1. Explore Communication Skills
    2. Activities for Paraphrasing and Asking Questions
    3. Introduction
    4. Getting Started
      1. Part A: Listening & Paraphrasing
      2. Just Listen Activity
      3. Part B: Paraphrasing, Clarifying Questions, & Probing Questions
      4. Paraphrasing and Questioning Activity
      5. 1. Split into A/B/C partners.
    5. Introduction
    6. Getting Started
      1. Starting a Coaching Conversation
      2. Opening the Door to a Coaching Conversation Activity


     


     


    Everett Public Schools

    Deeper Learning - Communication Toolkit

     


     

     

     

     


    “Common interests, collaborative efforts, and capacity building all require

    effective communication between and among a school’s educators.”


    Les Foltos, 2013, pg. 68

    Peer Coaching - Unlocking the Power of Collaboration

     


     

     

     

     

     

     

    The purpose of this toolkit is to provide instructional and peer coaches the opportunity to strengthen their communication skills to build positive relationships and trust with mentees. It is suggested that coaches engage in all toolkit activities to practice all aspects of communication with peers.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Table of Contents:

     

    Explore Communication Skills: Activities for Paraphrasing and Asking Questions      pp. 2-3

    Opening the Door to a Coaching Conversation                pp. 4-5

    Learning-Focused Verbal Tools                  p. 6

    Communication Skills: Self and/or Peer Assessment              pp. 7



     





    Explore Communication Skills





    Activities for Paraphrasing and Asking Questions



    Introduction

    What do coaches need to know and be able to do to support teachers’ needs? How can you use communication skills to build relationships and trust?



    Getting Started

    As a coach, you will:



    o   Use communication skills to focus on student learning.

    o   Build relationships and trust.

     



    Part A: Listening & Paraphrasing

    Communication skills help coaches earn trust and inspire collaborating teachers to think more deeply about using available and emerging technologies. You will learn and practice communication skills in this activity. 

    Review the      Coaching Skills Cue Card .



    ·  Let’s focus on listening and paraphrasing skills first. Review the key features.

    ·  Complete the Just Listen Activity below to deepen your own listening and paraphrasing skills.

     



    Just Listen Activity



    1.  Split into A/B partners.

    2.  Person A will be the speaker, talking for one minute about how technology is currently used in your work setting.

    3.  Person B will be the listener, fully listening without interruption for one minute.

    4.  At the end of one minute, person B will paraphrase what the speaker said.

    5.  Person A will give feedback to person B as to the accuracy of the paraphrase.

    6.  Reverse the roles and repeat the process.

    7.  Debrief:

    o   How did this activity help or hinder your ability to listen?

    o   How many of you had the urge to ask questions? Why?

     



    Part B: Paraphrasing, Clarifying Questions, & Probing Questions

    Communication skills help coaches earn trust and inspire collaborating teachers to think more deeply about using available and emerging technologies. You will learn and practice communication skills in this activity. 

    Review the      Coaching Skills Cue Card .



    ·  Review the remaining communication skills on the Coaching Skills Cue Card, focusing on clarifying and probing questions.

    ·  Complete the Paraphrasing and Questioning Activity below to deepen your own paraphrasing and questioning skills.

     



    Paraphrasing and Questioning Activity





    1.  Split into A/B/C partners.

    2.  Person A will be the speaker, talking for three minutes about a problem of practice that you want to try to solve (i.e. an aspect of a lesson plan, student engagement, use of technology)

    3.  Person B/C will be the listeners, fully listening without interruption for three minutes.

    4.  At the end of three minutes, Person B will paraphrase what the speaker said.

    5.  Person A will give feedback to Person B as to the accuracy of the paraphrase.

    6.  Person C will ask clarifying questions.

    7.  Person A will answer these questions.

    8.  Person B & C will ask probing questions.

    9.  Person A will answer these questions.

    10.  Reverse the roles. Repeat the process 3 times, so that group member has the opportunity to be the speaker, paraphraser, clarifying questioner, and that all have time to practice crafting and asking probing questions.

    11.  Debrief:

    o   How did this activity help or hinder your ability to listen, paraphrase and ask clarifying or probing questions?


     

     

     

     


     


    Coaching Skills Cue Cards
       Active Listening

      Is focused on the speaker.

      Is blocking out all competing thoughts.

      Is leaning forward and nodding.

     
    Paraphrasing

      Is restating what was stated.

    Is used to check for understanding.

    Clarifies what was heard by summarizing.

    Indicates acceptance and encouragement.

    Establishes relationship between speakers.

     
    ·  So . . .    

    ·  So what you are wondering is . . .

