Coaching begins with understanding and being understood. One of the subtle ways we feel understood is when our thinking partner mirrors our body language. For example, this week, a frustrated teacher came to me with a problem. She was agitated, speaking quick and high, leaning forward. I responded in like – an urgency in my voice and a posture that matched her own. Even though she likely couldn’t have said why, this teacher felt understood.But I realized that her agitated state didn’t lend itself to thoughtful consideration. So after initially mirroring her body language, I recognized the need for a shift, and I sat back in my chair. I rested my arms on the arm rests and slowed the cadence of my speech. My body language became a model for the teacher to mirror, and her agitation ebbed. Soon, we were ready for dialogue that led to potential solutions.
This situation demonstrates two examples of mirroring. When I mirrored the teacher’s emotions, she felt she had a partner in her problem-solving venture. When I provided a posture she could mirror, she calmed, and we were able to approach the situation from a more productive stance.
Although words are a coach’s primary tool, don’t underestimate the role that body language, pace, and tone play in the coaching scenario. Mirrors can work both ways.
This week, you might want to take a look at:
This video about building trust with students:
Candyland and class rules:
Listen to this podcast for ideas to teach students through play:
A Pinterest board with picture books for teaching punctuation:
Content-area literacy or disciplinary literacy – what’s the shift and how does it look across disciplines:
That’s it for this week. Happy Coaching!
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