It’s not too often that we like people telling us what to do or, worse, telling us what we did incorrectly. Yet as we know, feedback—both from others and from ourselves—is critically important to growth. That’s where cognitive coaching comes in.
Developed by Art Costa and Bob Garmston, cognitive coaching is designed to help the person being coached make better decisions and be more self-directed. They define cognitive coaching as a “nonjudgmental, developmental, reflective model” designed to “strengthen professional performance by enhancing one’ ability to examine familiar patterns of practice and reconsider underlying assumptions that guide and direct action.” (Cognitive Coaching, 2002, p. 5)
A supporting resource, Cognitive Coaching: Weaving Threads of Learning and Change into the Culture of an Organization (2003, 2013), edited by Jane Ellison and Carolee Hayes, provides examples of organizational use of cognitive coaching, ranging from the schoolhouse to the individual classroom.
Using the metaphor of weaving, Ellison and Hayes approached editing the book with this assumption:
“It is the task of leadership to examine each thread and find the best ones to weave a strong fabric that serves students first, while also expanding the development of professional staff.” (p. xiv)
The book is organized into three sections: (1) The organization as a system; (2) The school as the unit of change; (3) Classroom practices that “bring coaching into the lives of students.” Each chapter begins with a brief introduction so the reader can determine if its content is relevant to their interests. Hence, this is a book that can serve as a guide, not necessarily one that requires the reading of every chapter.
Chapter authors include Costa and Garmston, along with other recognizable names such as Jane Ellison, Carolee Hayes, Lynn Sawyer and Peg Luidens.
What’s in the book for Instructional Coaches & Partners
Each chapter references the five “States of Mind” addressed by cognitive coaching:
- Consciousness
- Interdependence
- Flexibility
- Efficacy
- Craftsmanship
Several chapters are “must-reads” for school-based instructional coaches/partners. For example, the chapter on public coaching addresses the conditions for successful public coaching, which includes trust, a culture of inquiry, and organizational health—one that “places high value on learning and sees learning as an ongoing and conscious target.” (p. 66).
The chapter on developing adaptive schools explains how schools can use cognitive coaching to “develop momentum—for staff and students—toward self-directed learning.” (p. 110) It identifies the Six Domains of Group Development and Seven Norms of Collaboration, and explains why using pausing, paraphrasing, and probing are critical to reflective thinking, coaching, and decision-making.
One chapter that I found particularly intriguing (Chapter 11) was written by a principal who opened a school and used cognitive coaching’s States of Mind as criteria for hiring faculty. During interviews, she listened for clues that the person was conscious, interdependent, flexible, efficacious, and craftsman-like. A table in that chapter captures the characteristics of each of the states of mind. For example, characteristics of someone who is efficacious include (p. 165):
- Committed
- Problem Solver
- Confident
- Child advocate
- Sense of humor
- Leader
- Dependable
Another chapter offers interview questions that a principal might use when looking for reflective teachers.
Part Three of the book focuses specifically on Classroom Applications. There is even a chapter on using cognitive coaching with parents during parent-teacher conferences!
One chapter in Part Three showcases how a teacher promoted self-directed learning in her classroom and includes a fascinating conversation between a 7th grade student and the teacher who is thinking with him to determine steps necessary to complete a project.
Rather than tell him what to do, the teacher asks a series of questions. As the student answers, the teacher paraphrases what the student is saying (p. 208):
- Teacher asks: So how is your book project going? [student response]
- Teacher paraphrases student response: So you need to decide on a project before you can begin. What might be some of your ideas for a project? [student response]
- Teacher paraphrases: So you’re thinking a travel brochure will let you use your artistic skills and still accomplish the goal. [student response]
- Teacher asks: So how will you know you’ve done a good job on the brochure?
And so on…
Coaching rather than telling
As I read this compendium, I was reminded of the power of cognitive coaching to help others make decisions for themselves by considering options and reflecting on possibilities. For those of you prefer engaging in cognitive coaching with colleagues rather than telling them what to do (or what not to do), this still highly relevant book might be for you!
