Week 6: A butterfly..
This week’s readings have opened a new window into knowledge regarding some topics such as cognitive coaching and clinical supervision. The metaphor of the butterfly story mentioned by Costa and Garmston (2004), made me think more positively about all my struggles. I always celebrate problems because they are learning opportunities. Now, I do also appreciate them, because it is through these struggles we become stronger. Moreover, this metaphor helped me gain a new understanding; students’ struggles aren’t always bad! Indeed at some points, they are considered a necessity to strengthen them and to help them find their own way to success. One important thing to consider here is the level of challenge we put the interns in. We should make sure that the experiences they pass through are still within their endurance to avoid frustration. This reminds me of what Dr. Burns shared with us few weeks ago.
Costa and Garmston (2004) have well explained the notions of cognitive coaching. They helped me to understand how a teacher-centered supervision could benefit all parties; they all are learners in the process. The quote stated in page 20 is very expressive, it says, “If I accept you as you are, I will make you worse; however if I treat you as though you are what you are capable of becoming, I help you become that”. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe stated a big meaning nicely in his simple words. To me, the essence of the cognitive coaching is believing in others and their capabilities. What we do as supervisors when we play the role of coaches is to facilitate the interns’ learning and development. We help them set their goals as the destination they look for, decide what road is going to help them reach that destination, and challenge them along the trip to make sure that they are learning from every station they pass by during their journey.
When I thought about translating these amazing thoughts to some actions, I honestly felt that I am a bit off track. As I reflected on the process of my supervision so far, I found out that I haven’t moved with my interns beyond the surface yet. I don’t see “real” struggles so I am concerned about real learning. Yes, I did want them to feel relaxed and comfortable; however, I think that I haven’t considered the level of “uncertainty” and actually discomfort that both of us need to experience. I believe it is time for me to push myself towards being more critical to strengthen my students. It’s going to be hard because I’ll be challenging myself before challenging them. However, having the image of the butterfly in mind will push me through and help me pursue my new path. According to Costa and Garmston (2004), “cognitive coaches believe that all behavior is determined by a person’s perceptions and that a change in perception and thought is prerequisite to a change in behavior”(p. 7). I totally agree with them and think that this change starts with me as a coach. Given that a change in perception has taken place, it’s just a matter of time and effort to see the change in my practice.
Moving to the other readings, I found many of the notions of Garman (1982) explained regarding clinical supervision align with those of Costa and Garmston (2004). He emphasized the significance of building a rapport of trust and respect between all group members in the context of a clinical supervision. He considered this as the cornerstone for having a successful relationship that leads to a “reciprocal learning”. I loved how Garman (1982) differentiated code of ethics and ethical conduct as he stated, “in clinical supervision, one doesn’t have ethics, one does ethics” (p. 52). It is all about the choices we make everyday and every minute. Sometimes, unconsciously, we make choices based on matters that challenge our “ethical spirit”. I believe that reflection is one tool that could help us better understand our actions and then be “obliged to make the conscious choice” (p. 52).
Speaking of reflection, as I indicated at the beginning of the semester, I am a photographer and I am a huge fan of video-based reflections. I totally agree with Nolan and Hoover (2011) that at the level of preservice, “viewing a recorded lesson, especially in collaboration with others, can be time-consuming but it can yield valuable insights into one’s practice” (p. 225). Personally, through the hobby of photography, I have discovered a third eye, which enabled me to actually “see” the world from a different angle. This experience in the world of photography had a great impact on me in that it uncovered my passion for studying reflective teaching in the Kuwaiti context. I realized that the video recorded lessons help a teacher to develop a keen eye to identify a number of details, which could have been ignored if teachers relied fully on memorizing. This featured technology allows teachers to record live episodes in their classrooms and save them for later analysis and reflection. This advantage invites teachers to step back, be outsiders and look deeply into their practice from a different angle, an angle that aids them in seeing a wider view of an educational moment. As a process, this helps teachers reflect on their own practice and this is what I hope to accomplish with my interns. Also, this is going to be part of my inquiry as I stated in my previous blog entry.
Next week, I will receive videos recorded by my interns and by the following week we will have a small group discussion (video-based reflection). Honestly, doing this as a group was their idea and I just felt excited about it because it was suggested by them (shared power) and I think that having multiple perspectives (peer and supervisor) would enrich the discussion. This is not going to be part of the evaluation process, it’s considered as an informal observation. I want them to feel comfortable with being observed via video to make it less stressful when they record themselves for the second time, which will be used for the evaluation. As Nolan and Hoover (2011) mentioned, it is difficult to separate the two functions, evaluation and supervision, but we can definitely fulfill both with a clear plan, mutual trust, and clear processes of each function. I am more enthusiastic now for my own dissertation because my current work would definitely give me new insights and things to consider as I think about contextualizing my study next Fall in Kuwait.
References
Costa, A. L., & Garmston, R. J. (2002). Cognitive coaching: A foundation for
renaissance schools, (2nd ed.). Norwood, MA: Christopher-Gordon Publishers
Garman, N. B. (1982). The Clinical Approach to Supervision. In Supervision of Teaching
(pp. 35-52). ASCD.
Nolan, J., & Hoover, L.A. (2011). Teacher supervision and evaluation: Theory into
practice. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley. (3rd edition)
