The second half of CAtE

The CAtE book (a Coaching Approach to Education) that I wrote in 2014 is only the first half. I have been summoning the energy to write the second half. Thank goodness it's been raining this summer (in Sweden).

A Coaching Approach to Education, part 2

Chapters 1 to 6 my stories [done]
Chapters 7 to 12 other peoples stories

I am looking for examples from teachers and coaches that illustrate a coaching approach to the following aspects of the teachers working life.
​

1. ​Using Positive Language
   Supporting, developing and expanding through language
2. Using Humour, not Jokes
   Using sponteneity, encouragement and inclusion
3. Asking, not telling
   Student focus, responsibility for learning, empowerment
4. Using Open Questions
   Student focus, responsibility for learning, empowerment
5. Asking for Feedback
   Facilitating openness, reflection and courage
6. Instilling Learning by Doing
   Courage, non-judgement in making mistakes
7. Agreements
   Collaboratively designing agreements
8. Agendas
   Identifying and aligning agendas
9. Goals
   Setting empowering and challenging goals
10. Communication
    Choosing the best communication
11. Role Models
    Finding and following role models 
12. Values
    Discovering and using values

Invitation to be posted on Edutopia, LinkedIn and Facebook ...
​
"Teachers and head teachers are invited to contribute their story (maximum of 1000 words) illustrating a coaching approach* being used in one of the given aspects of a teachers working life.

The selected contributions will be published in a paperback written by the teacher, coach and author Martin Richards.

The book will contain at least 20 stories contributed by teachers around the world, plus a description of the coaching approach skills that a teacher can use to maximise the results of their teaching.

Selected contributors will receive 5 copies of the book.

Each month has two themes based on a coaching approach in education.

Contributions are due at the end of each month."


*A coaching approach includes:

• Active Listening (to what the student is saying and is not saying)
• Working student-centred (values, interests, needs, preferred communication)
• Focusing on the Bigger Picture (actions taken now that support lifelong goals and aspirations)

Sample story... taken from the first CAtE book




to be decided, in alignment with the brief desciption of a coaching approach

​Heart > Head > Action

Questions for the book

Q Why explore coaching and teaching?
Leadership can be seen on two axes, according to Blanchard and Hershey

> information and instruction
> encouragement and motivation

Leadership i.e. Teaching, Coaching, Instructing and Mentoring can be placed on those axes.

Q Who is this for?
Educators who wish to use coaching to improve their leadership in their teaching role.

Q What are the expected outcomes and effects?

Happiness!

Happier students and happier teachers
Happier parents and happier administrators
Happier employers and happier employees

The results and outcomes are in alignment with the students deeper desires.

Q Why use stories?
Stories hold attention, have a depth of detail, have credibility and authenticity

Time plan for the next six steps

Proposed publication on the Edutopia, Facebook, LinkedIn networks of teacher groups and coach groups

Edutopia: September 13 and September 27, October 14 and October 28, November 8 and November 22

Facebook: September 14 and September 28, October 12 and October 26, November 6 and November 20

LinkedIn: September 8 and September 22, October 6 and October 20, November 10 and November 24

Questions for the Networks

Chapter 7 Agreements
What do we need to agree on, what is already agreed on?

• Balance points, who decides the most about…​
• Start of school, school year, course start, lesson start
• Behaviour code, Dress code, corridor classroom playground behaviour codes
• Grading criteria
• Formative assessment
• Lesson design, syllabus design
• Group activities and self study, balance
• Homework, classwork, own work, group work

Chapter 8 Agendas
What's on the agenda? And who decides??

• Syllabus, lessons
• Broad focus, lifetime, school time, employment
• Narrow focus, today, this week, individual, group, class
• Balance of formal and informal or learning
• Balance of exam and life learning
• Timetable
• Homework, lesson times, length of lesson, order of lessons
• Exam and test dates

Chapter 9 Goals
Who decides what the goasl are and how?

• Subject, division of, intersubject projects
• Goals for inner awareness, understanding; after communication, persuasion
• Individual goals, group goals
• Academic goals, behavioural goals
• Measuring progress
• degree of empowerment, degree of challenge

Chapter 10 Communication
Students and teachers different preferences

• Adaptation of materials and activities, differentiation
• Tests
• Receiving channel and performing channel
• Reminders, plans, feedback, observation
• Students, class, parents, colleagues

Chapter 11 Role Models
School subject role models, cultural role models

• Academic aspirations
• Sources of role models, being a role model
• Older younger students as role models and mentors
• The teacher's role models
• more ...

Chapter 12 Values
Explicit and implicit presentation of values

• Individual and community values, Overlap and differences, inclusion
• Cultural, and learned values
• Choosing, shifting and reprioritising values
• Values as key to identity for individual and group
• Values embedded in lessons and courses, deliberately and by default
• Values as a basis for choosing courses of study, friends, jobs; action goal strategy