After steps one and two, it’s time to identify the problem that the teacher wants to solve. Kise cautions that the coach may need to help the teacher identify the problem to solve. The problem to solve is the biggest one, the one that affects other goals. The coach may have to probe to discover this problem; the teacher may identify a problem that is secondary. Cognitive coaching may be the ideal model but the coach may need to be more directive to meet the needs of certain teachers.
Kise has provided a template of an information gathering sheet that records the personality types of the teacher and coach, beliefs, goals, roles and evidence of success. The form is a good reminder to me of the importance of recording coaching practice and reflecting on the process of coaching to improve my coaching practice,
This post is part of a larger series based on the book Coaching Approaches & Perspectives edited by Jim Knight. This post is based on sections of Chapter 7: Differentiated Coaching. Visit the Coaching category for other related posts.
Book Citation: Knight, J. (Ed.). (2008). Coaching: Approaches and perspectives. Corwin Press.