Page 251 - Resources and Support for the Online Educator

Part 3: Meditate

before answering. These types of questions create the environ-
ment for the coachee to use his or her knowledge and feelings
rather than directing him or her in a specific direction.

✦ Invitational: The coach uses an approachable voice (a positive
tone; a vocal inflection that goes up at the end of the question,
in expectation of a response; and so on) and wording that
captures a positive presupposition through the question (e.g.,
“As a committed professional, do you . . . ?”).

✦ Exploratory: The coach uses tentative, unassuming language
and plural forms to allow for a variety of responses, homing in
on more specifics later if required (e.g., “What might be some
of the ways you . . . ?”). This allows him or her to keep the ques-
tions open-ended, not make any assumptions or judgments,
and remain in the mode of listening for understanding. This
opens up scope for a variety of answers and focuses the conver-
sation on the big picture: the beliefs and vision of the coachee.

These three methods of inquiry have proven to deepen thinking and invite
contribution from the point of view of the coachee, but there are many types
of cognitive processes that can be enlisted when coaching. For example,
Robert J. Marzano and John S. Kendall (2007) list the following:

✦ knowledge retrieval (recall and execution),
✦ comprehension (synthesis and representation),
✦ analysis (matching, classifying, error analysis, generalizing,
and specifying), and
✦ knowledge utilization (decision-making, problem-solving,
experimental inquiry, and investigation).
Instead of trying to be solution based, authentic coaching questions are
intentional in the implied cognitive process. For example, if the intended
function is to recall information, the question is created in such a way that
the function is called up clearly (e.g., “What did you see your students do or
say that made you . . . ?”).

164 Stretch Yourself

Stretch Yourself: A Personalized Journey to Deepen Your Teaching Practice 251