C. Reynolds
The best advice that I could give any new teacher is to pace yourself! New teachers (teachers in general) have a tendency to get to bogged down or to take on to much. Doing this causes a lot of stress and overall unhappiness! A stressed out teacher isn't any good to his/her students! Another piece of advice that I'd give new teachers is DON'T BE AFRAID TO ASK FOR HELP!
With my student teacher, I conferenced with her and I coached her, but it was more like just talking to a friend. She did become my friend. We talked about what she wanted, needed, expected, etc... I always made sure she had everything she needed for class, as well as, emotionally. We talked about everything. We had trust, so it was very easy for us to talk to one another. I feel like that is a very important part of the mentor/mentee relationship... trust and open communication. They should never feel threatented or intimidated by you. They should feel like they can come to you and talk about anything.
I hope to use the coaching and conferencing techniques to effectively help my mentee learn and understand the workings of Pre-K. Coming from teaching Pre-K for 12 years I feel that I have a wealth of knowledge to share with her, but don't always know the best way to present and share my thoughts and ideas. I have tried to let her know that my door is always open for any questions that she may have and that she is always welcome at any time. I have shared with her as much as I can about the aspects of Pre-K that I feel are most important for not only new Pre-K teachers, but new teachers in general. She seems to have a good grasp on the most important parts and is doing an amazing job with her students. I hope that I have helped to coach and guide her in all the right directions. I have conferenced with her on several occasions about the many aspects of Pre-K and the importance of keeping up with paperwork and not letting the stresses of teaching bog her down.
I have found that there is no way to be a mentor and not develop a close relationship with your mentee. I have conferenced with her many times and at times coached her but she has also given me so much in return. When she is having difficulties or stressed out (as we all can get) - a hug is helpful and a kind word goes means so much. Words of encouragement, the feeling that you are not in this alone goes so far also. You come to find that they are looking to you for support and guidance but the nice thing is you have truly gained a friend in the process.
I plan on using many of the coaching strategies that I have learned with my mentee. Before giving her suggestions and ideas, I will ask her questions that will make her think about what went right and wrong in the lesson and what she could have done differently. Also, having her think ahead to possible behavior issues and organizational issues that might appear in a lesson to be proactive.
I plan to return to school next week and rethink my coaching strategies after today's meeting. I want to reestablish my mentor-mentee relationship. I need to ask more open ended questions so that she will have time for reflection. I need to restate what she says so that we both will have clarification. I hope to be able to further serve her with classroom management and organizational skills.
Being a mentor means being a coach. It is important to encourage and cheer on your mentee. I have built a relationship of trust and respect with my mentee. It is important to show your mentee that they are important. I asked my mentee for an idea for a lesson. It is also critical to be a listener.
Ideally, I would like to utilize the coaching and conferencing techniques to enhance my observations as well as the post observation conferences. I believe it's important to be an effective coach, so the mentee will be comfortable to convey information or to answer questions. Middle school can be challenging, so I want to make sure that I maintain an "open door" policy with my mentee. I want to to be open, honest, and encouraging. I want the mentee to develop a trusting relationship with me, so she can verbalize whatever is on her heart whether it's positive or negative. The stategies we learned could also apply to my personal life as well. Everything we have learned thus far, can be applied to not only my career, but to my personal life as well.
A good coach encourages, builds up, and praises good things in others.I have worked closely with my mentee all year, and have praised the good things I've seen her do as I observed her lessons.She is open to the suggestions I have, and tries hard with her students. We really have become good friends and feel comfortable talking, listening, and coming into each other's classrooms. I am very glad I got the opportunity to be a mentor to my mentee.
First and foremost, I plan to be more intentional about making time to attend to my mentee. I admittedly haven’t seen him much lately and I need to change that. Before I can use any of the coaching strategies, I need to use the conferencing strategies, starting with finding out what his needs and concerns are, especially as we draw closer to the CRCT. As his mentor, I plan to visit with him next week and engage him in conversation about his concerns at this point in the year. Together, I hope we can develop some strategies that will help him reach whatever goals he has for himself and his students between now and the end of the school year.
I will use the strategies to help build mutual respect and trust. I will stress to the Mentee that I am here to help and not to hurt. In other words I will use the strategies to help me become a more effective: • Teacher • Resource • Problem-solver • Advocate • Facilitator • Coach • Collaborator • Learner • Assessor • Trusted Listener I will make sure that I model and teach but make sure I give the ball back to them. That can be particularlly difficult for me. I will make sure that I ask my mentee what he needs.
