"Good questions are at the heart of effective supervision and essential for nurturing teachers' reflective practice, advise Paula Jorde, Ann Hentschel, and Jill Bella in their new book, Inspiring Peak Performance.
"Many issues that teachers confront have no easy answers. Sharp incisive questions can help teachers discover their own answers and unleash their creative energy to envision new possibilities. In a nutshell, good questions help support teachers' continued growth and success.
"The key from a supervisory standpoint is to frame questions so that the exchange doesn't seem like an interrogation. For this reason it is important to avoid asking 'why' questions whenever possible. Questions like 'Why was Jeremy left alone in the nap room?' or 'Why did you do that?' immediately put a teacher on the defensive. They imply that you already made a judgment about their actions.
"Instead, starting with a stem such as 'I am curious about how...' or 'Help me understand how...' can lead to a more productive conversation to understand the rationale for behavior, rather than the finger-pointing tone implied when using why."
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Displaying 1 CommentArlington, Massachusetts, United States
"Making a Difference" was the reason that so many of us chose ECE as our career in the late '60s - early 70's. As we retire, it is heartening to see others coming along into the field guided by their values rather than money.
The only difference is that back then we had strong peer support, whereas now you are making this meaningful choice without as much encouragement from peers and family. Thank you for your courage and wisdom - you will be rewarded with meaningful work every day!
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