    ·  As you . . .    

    ·  So your hunch is . . .

    ·  You’re thinking . . .


     
    Clarifying Questions

    Lead to a clear picture or understanding of a topic or idea.

    Are factual.

    Are answered quickly.

    Are used to gather information.
    		 


    ·  How did you . . .?

    ·  What . . . ?

    ·  How did . . . ?


     
    Probing Questions

    Are thought provoking and encourage deeper

    thinking.

    Usually start with a paraphrase.

      Are often open-ended.

     
    ·  You said . . ., have you ever thought about . . . ?

    ·  Why . . . ?

    ·  What might the next step be?

    ·  What did you learn from that?

    ·  Are there other strategies that you could use to . . .?  


     

     

     


    Peer-Ed’s Peer Coaching V4.5


     


    Opening the Door to a Coaching Conversation

    *Adapted from the OSPI Mentoring Academy Winter 2015

     

    “You’re (emotion) because ( content ),

    and what you want is to ( be/have/do → goal ) -

    and you’re searching for ways to make that happen.”

     



    Introduction

    What do coaches need to know and be able to do to support teachers’ needs? How can you use communication skills and Learning-Focused Verbal Tools to build relationships and trust?



    Getting Started

    As a coach, you will:



    o   Use communication skills and Learning-Focused Verbal Tools to focus on student learning.

    o   Build relationships and trust.

     



    Starting a Coaching Conversation

    Communication skills help coaches earn trust and inspire collaborating teachers to think more deeply about using available and emerging technologies. You will learn and practice communication skills using Learning-Focused Verbal Tools in this activity. 

    ·  Review the Opening the Door to a Coaching Conversation Protocal and the Learning-Focused Verbal Tools Table.

    ·  Complete the Opening the Door to a Coaching Conversation Activity below to deepen your skills in responding to a coaching opportunity.

     



    Opening the Door to a Coaching Conversation Activity



    1.  Split into A/B partners.

    2.  Person A will be a teacher in distress. Think about a distressful moment in your teaching experience in which you would have benefited from coaching from a colleague.

    3.  Person B will ask Person A what’s up.

    4.  Person A will state their distressful situation.

    5.  Continue to follow the protocol. Use paraphrasing, clarifying questions, and probing questions when appropriate. Use the Learning-Focused Verbal Tools included in this packet.

    6.  Reverse the roles so that each partner can pratice starting a coaching conversation.

    7.  Debrief:

    o  How did this activity help or hinder your ability to start a coaching conversation?

     


    Opening the Door to a Coaching Conversation Protocol

     


    1.  If you think your colleague is distressed, ask what’s up.

    a.  this might be during a meeting time or might be when time is too short to have a full conservation - like the hallway or at lunch.

    2.  Listen without interrupting.

    3.  When he/she stops talking, clarify by summarizing the emotion and content of what was said.

    a.  Ex. “You’re frusturated because the kids kept interrupting and talking out during instruction.”

    b.  Verbal and non-verbal feedback will tell whether you’ve understood the emotion and content accurately.

    c.  Try again if you’ve missed the mark. Getting this part right gives you permission to continue.

    d.  Understate rather than risk overstating the emotion - ex. “concerned” rather than “overwhelmed”, “sad” versus “devastated”, “annoyed” versus “furious”. It is better to have the teacher correct you “up” rather than “down”.

    4.  State what you perceive to be the teacher’s goal (to be, have, or do).

    a.  Ex. “and what you want is to havea well-managed classroom where students are on task and attentive.”

    b.  State the goal as something the teacher can actually control.

    c.  You want to promote efficiany (the teacher’s sense of power and ability to make things happen), not wishful thinking.

    5.  “And you’re looking for ways to make that happen.”

    a.  This statement helps move the teacher beyond emotion into thinking.

    b.  Solutions are possible. There is a way to reach the goal.

    6.  You now have opened the door to a coaching conversation.

    a.  If it can’t happen right away, finish by setting aside time to talk further. Ex. “Let’s both think about this and meet in your room right after school today.”

    7.  Follow-up conversation - by framing the issue ahead of time, you deal with the emotion and get the teacher’s thinking started. Your follow-up conversation will be more focused and efficient as a result. You should be able to jump directly into discussing strategies to reach the goal.

    a.  “What are some things you’ve tried?”

    b.  “Think about a time when your students were attentive to the lesson - what were some things you were doing that might have contributed to their good behavior?”

    c.  “Would you like to hear some ideas that have worked for other teachers?”