I will use and have used the coaching and conferencing strategies with my student teacher in several ways. I have been a collaborator and a coach throughout the process, but most importantly we have developed a trusting relationship. We discuss everything that takes place. It seems as if we just carry on every day conversations with one another about ways to improve lessons or behavior management. It is extremely easy to do this we you develop a relationship with your mentee, and they realize that you are not only there to help and support them but also to be their friend. I have also tried to let her figure things out more on her own by asking more questions rather than just telling her what she should or needs to do. Building a relationship between the mentee and mentor makes the world of difference.
Our group was assigned the coaching chapter, and I can think of no better way to sum up a mentor’s role than with that of the title of coach. As a former fast-pitch softball coach and player, I have learned that most of what children learn is not necessarily in the classroom but outside the classroom with friends, at home, or even on a ball field. As a coach you must possess several abilities, all which create (in my mind) what makes an exemplary mentor. First you must form a relationship built upon trust, respect, and honesty. On the field, your player should know where you stand as their leader and what you expect from them. Also, the relationship between player and coach should be respectful and strive towards a similar goal – improvement. Likewise, the mentor should serve as a leader of the mentee, build a relationship, and work towards a common goal. Next, the coach and player should establish communication which allows for both to achieve the goal in mind. For a pitcher, it may be staying 30 minutes after to work on a curve ball or change up, while with a mentor it may simply be talking about how to effectively manage a classroom full of teenagers. Either way, the door of communication must be open for any improvement to take place, both on the mentor’s end and the mentee’s end. Finally, there must be practice. Practice makes perfect (or at least something close to it). One cannot expect to get any better if you don’t actually get on the field (or in the classroom) and get to it. Coaches cannot be out there with the players to do it for them; they simply give signals or provide instructions and feedback to help the player reach the goals which she set out to achieve. Similarly, the mentor must allow the mentee to teach in her own classroom, make mistakes, but also be there to help overcome the obstacles she faces. Ultimately the coach or mentor should help the player or mentee when she falls short and build her up to help her with her swing or classroom management.
I will use the coaching and conferencing strategies learned to build a relationship with our new teachers, help them to find their strengths, pinpoint weaknesses, and make a plan to better themselves as new teachers.
I not only was a mentor but I also became friends with my mentee. She is also from out of town so I totally understood what it was like to be so far away from family. Many times just being a good friend by being a good listener and not always giving advice is really all they need.
The coaching/conferencing strategy that resonated most with me was "When to Show and Tell" on pg. 57. I will use this strategy when my role as mentor requires me to be an "expert." I will do as the text suggests, which is to do a pre-conference with my mentee in which I find out the details of the areas she needs assistance with. Then, I will "Tell" my mentee how I would handle the situation. Next, I will "Show" my mentee how it's done. Finally, I will hold a post-conference with my mentee to reflect.
I’ve always been a person who looks to help others, and I am empathetic by nature. So, I will use the coaching and conferencing strategies gained in Mentoring New Teachers by Hal Portner and the insights learned in this training by providing instructional support. I’ve noticed that beginning teachers tend to focus on teaching skills in isolation, in not knowing how to focus their planning and their students’ learning on conceptual understanding. My mentee entered his first year with varying degrees of skill in instructional design and delivery. However, his primary areas of focus or concern were classroom management, curriculum development, and professional growth. As new teacher he was not familiar with management expectations like how to use the grading program, attendance policies, discipline, or the go-to person for particular issues. I modeled myself using these strategies of coaching and conferencing and I found mentor colleagues who I found to knowledgeable and supportive and I embraced their mentoring styles. I talk with my mentor on a regular basis about school and our families. I didn’t want to limit my instructional support to workroom conversations. Although such dialogue was helpful, I found that our discussions based on shared experience were more powerful. Such shared experiences took different forms. Even though we were in different teaching arenas, I used my assistant volleyball coaching to engage my mentee in conference planning, him observing me, and my observing him or both of us observing other teachers. Regardless of the nature of the experience, our purpose was to promote collegial dialogue focused on enhancing teacher performance and student learning. I’m passionate about teaching. Being a mentor has been invigorating; there are so many new ideas I have shared with my mentee and learned from him. I have followed the text's coaching cycle
I can use coaching and conferencing to help new teachers acquire new skills and techniques to use in the classroom as well as in everyday life. One thing I would like for new teachers to know is to be healthy and take care of themselves physically and mentally. During my third year I neglected my mental and physical health and by the end of the year, I was overweight and burned out.
