Models of Teaching/Coaching

Models of Teaching/Coaching

    Summer, 1997                                                             

Peter S. Pierro, Ed.D., Instructor   

Session - Week #3                      

This week’s featured model and founders Student Centered Learning, Player-Centered Coaching, Carl Rogers, Abraham Maslow, and Arthur Combs.

The Handout to the Class

 A Historical Philosophical Statement

Then said a teacher, Speak to us of Teaching.         

And he said: No man can reveal to you aught but that which already lies half asleep in the dawning of your knowledge. The teacher who walks in the shadow of the temple, among his followers, gives not of his wisdom but rather of his faith and his lovingness.    If he is indeed wise he does not bid you enter the house of his wisdom, but rather leads you to the threshold of your own mind.                                                                                      

--Kahlil Gibran                                                                                      The Prophet

Learning models being used in this class

As the teacher, dealing with the individual learning differences in your learners has been a very difficult problem in our schools. In my first nine years of teaching I taught in eight self-contained classes from 4th grade through 8th grade. In the different subjects, e. g., math, spelling, and arithmetic, teaching all of the children the same thing at the same time was the standard operation. The three level classroom that separated the class into Slow, Middle, And Fast level students was really a bad idea and didn’t last long.

In my last year of teaching at the elementary level, I taught a 4th grade class and used what was called “Individualized Reading.” Each of my children chose their own “text book” from our school library and I had three sessions per week one-on-one with them. I wrote my masters thesis on this experience. I did a lot of poetry reading and story reading with discussion with them. (Who could forget Charlotte’s Web?)

The common teaching method in Reading, Science, and Geography is Lecture and Fact-Recall questioning. Each of us; you, me, and all of our students and players, is a unique person and learner. From the desk of Arthur Combs we have these principles for teachers:

1. Accept each contribution a child presents. Never “belittle” anything a child cares to relate to his group or the teacher.

2. Provide each child with the opportunity to make an important contribution to the activity in which the class is engaged.

3. Search constantly for ways of expressing the care you feel for each child in your group. 

These principles do not change when your students or players get older. You may want to use words, such as; autonomy, acknowledge, and interaction.

Instructor’s Notes on the Class Session

This session turned out to be really well received by the participants. We wanted to have one of our active coaches show them how she deals with her players and her team. 

So here’s Coach Donna Kelly, our women’s volleyball coach:

Coach Kelly: Thank you.

First, I want you to see some excerpts from the game video & analysis of the first practice session of the fourth game of this season. We won it and we were really happy but, win or lose we’re still happy and our process doesn't change. 

Reviewing game video & analysis:

Coach: Okay, good game guys. What were some of the things we did to make it a good game?

Sarah: Our teamwork was better, the practice this week helped.

Debbie: And your change you made in my setting up helped. Louise: We were better stopping their smashes. We get set quicker.

Coach: We spent a little more time last week with game scrimmages? Did that work?

Several comments - Yeah, I liked that. 

Coach: Okay, let’s take a look at what we need to work on. Any ideas?

And the commenting and interaction went on.