THREE PHASES OF BLENDED LEARNING
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Discussion Question Overview

For Week 6 Discussion questions will explore what it is like to be a blended learning coach.  Over the last eight years, I have coached close to four hundred educators through the blended learning process.  Some of the teachers, I loved working with throughout the whole process and then there were some teachers that I had to learn how to coach.  

Let's start out by talking about the teachers that I loved coaching through the blended learning process.  I am a very out going person and I am not afraid to listen and talk to anyone.  The teachers that I love working with are not always my tech savvy teacher, the most dedicated teachers, or even the most willing teachers, but rather, they are the ones that I can quickly build a coaching relationship with at the very beginning.  The teaches share their thoughts and ideas on how the classroom should work.  They talk about some of their mistakes they have made over the years and how they want to correct their mistakes.  Basically, I am describing the growth mindset teacher.  

When someone is willing to open the doors to new ideas, I instantly know that we are going to be able to build a coaching relationship.  I have had a 100% success rate with all educators that are willing to try out new techniques and ideas in their classroom.  

Now, onto the most challenging part of my job.  Those educators with a fixed mindset or unwillingness to work with me as a blended learning coach.  In every school that I work with, there are always a handful of educators that basically run from me when they see me walking down the hallway.  At first, I took this behavior as a direct insult to my personality but what I have found out over the years, that it is not me, it is their unwillingness to try something new.  Today, I work through a list of techniques and tactics that have lead to building a blended learning coaching relationship.  
  • Greet them with a smile and say hello every time you see them in the hallway
  • Ask about their family, kids, pets, or their passion activities, just get them talking 
  • Don't talk about yourself, they don't want to hear how great you are or what you are doing.  To them you are the person who is going to make them change and they don't like that idea.  
  • Don't talk about their behavior with anyone.  Word travel fast, keep your thoughts to yourself
  • Be present but not annoying.  If they don't want to work with you, check in with them once a week, then twice a week, but don't over kill it.  They might not talk to you until December but they will eventually get used to you being around and in the classroom.  
By following these steps, I have had 80% success rate with helping the fixed mindset teachers to implement the three phases of blended learning.  The reason why 20% did not make the turn was because, they just plain out refused to try something new.  All of those teachers have since retired, quiet, or have moved onto another school to teach.  Not because of me but because the school(s) are moving towards blended learning.  Once all of the other teachers jumped on the blended learning wagon, then they saw the writing on the wall.  

Discussion Question

This week's discussion questions is a time for you to reflect.  Have you ever worked with a colleague that you developed an amazing working relationship with while at school?  Why did you have that connection?  Are you still in contact with him/her today? 

Second question relates to working with a colleague that you just did not see eye to eye.  What did you do to generate a working relationship?  What was it like working with him/her?  Do still keep in contact with him/her?  

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