As a mentor I will use both conferencing and coaching strategies. An effective mentor should always be coaching their mentee. I will use coaching to guide my mentee in the right direction and to cheer them on. I will use conferencing strategies when discussing situations or observations with my mentee.
My blogs disappeared?? Here it is again. Wow!! I was so impressed!!After listening to her I want to be a better teacher and help others be better teachers. Ms. Tate demonstrated so many different ways to motivate students and teachers and address all of the different learning modes. She gave me practical but fun strategies that I will use the minute I get back to school. Thank you so much! Karlyn
Coaching has helped me to identify problems and break it down into solveable solutions. It makes me focus on building up and not breaking down. I love the positive aspects of these new strategies. It gives me many stragies for many problems. This is wonderful. And it helps me to self-analyze and help me become a better teacher. Karlyn
I would provide instructional support to my mentees and student teachers by giving them classroom tips. I will praise them for what they do well. I would offer advice on lesson planning, pacing, classroom management,and creating comfortable atmospheres.
I am open to assist teachers with time management skills. It also helps as a coach to cheer for my teachers.
I have learned so much from coaching and conferencing. It is important to make sure my mentee is comfortable talking to me and knows that she is valued. It is good to allow the mentee to give feedback on how they think the lesson went.
I feel coaching and conferencing can be a learned skill for some and comes natural for others. I also think that your personality also plays a role in your ability to communicate effectively during conferencing. In the reading, I learned that effective planning conversations can provide opportunities for new teachers to refine and rehearse a lesson. I also learned the difference between the roles of consultant, collaborator, and coach. I will apply all of the information learned during future coaching and conferencing.
I am refelecting on Blog Two regarding the use of conferencing and coaching strategies. I see myself being able to utilize conferencing as a fast and painless way to "touch base" with a mentee regarding things that may have happened during the day. It is a nice way to allow the mentee to "be heard" by someone and feel less isolated. This could be done on a quick daily basis or once or twice per week. I see coaching as much more intense in that the mentor is far more "hands on" with the mentee. This could involve help with planning a lesson or having the mentee come into the mentor's classroom during an actual teaching or activity. I see this as being really effective PRIOR to the mentee teaching the lesson in order to know what to expect. Again, the mentee is less likely to "question himself/herself" after having watched an experienced teacher face all the "crazy things" that may happen at given time during the lesson. Hope this was the right spot to blog for this number TWO reflection. Gina C. Reynolds
ReplyDeleteThe best advice that I could give any new teacher is to pace yourself! New teachers (teachers in general) have a tendency to get to bogged down or to take on to much. Doing this causes a lot of stress and overall unhappiness! A stressed out teacher isn't any good to his/her students! Another piece of advice that I'd give new teachers is DON'T BE AFRAID TO ASK FOR HELP!
ReplyDeleteWith my student teacher, I conferenced with her and I coached her, but it was more like just talking to a friend. She did become my friend. We talked about what she wanted, needed, expected, etc... I always made sure she had everything she needed for class, as well as, emotionally. We talked about everything. We had trust, so it was very easy for us to talk to one another. I feel like that is a very important part of the mentor/mentee relationship... trust and open communication. They should never feel threatented or intimidated by you. They should feel like they can come to you and talk about anything.
ReplyDeleteI hope to use the coaching and conferencing techniques to effectively help my mentee learn and understand the workings of Pre-K. Coming from teaching Pre-K for 12 years I feel that I have a wealth of knowledge to share with her, but don't always know the best way to present and share my thoughts and ideas.
ReplyDeleteI have tried to let her know that my door is always open for any questions that she may have and that she is always welcome at any time. I have shared with her as much as I can about the aspects of Pre-K that I feel are most important for not only new Pre-K teachers, but new teachers in general.
She seems to have a good grasp on the most important parts and is doing an amazing job with her students. I hope that I have helped to coach and guide her in all the right directions.
I have conferenced with her on several occasions about the many aspects of Pre-K and the importance of keeping up with paperwork and not letting the stresses of teaching bog her down.
I have found that there is no way to be a mentor and not develop a close relationship with your mentee. I have conferenced with her many times and at times coached her but she has also given me so much in return. When she is having difficulties or stressed out (as we all can get) - a hug is helpful and a kind word goes means so much. Words of encouragement, the feeling that you are not in this alone goes so far also. You come to find that they are looking to you for support and guidance but the nice thing is you have truly gained a friend in the process.
ReplyDeleteI plan on using many of the coaching strategies that I have learned with my mentee. Before giving her suggestions and ideas, I will ask her questions that will make her think about what went right and wrong in the lesson and what she could have done differently. Also, having her think ahead to possible behavior issues and organizational issues that might appear in a lesson to be proactive.
