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Questions to Better Understand a Challenge



The first step of the challenge-based coaching model is to identify and understand the teacher's challenge. The Google coaching curriculum provides some questions coaches can ask during the initial meeting. I really like the following question:

⭐ What strategies have worked and what have not? Why? 

 

A few reasons I find this question really helpful:

  • It provides teachers the time and space to think about WHY a particular strategy didn't work. They often gain new insights just by talking it through out loud.
  • It helps me understand how they are defining "success" when trying new strategies. That will be super important when we select a strategy and plan implementation.
  • It opens the door for a conversation about moving away from a one-size-fits-all approach. This is especially true if they mention that some strategies have worked for some of their students, but not for all of them.
What questions do you find effective when trying to better understand a teacher's challenge?

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