This glideshow is a curation of ideas and resources that I hope will connect with your role supporting educators and ultimately students. It is based on my experiences working with and learning from your colleagues across Canada.
Contents
Authentic Learning
Mentorship enables all learners to build a strong web of support that is personal to their unique learning needs and goals. Opportunities for professional learning and growth are collaboratively constructed and reflect the 4R’s of authentic learning.
Authentic mentoring webs support collaborative professionalism, de-privatization of practice, knowledge construction and ongoing growth for all learners.
Relational
- Relational trust creates an inclusive learning space with all partners in the learning process listening to each other (students, educators, parents and school community)
- All learners collaboratively construct communities of practice that build upon their strengths, attributes and lived experiences
Responsive
- Learners are listened to and their individual and collective voices directly inform learning designs
- The how and what of the learning designs employed are based on authentic learning goals identified by the participants
- Learning makes sense to the learners and involves authentic collaboration, choice, voice and agency
Recursive
- Rich learning tasks reflect embedded beliefs that learning itself is a messy, iterative, recursive process
- Protocols for application of learning, follow-up, and evaluation of impact over time are embedded into the learning process
Real World
- Learners construct learning together that is relevant and has authentic real-world connections and applications
- Learning designs that leverage peer-to-peer networks and foster the intentional sharing of knowledge and practice are utilized
- A direct connection to student learning and well-being is clearly evident (i.e. students are at the centre of the learning)
Facilitating Learning in Groups
In my ongoing work with teacher leaders we have explored how authentic learning for educators is an essential pre-condition for student learning. Below I offer some guiding thoughts for facilitating learning along with practical examples of how these ideas might support educators and ultimately students.
In her book Powerful Designs for Professional Learning Lois Brown Easton describes powerful professional learning as possessing the following characteristics or attributes:
- Arises from and returns benefits to the real world of teaching and learning
- Focus is on what is happening with learners (both student and adult) in the classroom, school, and district
- Collaborative or has collaborative aspects
- Establishes a culture of quality
- Slows the pace of schooling, providing time for the inquiry and reflection that promote learning and application
Guiding Ideas
Reflecting on these elements, if our purpose is simply to transmit knowledge then we might make 92 slides, read them and with one minute left in the session ask if there are any questions. While this might be a slight exaggeration of the "one and done" or "seagull style" approach to professional learning, it does speak to the importance of employing learning designs that provide opportunities for educators to collaboratively construct knowledge and to learn from and with each other.
The learning experiences we design and facilitate are simply provocations, the real work occurs every day in our classrooms and schools. Placing students at the centre of learning for educators helps address the "why are we here" whether it's in a formal workshop setting, role-based community of practice or part of an ongoing mentoring relationship. Thinking about how we can bring students into the room centres the "why" as supporting the well-being and learning of students is why we're all here.
A "why" for our role as facilitators might be to inspire and support the educators we work with and learn from to live the learning in their classrooms and schools. Providing embedded time for educators to think together about applying the learning in their context recognizes their lived experiences and honours the complexity and messiness of teaching and learning.
Practical Ideas from and for Board Coaches | Consultants | Coordinators
Here are thoughts from your colleagues about how they approach making professional learning not something that is “done” to participants but rather something they collaboratively construct.
- Starting with relationships
- Building community along with curricular knowledge throughout the learning
- Affirming practice via acknowledgement of educators...this builds trust and demonstrates professional respect
- Leaving space to co-construct learning...this allows for responsiveness to emerging learning needs
- Balancing content delivery with knowledge construction opportunities
- Providing practical "classroom ready" next day, next week ideas
- Bringing joy, humour, humanity and laughter to the learning experiences
- Taking a co-learning stance
- Identifying how to access resources (e.g., board intranet)
- Placing students as the frame for the learning (i.e. the why)
- Being explicit in the use and amplification of Student Voice in order to empower educators...one approach could be using text as expert to bring students into the room
Sites of Learning – Classroom Observation and Debriefing
In our longitudinal research with new teachers in Ontario this learning design had the strongest correlation to growth in instructional practice. Simply put, there is no better place to learn than the classroom as it truly reflects the beauty, complexity and messiness of learning.
Observation and debriefing, whether it be informal observation of a mentor’s classroom by a beginning teacher or a more formal site of learning process, represents a powerful tool for personalized and authentic professional learning. By learning from and with each other, colleagues build meaningful communities of collaboration focused on the real world of teaching and learning in practice.
Facilitating Learning Online
Below are some personal learnings from my ongoing online facilitation work with mentors, coaches, school and system leaders. I share these as food for thought as we collectively seek to provide authentic learning for all educators in a variety of formats.
Done with One and Done
Over the past several years I’ve moved away from the “one and done” learning experience. Instead we structure a community of practice approach via a multi-session learning series. Sometimes the learning is bookended by face-to-face sessions at the start and end. With either approach, the online sharing is so much deeper and authentic when trust and community are built over a sustained period of time.
Slowing Down
In my own experience as a learner, 1½ hours online can feel like 4 hours in real life. So channelling the work of Lois Brown Easton I try to slow down the pace for participants focusing on knowledge construction of a few key ideas rather than knowledge consumption of many.