ReplyDeleteI plan to return to school next week and rethink my coaching strategies after today's meeting. I want to reestablish my mentor-mentee relationship. I need to ask more open ended questions so that she will have time for reflection. I need to restate what she says so that we both will have clarification. I hope to be able to further serve her with classroom management and organizational skills.
ReplyDeleteBeing a mentor means being a coach. It is important to encourage and cheer on your mentee. I have built a relationship of trust and respect with my mentee. It is important to show your mentee that they are important. I asked my mentee for an idea for a lesson. It is also critical to be a listener.
ReplyDeleteIdeally, I would like to utilize the coaching and conferencing techniques to enhance my observations as well as the post observation conferences. I believe it's important to be an effective coach, so the mentee will be comfortable to convey information or to answer questions.
ReplyDeleteMiddle school can be challenging, so I want to make sure that I maintain an "open door" policy with my mentee. I want to to be open, honest, and encouraging. I want the mentee to develop a trusting relationship with me, so she can verbalize whatever is on her heart whether it's positive or negative.
The stategies we learned could also apply to my personal life as well. Everything we have learned thus far, can be applied to not only my career, but to my personal life as well.
Yvette M. Nathan-Jones
A good coach encourages, builds up, and praises good things in others.I have worked closely with my mentee all year, and have praised the good things I've seen her do as I observed her lessons.She is open to the suggestions I have, and tries hard with her students. We really have become good friends and feel comfortable talking, listening, and coming into each other's classrooms. I am very glad I got the opportunity to be a mentor to my mentee.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteFirst and foremost, I plan to be more intentional about making time to attend to my mentee. I admittedly haven’t seen him much lately and I need to change that. Before I can use any of the coaching strategies, I need to use the conferencing strategies, starting with finding out what his needs and concerns are, especially as we draw closer to the CRCT. As his mentor, I plan to visit with him next week and engage him in conversation about his concerns at this point in the year. Together, I hope we can develop some strategies that will help him reach whatever goals he has for himself and his students between now and the end of the school year.
ReplyDeleteYvonne Hart
I will use the strategies to help build mutual respect and trust. I will stress to the Mentee that I am here to help and not to hurt. In other words I will use the strategies to help me become a more effective:
ReplyDelete• Teacher
• Resource
• Problem-solver
• Advocate
• Facilitator
• Coach
• Collaborator
• Learner
• Assessor
• Trusted Listener
I will make sure that I model and teach but make sure I give the ball back to them. That can be particularlly difficult for me. I will make sure that I ask my mentee what he needs.
Edna Murray
I will use and have used the coaching and conferencing strategies with my student teacher in several ways. I have been a collaborator and a coach throughout the process, but most importantly we have developed a trusting relationship. We discuss everything that takes place. It seems as if we just carry on every day conversations with one another about ways to improve lessons or behavior management. It is extremely easy to do this we you develop a relationship with your mentee, and they realize that you are not only there to help and support them but also to be their friend. I have also tried to let her figure things out more on her own by asking more questions rather than just telling her what she should or needs to do. Building a relationship between the mentee and mentor makes the world of difference.
ReplyDeleteOur group was assigned the coaching chapter, and I can think of no better way to sum up a mentor’s role than with that of the title of coach. As a former fast-pitch softball coach and player, I have learned that most of what children learn is not necessarily in the classroom but outside the classroom with friends, at home, or even on a ball field. As a coach you must possess several abilities, all which create (in my mind) what makes an exemplary mentor.
ReplyDeleteFirst you must form a relationship built upon trust, respect, and honesty. On the field, your player should know where you stand as their leader and what you expect from them. Also, the relationship between player and coach should be respectful and strive towards a similar goal – improvement. Likewise, the mentor should serve as a leader of the mentee, build a relationship, and work towards a common goal.
Next, the coach and player should establish communication which allows for both to achieve the goal in mind. For a pitcher, it may be staying 30 minutes after to work on a curve ball or change up, while with a mentor it may simply be talking about how to effectively manage a classroom full of teenagers. Either way, the door of communication must be open for any improvement to take place, both on the mentor’s end and the mentee’s end.
Finally, there must be practice. Practice makes perfect (or at least something close to it). One cannot expect to get any better if you don’t actually get on the field (or in the classroom) and get to it. Coaches cannot be out there with the players to do it for them; they simply give signals or provide instructions and feedback to help the player reach the goals which she set out to achieve. Similarly, the mentor must allow the mentee to teach in her own classroom, make mistakes, but also be there to help overcome the obstacles she faces. Ultimately the coach or mentor should help the player or mentee when she falls short and build her up to help her with her swing or classroom management.