     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     


    Learning-Focused Verbal Tools


     
    3 Types of Wait Time – 3 Purposes
    Wait Time 1 – PAUSE after asking a question
    ·   to allows think time

    ·   to signal support for thinking

    ·   to demonstrate your belief in your colleague’s capacity for thinking
    Wait Time 2 – PAUSE after a colleague responds
    ·   to allow time to retrieve additional and/or related information
    Wait Time 3 – PAUSE before your next question or response
    ·   to model thoughtfulness and a need to think before responding
    3 Types of Paraphrase – 3 Intentions
    Acknowledging and Clarifying
    ·   So, you’re feeling ______

    ·   You’re noticing that _____

    ·   In other words _____

    ·   Hmmm, you’re suggesting that _____.
    Summarize and Organize
    ·   So there seems to be two key issues here. ___ and ___.

    ·   On the one hand there is ____. On the other hand there is ____.

    ·   For you then, several themes are emerging: ____.

    ·   It seems you’re considering a sequence or hierarchy here: _____.
    Shifting Level of Abstraction (Up or Down)

    *moves language and thinking to lower or higher logical level, illuminating larger ideas or shifting down to precision of thinking
    ·   So, a(n) ______ for you might be _____.
     Shifting Up:


    ·   Category

    ·   Value

    ·   Belief

    ·   Assumption

    ·   Goal

    ·   Intention
    		Shifting Down:


    ·   Example

    ·   Non-example

    ·   Strategy

    ·   Choice

    ·   Action

    ·   Option
    Methods for Inviting Thinking
    Using an approachable voice when talking with mentee
    ·   Modulating your voice so it rises at the end of your statement, paraphrase or question signals openness and exploration

     
    Using plural forms with talking with mentee
    ·   Easier for the mentee requiring less evaluation in the early stages of the conversation, before they know which issue to focus on

    ·   Example: goals instead of goal , concerns instead of concern
    Using exploratory language when talking with mentee
    ·   Inserting exploratory language when paraphrasing and questioning

     

    ·   Examples: some, might, seems, possible, hunches

     

    ·   “So, you’re noticing that some of your students are having difficulty with that concept.”

     

    ·   “How might you go about doing that?”

     

    ·   “You’re naming some possible solutions. Which seem most promising at this point?”

     

    ·   What are some of your hunches about why that may be so?”  
    Adapted from Mentoring Matters: A Practical Guide to Learning-Focused Relationships by Lipton, L., Wellman, B. and Humbard, C.,MiraVia, Sherman, CT, February 2003

    Communication Skills: Self and/or Peer Assessment

    Norm
    Rarely
    Occasionally
    Frequently
    Pausing    
    Listens attentively to others’ ideas with mind and body    
    Allows time for thoughts after asking a question or making a response    
    Rewords in own mind what others are saying to further understand their communication    
    Waits until others have finished before entering the conversation    
    Paraphrasing    
    Uses paraphrases that acknowledge and clarify content and emotions    
    Uses paraphrases that summarize and organize    
    Uses paraphrases that shift a conversation to different levels of abstraction    
    Uses non-verbal communication in paraphrasing    
    Probing    
    Seeks agreement on what words mean    
    Asks questions to clarify facts, ideas, stories    
    Asks questions to clarify explanations, implications, consequences    
    Asks questions to surface assumptions, points of view, beliefs, values    
    Putting Ideas on the Table and Pulling Them Off    
    States intention of communication    
    Reveals all relevant information    
    Considers intended communication for relevance and appropriateness before speaking    
    Provides facts, inferences, ideas, opinions, suggestions    
    Explains reasons behind statements, questions, and actions    
    Removes, or announces, the modification of own ideas, opinions, points of view    
    Paying Attention to Self and Others    
    Maintains awareness of own thoughts and feelings while having them    
    Maintains awareness of others’ voice patterns, non-verbal communications, and use of physical space    
    Maintains awareness of groups’ tasks, mood, and relevance of own and others’ contributions    
    Presuming Positive Intentions    
    Acts as if others mean well    
    Restrains impulsivity triggered by own emotional responses    
    Uses positive presuppositions when responding to and inquiring of others    
    Pursuing a Balance Between Advocacy and Inquiry    
    Advocates for own ideas and inquires into ideas of others    
    Acts to provide equitable opportunities for participation    
    Presents rationales for positions, including assumptions, facts, and feelings    
    Disagrees respectfully and openly with ideas and offers rationale for disagreement    
    Inquires of others about their reasons for reaching and occupying a position    


     

    Adapted from, and used with permission of, the publishers of Garmston, R. & Wellman, B. The Adaptive School: A Sourcebook for Developing Collaborative Groups. Norwood, MA. Christopher-Gordon.

     

     

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