Coaching Lessons Learned Through Physical Therapy

I gave in about a month ago and decided to listen to my doctor and seek physical therapy for my nagging knee and shoulder problems. I've always put it off because my thought was that I could rehab my injuries and fix the problems myself. Wrong. I never stretched properly, never worried about my muscles being in balance, and certainly never pushed myself to put in the time. I just compensated for the weakened muscles and frankly never understood or listened to my body. What I needed was physical therapy and a good coach.

The first visit was more of an evaluation (pre-assessment). I performed several strength and agility tasks and my physical therapist, Amy, dutifully jotted notes about my performance. We rounded out the time with some research questions; Where does it hurt most? What level/type of pain? What are your goals? The goal-setting question was interesting to me, Amy wanted me to set some "real" goals so that we could assess the progress at the end. My goal was simple, to be able to play with my children without any real discomfort. Most of all, Amy cared and wanted me to succeed.

The next visit began with an introduction to a few exercises. Amy had a clear plan for the time (using the data). She let me know the time, the materials, and the purpose for the exercises. She instructed me that I'd work through four exercises. She demonstrated each one and explained the purpose and what I should be feeling. As I worked, she voiced over and coached/corrected my movements. Her feedback was direct, yet encouraging. She'd say things like, "push through your heels." Followed by, "perfect, can you feel the difference?" She watched my performance and pushed me based off of what she noticed.

The next few visits were similar to the first with a few exceptions. The pace of each lesson was faster. The expectations were higher. New methods were introduced. Amy coached and provided feedback on my progress. She reminded me of my goals and asked if I was getting closer and could notice a difference. She explained the logic behind the exercises.  We wrapped up the last session with an evaluation of my progress (post-assessment) and some next steps for continued progress.  However, I left with so much more than strength and muscular balance, I left with a deeper understanding of what I look for in my own practice as an instructional coach. I left with these understandings:

1. Care for and get to know each teacher
2. Understand their body of work ahead of time
3. Allow the teacher to set the goals
4. Have a clear plan
5. Be explicit when discussing "how" we'll get the goals
6. Offer meaningful feedback that fosters growth
7. As teachers make progress, celebrate it and push the work to the next level
8. Finally, reflect on the achievement of the goals and discuss next steps

I feel strongly that the physical therapy experience has brought me closer to my "physical" goals, but the real  #eduwin here is that I reassessed my coaching work by learning from someone who clearly cared about my progress, provided timely feedback about my work, and encouraged me to work harder and smarter to achieve my goals. I learned a lot from Amy and can only hope that my teachers feel similarly about how I work with each of them. I care about each teacher's success and I hope that my feedback is getting each of them to "think" differently about their work. Thank you Amy and a big thank you to all of the teachers I work alongside each day!

Failure is an Option

Even as I sit here and begin writing my first blog post, I'm consumed with wondering how this information will be received by those reading it for the first time. It's only then that I catch myself and am reminded that indeed, "FAILURE IS AN OPTION!"




Understanding Failure
We associate the great Michael Jordan with winning and in fact we should. However, in order to succeed, he admits he needed to fail.

The question is, how often are we given an opportunity to fail? Better yet, how often do we allow ourselves to be vulnerable enough to fail and reflect in ways that allow us to refine what it is we do?

Failure is usually viewed with a negative connotation. In fact, we typically refer to our default filters and tend to let the failures consume us and hyper-focus on all that went wrong. The problem is that we care! We care what people think of us and we want their acceptance.

Think about it for a moment, you finally get the courage to try something new in your teaching; a new lesson, activity, grouping strategy, or implementing technology and it flops. We tend to dwell on the failure then, consult with our colleagues and let them know that we tried something new and it failed for a list of reasons. Rather than dwelling and making excuses for why the work didn't go as planned, reflect intentionally and adjust.

"Failure is only the opportunity to begin again more intelligently." - Henry Ford

This quote is particularly true in education. Teachers and students need opportunities for repeated practice in any learning environment. Therefore, it is extremely important that there is time for sensible reflections throughout the learning process followed by the adjustment to "begin again more intelligently." True learning will occur when there is a sense of the current reality in the learning environment and the desire to improve that reality. If we can begin to establish a tolerance for failure in our teaching and learning, we will naturally seek out better practices and methods that enhance our current work.

Perspective and Reflection
Look at the failures with a new perspective. Acknowledge the failure and understand that failing is part of the learning process. Rather than dwelling on how horrible things went in the learning experience, think about how to frame the learning with a more positive lens by establishing ways to change the current situation.

Lately, I've thought about my interactions with teachers and I've recognized some failed experiences. I've been able to examine those missed opportunities with a positive lens by thinking about just what was learned during that time. I tried to think of it from the teacher's perspective by asking, "what are some takeaways you have from this experience?" Next, I think and ask, "if we were to have another shot at this work, what would you do differently?" These questions not only force me to be a good listener, but they also provide insight into the teacher's perspective of what was learned and provide the foundation for reflection.

Once you've acknowledged the failed experience, reflect with your new perspective and consider the following questions:

1. What were the strengths or bright-spots within the experience?
2. What is your role in the failure?
3. What have you learned about yourself? Students? Learning?
4. What evidence are you examining to make the determination that it was indeed a failed experience?

Goal Setting
Now that you've examined the learning experience with a new perspective and you've accepted and reflected on your role and the outcomes, it's time to set new goals for the next learning experience. When thinking about these goals, it's important to make them specific and measurable.  Additionally, these goals should be relevant to the people who set them.

1. Select your goal (what change do you want to see?)
2. Identify "why" (what evidence do you currently have for this goal?)
3. Create steps (professional reading, tech integration, partner with a colleague, work with a coach etc.)
4. Reflect on student/teacher outcomes throughout the process (review assessments, examine engagement, research student behaviors etc.)
5. Set a new goal for a "personal best"

In the end, this is about your learning journey! Accept the failed opportunities along the way and know that each shortcoming is a chance to gain some perspective, reflect with intention, and establish new goals to outgrow your current practice!