Using text (well usually glideshows) as the expert and third point provides opportunities for participants to choose which areas of interest they’d like to explore as opposed to watching me clicking through slides. Usually, we’ll go into small break out rooms to discuss reflections / connections / intersections between what we’ve read and then consolidate our learnings in the larger group. As a facilitator I often join the breakout rooms and really value how they help build connection and community between participants.
Now | Next | And
This approach for me really aligns with being intellectually humble. Remembering that our learning sessions, whether they be in-person or online, are simply provocations. The real work happens every day in our classrooms, schools and districts. So again, the importance of providing embedded time for participants to think together about how the ideas and approaches shared can be applied in their context.
Below is one approach I use to elicit input and direction for future learning. The conversations and ideas provided (usually via a google form) are incredibly helpful as the following session is directly responsive to the areas participants identify. Also the “And” responses really give you a personal sense of the people you’re working with and learning from.
Gestures of Support
Being open to ongoing communication and individual questions between sessions can help make online learning feel more like an ongoing process rather than a discrete event. Also having a place where participants can access resources asynchronously (e.g., Adobe Express Glideshow, Shared Google Drive Folder) is what I call a “gesture of support.” Sometimes these gestures can be more important than the support itself.
Everyone has experienced “tech issues” in the online learning world with students and adults. We know learning is messy so modelling patience, humour and gentleness is the 50% of the equation we can influence. Knowing our learners and being responsive to their needs (just as we strive to be with our students) can make online learning experiences feel human.
Measuring Impact
Quite a number of years ago I was fortunate to spend a full day learning with Thomas Guskey around moving beyond the workshop and focusing on the ultimate purpose of professional learning – impacting students. His framework below has been a touchstone:
Measuring Impact – Smart List | End of Year Data Collection | So What | Now What Examples
Coaching Challenges
Below are ideas from coaches, consultants and coordinators to address common challenges as they seek to support their colleagues while continuing to foster their own learning and growth.
Extending Thinking with Mediational Questions
- Paraphrasing to clarify understanding of both yourself and the speaker
- Using a tone of wonder in the questions you are asking
- Employing the coaching stance to elicit thinking
- Remembering the importance of authentic listening
Going Deeper with Meaningful Feedback
- Considering if the person you're speaking with has the tools to receive feedback.... readiness? How will the feedback be used - is it productive?
- Asking scaling questions as a tool
- Being open ourselves to ongoing feedback and learning
Facilitating Learning in Groups
- Putting students at the centre via the third point…supporting the well-being and learning of students are why we're all here
- Creating ways to build relationships with and within the group
- Building personal connections to learning topics
Working with Reluctant Colleagues
- Revisiting how might trust be built (or rebuilt)?
- Reflecting on what does no mean....could mean I don't know how...I'm not ready....I don't feel involved....surfacing what's behind the "no"
- Slowing down the pace of learning
- Being intellectually humble
Mitigating the Challenge of Time
- Creating and using online spaces to connect and collaborate
- Engaging in a "minds on" conversation or email prior to meeting so time is focused
- Modelling self-acceptance - i.e. can't do everything
- Utilizing quick "on the fly" connections
- Continuing to build and deepen relational trust…results in more meaningful sharing and time together being well used
Navigating Complexity – Practical Resources
Relationships are messy, complex and need continued care. Here are some key resources that may be helpful as you navigate complexity in your role.
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The dynamics of mentoring relationships are complex. When there is a misalignment of expectations significant challenges can arise.
Engaging in collaborative goal setting conversations at the outset of any mentoring relationship helps to set the stage for success.
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Scaling Questions as a Tool for Debriefing
Opportunities for individuals to reflect on practice and debrief with mentors can be powerful learning for both parties.
One approach to debriefing conversations is scaling questions adapted from the solution-focused conversation work of Nancy McConkey.
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Examining our core beliefs....is "being a resistor" a trait or a state? Do we want to simply minimize resistance or consider how we might harness the energy resistance creates?
This glideshow explores why we might offer resistance and practical ideas for moving forward.
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When someone says "this is the way" I always hope they will add "that works for me...in my context...in my school...with my students."
This glideshow explores how listening with uncertainty and being intellectually humble are powerful gifts we can give those we support (and learn from).
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Appreciative Inquiry for Reflection & Growth
At the core of Appreciative Inquiry is the belief that all participants come to mentoring relationships possessing many strengths and attributes.
By building on these assets, the answers to the issues and challenges they face can be collaboratively constructed.
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As mentioned, relationships are complex, messy and need continued care.
These "case stories" are intended as provocations for mentors to share practical ideas for supporting colleagues (and each other).
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Educator learning and well-being is essential for student learning and well-being.
The vision for collaborative professionalism outlined in this glideshow coheres strongly with the power of mentoring to build connection, community and webs of shared learning within and across roles.
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What we can influence is our 50% of the equation.
This glideshow contains key ideas about how as mentors we can be mindful in our approach to the complex dynamics of human interaction that shape all of our relationships.
Mentoring for Mentors Resources
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Mentoring Essentials eBooks & Glideshows
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All Mentoring for Mentors Resources
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Wishing you a mentoring journey filled with quiet moments of beauty and thanking you for the difference you are making to the lives and learning of your colleagues and ultimately our students.
In appreciation,