Effective Communication Skills Chart

Jessica Gomez

GCU: 544

4-18-2018

© 2018. Grand Canyon University. All Rights Reserved.

 Effective Communication Skills Chart

Communication 2-3 Different Strategies Brief Description

Skills to… with Hyperlink
Attachment for Each
Strategy

Communicate http://info.teachstone.com/ “Determining professional development needs for teachers is much like the process

Goals blog/top-10-tips-for- of determining children’s individual learning needs: we cannot know a child by

instructional-coaching looking through a file any more than we can know a teacher by looking at a resume

or data” (Corwell, 2015). It is important to create clear and precise goals as a coach
https://www.instructionalc
and they must be attainable. Having a good relationship with the teacher and know
oaching.com/important-
about their limitations and strengths are will make communicating goals easier.
 part-instructional- When communicating with teachers about their goals they both need to keep these

coaching-setting-goal/ things in mind. The first is they need to base the goal on what is happening in the

classroom and what they want to happen. It needs to be student centered. Lastly, it

needs to be personal to motivate (Knight, 2015).

Ask Questions https://hbr.org/2014/12/the “Good coaching questions give someone who’s busy and competent the space

-questions-good-coaches- in which to step back and examine herself” (Jen Su, 2014). Questions can relate

ask to what the goals are that the teacher wishes to accomplish, like “How long do we

think it will take to reach our goal?” They can also be for ways to address feedback,
https://dianesweeney.com/
such as, “What evidence can we tease out that indicates successes or breakdowns in
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student learning?” (Sweeny, 2015). Asking these types of open ended questions
content/uploads/2015/05/
also creates an atmosphere of reflection, which can teachers an insight on how what
Coaching-Questions.pdf
they are doing and how to achieve their goals. When asking questions “Stay away

from “why” – it can feel confrontational and judgmental. To get at the same

thing, instead ask, “What was your intention with that?”” (Jen Su, 2014).
 Asking questions that are personable to the mentee and reflect on their

personalize development plan is important to having successful coaching. “You

won’t be able to get to that one question and that moment of self-discovery if

you’re just going through the motions rather than authentically interested in

her situation, and her growth”. (Jen Su, 2014)

Provide https://www.marzanoresea Much like how we should give feedback to our students it needs to be timely,

Feedback rch.com/resources/tips/cci constructive, and coming from a positive place. Having different modes of given

_tips_archive feedback such as informal (just stopping by to give a few pointers), formal (an

evaluation given verbally or written). (Marzano, 2018) “Coaches can provide

http://blogs.edweek.org/te
helpful feedback by focusing on specific behaviors that teachers can improve,
achers/coaching_teachers/
limiting the amount of feedback they provide at one time, and emphasizing
2013/03/giving_feedback.
opportunities for growth and learning” (Marzano, 2018).
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Another strategy for providing feedback while coaching instructors is focused more
https://www.bcpss.org/bbc
on the delivery of how feedback is given than the previous strategy which focuses
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ICINFO1112/CAO%20Le on the different ways teachers can receive feedback. With this strategy found in a

adership%20Institute%20 book called The Art of Coaching it describes the first and foremost thing that is key

SY11-12/December%206- to giving teachers feedback is to first gain trust with the person you are mentoring

9,%202011/What%20Goo and then to ask them permission. “Some people respond well to direct feedback and

d%20Coaches%20Do.pdf appreciate it; others may feel defensive and may shut down” (Aguliar, 2013) and it

can be hard to receive feedback and not think of it as a negative thing if you do not

have the rapport with that person. Without that trust it is also hard to know how to

address the needs of feedback given. Phrasing of the feedback should also be

considered. (Aguliar, 2013).

Once permission is granted feedback should be based on data. In the book it talks

about observational data, but it can be on any data that you need to collect to help

address the goals of the person being mentored. The data collected might be a lot,

but the feedback should then be limited to a few key details that align with the

goals set out with the person being coached. (Aguliar, m2013) This way the mentee

does not get overwhelmed by all the feedback and doesn’t become on the

defensive.
“Especially when the feedback is critical, the client must finish the conversation

feeling that she will be supported in some way to develop those skills and

capacities that aren't where she wants them to be yet.” (Aguliar 2013)

The last strategy is instead of what we see as the ‘sage on the stage” become a

partner with the person you are coaching. “Coaches don't withhold their opinions,

but they offer them provisionally, communicating their openness to the teacher's

point of view” (Knight, 2011). This strategy ties nicely with how to ask good

questions because here teachers reflect on questions and provided their own

feedback on what happened (the teacher’s point of view), while the coach offers

their observations when needed and constructive ways that the teacher can reach

their goal.
Reference

Aguliar, E. (March 6, 2013). The art of coaching- giving feedback. Retrieved from

http://blogs.edweek.org/teachers/coaching_teachers/2013/03/giving_feedback.html

Dr. Marzano, R. (2018). Tips from Dr. Marzano- Coaching classroom instruction. Marzano Research. Retrieved from

http://blogs.edweek.org/teachers/coaching_teachers/2013/03/giving_feedback.html

Corwell, M. (August 28, 2015). Top 10 tips for instructional coaching. Teachstone. Retrieved from

http://info.teachstone.com/blog/top-10-tips-for-instructional-coaching

Jen Su, A. (December 12, 2014). The questions good coaches ask. Harvard Business Review. Retrieved from

https://hbr.org/2014/12/the-questions-good-coaches-ask

Knight, J. (November 9, 2015). The most important role of instructional coaching? Setting a goal. Instructional Coaching Group.

Retrieved from https://www.instructionalcoaching.com/important-part-instructional-coaching-setting-goal/

Knight, J. (October 2011). What good coaches do. Educational Leadership. Vol 69, No 2. Pg 18-22. Retrieved from

https://www.bcpss.org/bbcswebdav/institution/PUBLICINFO1112/CAO%20Leadership%20Institute%20SY11-

12/December%206-9,%202011/What%20Good%20Coaches%20Do.pdf

Sweeny, D. (2015). Coaching questions. Retrieved from https://dianesweeney.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/Coaching-

Questions.pdf