Coaching Reluctant Workers
I have worked with many reluctant workers throughout the years. There are certain neutral phrases that encourage students to work without causing them to react negatively. The concept is based on the model, Life Space Crisis Intervention. I train about this in my workshops, and teachers have frequently told me that this has been incredibly beneficial for them.
What are the steps that you use when coaching reluctant workers?
Step 1: Empathy
Step 2: Define Concerns of Staff
Step 3: Issue an Invitation for Collaborative Problem Solving
Please note: The bolded words below are the key words for maintaining the coaching conversation.
Step 1, Empathy: The Empathy step involves not just being empathetic, but also digging for the REAL unsolved problem.
This step starts with the words “I’ve noticed” and ends with the words, “What’s up?”
Example of Empathy Step:
Teacher: I’ve noticed that you have trouble answering the questions in your social studies book. What’s up?
• Student: I can’t do it. It’s too hard.
• Teacher: You can’t do it. What do you mean?
• Student: I know the answers. I can find them in the book, but I can’t write them down.
• Teacher: You can’t write them down. What kinds of answers are the hardest for you?
• Student: I can’t remember what I read. I forget before I can get it written.
• Teacher: So, you can’t remember before you can get it written down.
• Student: Yes. You usually let us work with a partner. We talk about it and it helps me remember.
• Teacher: So, let me see if I have this right. You are having trouble remembering the answers before you can get them written down. And, you are having trouble doing your assignment without a partner because your partner helps you remember. Is there anything else that is making it hard?
• Student: No. I can’t think of anything.
Plan B, Step 2: Define Concerns of Staff
This step begins with phrases such as “My concern is…” or, “The thing is…”.
Here is an example.
Teacher: The thing is, you are always going to have to write answers. And, as you move up into higher grades, there will be more questions to answer. So, I was thinking that we should work on a plan now so that it won’t be so hard for you later on.”
Plan B, Step 3: Issue an Invitation for Collaborative Problem Solving
This step begins an invitation for the student to work collaboratively with the staff to solve the problem. If often begins with “I wonder if there is a way…”
It might sound like this:
Teacher: I wonder if there is a way for us to figure out how you could remember the answers that you find in the book for long enough to get them written down on your paper. Do you have any ideas?
Student: You could write them for me.
Teacher: I could do that, but that would not help you learn to write them for yourself. I could do the first one for you, however and show you how I remember what to write.
Student: Ok. But, would I have to write the rest?
Teacher: Yes, but I could talk you through some of the questions and give you strategies to help you remember.
Teacher: Let me know if you think that would work for you. And, if that doesn’t work, we’ll talk again and come up with something that does work.
Remember, the solution that is generated must meet two criteria. It must be feasible and mutually beneficial.