I will use the coaching and conferencing strategies learned to build a relationship with our new teachers, help them to find their strengths, pinpoint weaknesses, and make a plan to better themselves as new teachers.
ReplyDeleteI not only was a mentor but I also became friends with my mentee. She is also from out of town so I totally understood what it was like to be so far away from family. Many times just being a good friend by being a good listener and not always giving advice is really all they need.
ReplyDeleteThe coaching/conferencing strategy that resonated most with me was "When to Show and Tell" on pg. 57. I will use this strategy when my role as mentor requires me to be an "expert." I will do as the text suggests, which is to do a pre-conference with my mentee in which I find out the details of the areas she needs assistance with. Then, I will "Tell" my mentee how I would handle the situation. Next, I will "Show" my mentee how it's done. Finally, I will hold a post-conference with my mentee to reflect.
ReplyDeleteI’ve always been a person who looks to help others, and I am empathetic by nature. So, I will use the coaching and conferencing strategies gained in Mentoring New Teachers by Hal Portner and the insights learned in this training by providing instructional support. I’ve noticed that beginning teachers tend to focus on teaching skills in isolation, in not knowing how to focus their planning and their students’ learning on conceptual understanding. My mentee entered his first year with varying degrees of skill in instructional design and delivery. However, his primary areas of focus or concern were classroom management, curriculum development, and professional growth. As new teacher he was not familiar with management expectations like how to use the grading program, attendance policies, discipline, or the go-to person for particular issues. I modeled myself using these strategies of coaching and conferencing and I found mentor colleagues who I found to knowledgeable and supportive and I embraced their mentoring styles. I talk with my mentor on a regular basis about school and our families. I didn’t want to limit my instructional support to workroom conversations. Although such dialogue was helpful, I found that our discussions based on shared experience were more powerful. Such shared experiences took different forms. Even though we were in different teaching arenas, I used my assistant volleyball coaching to engage my mentee in conference planning, him observing me, and my observing him or both of us observing other teachers. Regardless of the nature of the experience, our purpose was to promote collegial dialogue focused on enhancing teacher performance and student learning.
ReplyDeleteI’m passionate about teaching. Being a mentor has been invigorating; there are so many new ideas I have shared with my mentee and learned from him. I have followed the text's coaching cycle
I can use coaching and conferencing to help new teachers acquire new skills and techniques to use in the classroom as well as in everyday life. One thing I would like for new teachers to know is to be healthy and take care of themselves physically and mentally. During my third year I neglected my mental and physical health and by the end of the year, I was overweight and burned out.
ReplyDeleteAs a mentor I will use both conferencing and coaching strategies. An effective mentor should always be coaching their mentee. I will use coaching to guide my mentee in the right direction and to cheer them on. I will use conferencing strategies when discussing situations or observations with my mentee.
ReplyDeleteMy blogs disappeared?? Here it is again. Wow!! I was so impressed!!After listening to her I want to be a better teacher and help others be better teachers. Ms. Tate demonstrated so many different ways to motivate students and teachers and address all of the different learning modes. She gave me practical but fun strategies that I will use the minute I get back to school. Thank you so much!
ReplyDeleteKarlyn
Coaching has helped me to identify problems and break it down into solveable solutions. It makes me focus on building up and not breaking down. I love the positive aspects of these new strategies. It gives me many stragies for many problems. This is wonderful. And it helps me to self-analyze and help me become a better teacher.
ReplyDeleteKarlyn
I would provide instructional support to my mentees and student teachers by giving them classroom tips. I will praise them for what they do well. I would offer advice on lesson planning, pacing, classroom management,and creating comfortable atmospheres.
ReplyDeleteI am open to assist teachers with time management skills. It also helps as a coach to cheer for my teachers.
I have learned so much from coaching and conferencing. It is important to make sure my mentee is comfortable talking to me and knows that she is valued. It is good to allow the mentee to give feedback on how they think the lesson went.
ReplyDeleteI feel coaching and conferencing can be a learned skill for some and comes natural for others. I also think that your personality also plays a role in your ability to communicate effectively during conferencing. In the reading, I learned that effective planning conversations can provide opportunities for new teachers to refine and rehearse a lesson. I also learned the difference between the roles of consultant, collaborator, and coach. I will apply all of the information learned during future coaching and conferencing.
ReplyDelete