I remembered a moment a few months ago when Henry coached Sam. They sat at the back table totally engaged. Henry was a great teacher and Sam was an empowered learner. I also remembered Hattie's research that points to the research-based power of student-to-student coaching. That's it! I thought, I'll have students coach each other.
To create enthusiasm, I started the day telling students a story about how a colleague and I coach each other. I explained that we bring different strengths to each other in honest, caring ways--ways that help both of us learn well. I acknowledged that none of us know it all, and our strength comes from using our strengths to help each other grow. Then I explained that the recent math test showed that some have mastered the concepts, and others have not so today we'll coach each other forward.
I looked out at the students' eyes to see how they were reacting. There was a bit of trepidation so I knew I had to tread gently with the partnerships. I started with Henry and James--they were thrilled to work with each other again, a sign of approval that relaxed the others as they waited to hear who their partners were. Then I matched friends together when possible--that worked. I also matched a number of students who were at same levels, almost-mastery, together so they could coach each other.
There were no complaints as students settled at tables, on bean bags, and at desks around the room. The academic conversation related to the test questions created a happy chorus around the room. Partners sought my help when they reached a problem that was confusing or difficult, and I coached accordingly. I also took the time to observe students' posture, attention, and relationships as they coached one another.
In the end, one of my most rambunctious students came up to me and said, "Can we do this again!"
Success, I thought--just as Hattie's research in his book, Visible Learning for Teachers, Maximizing Impact on Learning, demonstrated.
"Yes," we will do this again.
