Follow-Up October 28

On October 28, the Houston A+ Challenge hosted a CFG Follow-Up Session for the new coaches who were trained this summer. It was the second in a series of follow-up events that are designed to support and encourage new CFG coaches in their first year of coaching.

After a welcome and Connections, we decorated notebook covers. Each coach could personalize a cover with a variety of scrapbooking papers, stickers, etc. The facilitators’ hope was that this would encourage the new coaches to document the CFG work that they are doing—no matter what form that work takes. The notebook is a place to collect meeting agendas, protocols used, reflections, etc. Click on the thumbnail photos to see some of the creative notebooks.

After sharing notebook covers, we surveyed who had brought work or dilemmas and chose to look at student work. One member shared three student journals from her ART I class. We used the Collaborative Assessment Conference Protocol to examine the work and respond to the questions “What do you see?” “What questions does this work raise for you?” and “What do you think the child is working on?”

The presenting teacher had chosen 3 notebooks from the same class period. The notebooks belonged to a special needs (autistic) child, a recent immigrant, and a high achieving student. It was interesting to examine the notebooks as evidence of teaching and learning and make connections to our own individual practice. We could see skills and growth in each student journal. During the debrief, we made the connection that our own CFG Coaching notebooks should show growth and learning throughout the year, too.

After a short break, we helped a school team with a dilemma. To respect our norm of “Vegas Rules,” I will not describe the exact dilemma. However, going through the process helped our group surface questions such as
Who should be in charge of CFG agendas?
Should groups be voluntary or picked according to some criteria?
How do you build trust?
How do you explain what a CFG is?

I wrote in my own journal that I learned that people need to be able to articulate what they value and that teacher/practitioner empowerment is important.

The next CFG Support Session is scheduled for December 2, 2006.

All Reflections from October 28, 2006, are in the extended entry.

REFLECTIONS
What did you learn?
“I learned that it is always helpful to have the protocol in front of me—even when I have done it thousands of times.”
“how deep the need is for support of our work”
“The value of using protocols for looking at student work and dilemmas. How other CFG coaches value each other’s responses and comments.”
“That dilemmas are universal and we can all learn from the process.”
“Today I gained further clarification of the CFG process and what a CFG should be and do.”
“CFG should not be forced. Coaches need to be upfront with the process. A lot is being forced on my campus.”
“Thanks again for ‘re’charging me (I know you would) I hope we can get more people to come back to these.
To restate: I (re)learned to trust the process but ADVOCATE for CFG.”
“It was a reinforcement of the value of using protocols; I learned that we pretty much share in the same problems; teachers should maybe volunteer at first to be on a CFG”
“I learned trust is especially important when looking @ student work.”
“Never underestimate the value of a protocol.”
“Today was great for learning, listening and modeling. Watching 2 experienced facilitators at work helped mold my approach to facilitating. (always”
“During this section, I learned that I have support from the rest of the group. I also learned that others may have the same concerns as I do.”
“I learned that coaches need to be able to articulate what they value about CFG work. They also need to feel more confident.”

What do you need?
“more time: to plan, to implement, to enjoy”
“I need more people to come and be a part—it was such a good day and I am sorry people missed out.”
“I guess I just need to become more familiar with the processes of the protocols and the time to do them.”
“I need to find a time to meet with a core group of teachers who are interested in participating and who may be willing to become CFG coaches.”
“I need support when dilemmas arise from my CFG members because I do no feel it yet.”
“Continued ‘Aftercare ‘ from A+!!!”
“TIME!”
“I need to be more assertive in getting my CFG started. I see the value in CFG’s so I need to be an advocate for CFG’s”
“To attempt to do work in Alief (groups). List of Alief trained coaches.”
“Just need more of this. I think it will be (is) extremely supportive & useful for newly trained. I always think about being asked if I have questions after I just introduced to new learning—my response is usually (always) that I don’t know yet. I need to try it out to develop useful, meaningful questions.”
“HELP!! The refresher meetings help to reinforce the techniques and skills I learned during the summer training. I also need patience to let the process work.”
“I need to follow through with our great ideas. Get reflections posted ASAP to keep learning alive between sessions.”

As a coach, how can I develop my skills and still be authentic?
“I can develop my skills by doing the work and being in the process of growing as a coach. The best way to learn is by experience.”
“study the protocols—begin by picking out a few that would be helpful and finding times to practice them.”
“I need to practice more the use of protocols so they can become easier to use.”
“By constantly immersing myself in the process—I stay connected and authentic.”
“As a coach, I need to share my enthusiasm with others so that the essence of the process becomes known to teachers so that members are voluntary and groups form naturally.”
“I need to bring my own organizational skills and personal aspects into the formation of the meetings. For example: How would I like a meeting to be conducted and/or presented to me and/or building community within the group.”
“Stay current-don’t just put the binder on the shelf. Lean on my fellow coaches, stay current on the web resources available.”
“I can develop my skills by attending follow-ups; reading the wonderful newsletter; and continuing to be involved. Great Newsletter!!”
“I can develop my skills by continuing to come to the refreshers and practicing as often as possible. I think authenticity comes through when you are comfortable w/ the process and trust it.”
“By continuing to practice at facilitation. The more of it I do, the more I learn which will help me develop.”
“Being authentic for me is being ‘myself’ to the process”
“Practice, practice, and more practice.”
“Just do it! Practice”

Posted by Donna at November 6, 2006 11:51 AM