Coaching Families and Colleagues in Early Childhood (PPT ...

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

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
2

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

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
4

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

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.
6

Process is interactive and cycles
back and forth between….
Reflection
Action
Observation
7

Actions……
Visual learning
partner observes
coach
partner observes
peers
partner watches
video
partner reads an
article and/or looks
at illustration
Auditory learning
partner summarizes
feedback from coach
partner narrates
actions watching a
video
partner listens to
audiotape
partner talks to
another partner
Kinesthetic learning
partner keeps journal
of actions/reflections
partner rehearses
actions in mind
partner practices
actions
partner demonstrates
actions to others
8

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
9

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

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
11

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
12

Respond to 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
13

Ask open-ended questions (#11)
Invite discussion:
“What do you think might 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.”
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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
Direct behavior: giving info, directing, criticizing
Leads to professionals giving more info
Brady et al, 2004. JEI, 26(2), pp.146-159
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Responding: Examples of openended
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?
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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…..?
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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
18

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
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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
20

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
21

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
22

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”
23

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

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

Align coach-colleague
experience and knowledge
Do I know what my colleague really
hopes to master?
Do I understand a colleague’s context
for 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?
26

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
27

(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
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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.
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