Tools for Effective Teaming: Coaching Families and Colleagues in Early Childhood

1. Tools for Effective Teaming:Coaching Families and Colleagues in Early Childhood Barbara Hanft MA, OTR, FAOTA Chapel Hill, North Carolina July 2008

2. Goals for today • Illustrate how coaching families and colleagues promotes children’s participation in home and community life • Discuss the key components of coaching- observation-action-reflection • Review communication and interpersonal skills that support effective coaching partnerships

3. Coaching, through reflection, emphasizes learning to: “do with” instead of “do to” partners. Mattingly & Fleming, 1994

4. Your role as coach… • Building partner’s competence by refining a partner’s skills/knowledge through guiding and self-discovery and • Assisting partner to identify and implement strategies to help a child participate in early childhood settings/programs

5. Initiation Key components of Coaching (Hanft, Rush, & Shelden, 2004) Action Observation Reflection Evaluation Resolution Continuation

6. Readiness for coaching. • I offer objective feedback to colleagues. • I am open to suggestions from colleagues. • It’s helpful when a colleague sees what I do and gives me feedback.

7. Process is interactive and cycles back and forth between….

8. Actions……

9. Coaching skills… supporting observation, action & reflection • Observe: actions, reactions, interactions • Listen: attend, acknowledge, associate • Respond: probe, summarize, feedback/info, problem solve • Plan: clarify, identify action/strategies

10. Video Vignette: Jacob Observe how Heidi (PT) interacts with Holly (mother) using- Observation: Action: Reflection:

11. Observations are outcome related and include- • Colleague’s behavior • Nonverbal communication, comments, interaction and actions in response to events, others and the coach • Reactions of others to the learner • acceptance of learner’s actions • Physical and social environment # 1-3 on Coaching Self Assessment

12. Listening … • Attending to present interactions • direct eye contact, positive facial expressions, an open body posture, close proximity to the speaker, being quiet • Acknowledging • respond verbally and nonverbally without agreeing or disagreeing with colleague • Associating • link colleague’s communication to desired outcomes, your ITP mission and guiding principles www.nectac.org # 4-9 on Coaching Self Assessment

13. Respondto learners by: • Asking probing questions • Facilitating problem-solving/coping • Summarizing discussion and actions • Sharing information, resources, support and feedback • # 10-18 on Coaching Self Assessment

14. Ask open-ended questions (#11) Invite discussion: “What do you thinkmight work to help us develop functional outcomes with families?” Rather than decide direction: “This is what I think we should do…..” When it’s time for direction, start with what’s going right. “I’ve noticed --- is really working well. “When you ---, Carly really sits still longer.”

15. How professionals talk affects caregiver participation Indirect behavior: praise/encouragement, ask ?, accepting feelings/ideas Encourages caregivers to initiate and structure interactions- BUT- • 95% of praise was about child, not caregiver actions • 96% of questions were close-ended Directbehavior: giving info, directing, criticizing Leads to professionals giving more info Brady et al, 2004. JEI, 26(2), pp.146-159

16. Responding: Examples of open-ended questions 1. Recall or gather information • Tell me about… • Tell me more…. • What did you want to happen? • What happened when …..? • What did you do/say when……? • What went well? • Where does that most often occur? • When did you first notice this?

17. 2. Compare new info/experiences with previous ones • How did you decide to do this? • What types of support will you need? • What do you think about…? • How do you feel about….? 3. Apply new info to change behavior • What would you do differently next time? • How might you go about doing that? • What would happen if…..?

18. GROW questions → decisions (# 19-20 on Coaching self-assessment) • G- goal oriented: situation specific • What did you plan for? What happened? • R- reality: partners state what they saw, heard, felt • Who was involved? What triggered Cory’s outburst? How did you react? • O- options: explore alternatives • What have you tried? What else might work? What actions could lead to a different outcome? How can I support you? • W-Who is going to do what by when? • Be careful about asking “why” questions Whitmore, 1996

19. Planning • Clarify the purpose and mutually agreed upon outcomes for the coaching relationship • Determine who needs to do what, before and during the next coaching conversation • Identify strategies for how colleague will acquire/refine knowledge # 19-21 on Coaching Self Assessment

20. Coaching colleagues…. • Peer coaching is a confidential process through which two + colleagues work together to: • Reflect on what they are doing • Refine current skills & build new ones • Share ideas with one another • Solve problems Robbins, 1991, p.1

21. Components of effective peer coaching…. • Voluntarily supported by entire team as part of life-long learning. • Flexible formats (expert/reciprocal approaches; spontaneous/planned) • Colleagues desire for additional knowledge/skill are matched with appropriate coach. • Peer coaches understand adult learning and interaction. Chapter 7 in Hanft, Rush & Shelden, 2004

22. Reciprocal peer coaching: • Colleagues observe one another and reflect together by sharing feedback re: a mutually agreed upon topic • Colleagues are at similar levels of learning and want to learn/apply new info/skills • Can be planned or spontaneous

23. Spontaneous peer coaching • Look for opportunities- • Team meetings • Informal talk during lunch (“bump-intos”) • Planning home & community visits • In-services and other PD events • Use video, audiotape, phone, email • to ask probing questions to prompt reflection- • Wh questions- Who, what, where, when • Be careful asking “Why”

24. Peer Coaching Vignette: Jason’s Play time Spontaneous coaching in team meeting

25. Expert peer coaching: • Coach shares specialized knowledge & experience with others • May be external consultant or internal staff • Usually time and place is planned

26. Align coach-colleague experience and knowledge • Do I know what my colleague really hopes to master? • Do I understand a colleague’s contextfor applying the skills/knowledge I plan to prompt him or her to acquire? • Do I have the expertise to guide this colleague? • knowledge of evidence-based practices and experience using them?

27. Assist colleague to refine knowledge/skill. • What frequency and intensity of coaching sessions are needed to help a colleague reach his or her goals? • How often will a colleague need follow-up once his or her goals are met? • How will the principles of adult learning be addressed for each colleague? • What mix of coaching strategies will help? e.g., demo, observation, print resources

28. (1+1) Coaching….. • Based on conversations of personal discovery • Improves an individual’s performance within a specific context • Process for improving skill, trying new approaches, resolving challenges and building collegial relationships

29. Cramer & Stivers. (2007). Practical strategies for challenging collaborations. Teaching Exceptional Children, 39(6), 4-8 • Hanft & Shepherd. (2008). Collaborating for student success. Bethesda, MD: AOTA. • Hanft, Rush, & Shelden. (2004). Coaching Families and Colleagues in Early Childhood. Baltimore, MD: Brookes Publishing. • Fisher, R. & Shapiro, D. (2005). Beyond reason: Using emotions as you negotiate. NY: Penguin Books. • Hollingsworth, H. (2001). We need to talk: Communication strategies for effective collaboration. Teaching Exceptional Children, 33(5), 4-8. • Mattingly & Fleming. (1994). Clinical reasoning. Philadelphia: F.A. Davis. • Robbins, (1991). How to plan and implement a peer coaching program. Reston, VA: ASCD. • Whitmore, J. (1996). Coaching for performance. London: Nicholas Brealery.