2.+Coaching+Skills

**Communication Skills and Strategies:**


Paraphrasing can:
 * Active Listening:**
 * Attend fully to the speaker, lock out competing thoughts, lean forward, make eye contact, and pause before responding.
 * Attend to the conversation.
 * Strive to pause for 5–10 seconds after someone finishes speaking to allow the speaker to think and to model thoughtfulness.
 * Paraphrasing:**
 * Restate what was said to indicate acceptance, encouragement, and understanding.
 * Avoid "I" because it signals that what the speaker is thinking no longer matters and that the paraphraser is going to insert his or her own ideas into the conversation.
 * Create a safe environment for thinking. It says, “I am trying to understand you, and therefore I value what you have to say.”
 * Help to establish a relationship between you and participating teachers.
 * Clarifying Questions:**
 * Add clarity to the conversation.
 * Are factual questions.
 * Help the speaker to be more specific.
 * Do not require a lot of thought to answer
 * Probing Questions:**
 * Push the speaker to think more deeply about a topic.
 * Are often prefaced by a paraphrase.
 * Are open ended and do not carry a solution (better if the questioner does not have the answer).
 * Are questions that help focus the speaker rather than satisfying coach's curiosity.

Groups of 3 Person A - Coachee, Person B - Coach, Person C - observer / timekeeper Explore the three coaching scenarios. Choose one each. Take it in turns to practice your communication skills. (5 min for each scenario) Coachee - Tells their scenario Coach - Listens, Paraphrases Coachee - Confirms or redefines Coach - Asks Clarifying Questions Coachee - Responds Coach - Asks Probing Questions Coachee - Responds
 * ACTIVITY - Role Play**

**What roles do coaches play?**
As a **facilitator**, you might: As a **collaborator**, you might: As a **consultant**, you might: As a **coach**, you might:
 * Facilitator
 * Collaborator
 * Consultant
 * Coach
 * Plan and lead meetings.
 * Provide teachers technology-rich lessons, templates, or Web sites.
 * Assist teachers in writing/adapting standards-based, technology-rich lessons, activities, or units.
 * Provide teachers technology-rich lessons, templates, or Web sites.
 * Work with a colleague as equals on a project.
 * Answer questions and take on the role as expert.
 * Model effective ways to integrate technology.
 * Team-teach a lesson.
 * Regularly share examples of student work.
 * Present examples of technology-rich lessons at staff meetings.
 * Help your cooperating teachers to become independent learners.
 * Use communication skills to focus on student learning.
 * Build relationships and trust.