Mhairi is a P4-7 teacher in Humbie Primary. It is a two classroom school with a roll of 19. East Lothian offered a coaching training programme to teachers as part of their coaching project. Mhairi attended the coaching training which lasted two days and was so taken with it that she immediately thought of the benefits of using it in her teaching. Mhairi defines coaching empowering people to learn and move on for themselves and make their own decisions.
The GROW model was introduced into Mhairi’s teaching and the pupils’ learning in August ’07. She could see how this would encourage the pupils to take responsibility for their own learning.
The pupils have now used this model when working on topics such as The Jacobites, The Body and Electricity, taking ownership of their learning and going into areas that the teacher might not have if she had directed the learning more closely.
The pupils can confidently tell you what they have learned and where they want to go next. Mhairi claims they get more out of their learning now because they know the purpose behind it. Learning intentions are being recognised by the pupils themselves because it means something to them and success criteria being met because the pupils are feeding naturally what they need to know and learn.
'The whole school is benefitting because the pupils are involving the other class and sharing their learning with them. Pupils are now identifying what resources they need, and why, and then working out how to source these. This is also having a very positive effect on parental involvement as the pupils are also discussing their learning more at home and often asking them to provide the resources! Parents have commented to this effect recently at Parents’ Night'.
A key learning point for Mhairi has been not to underestimate what the children can achieve. She has realised that planning too rigorously can in fact stifle the pupils learning. She suggests that if we give the power over to the children we will get the best out of them. She also suggests, with a note of caution, that if we are doing this that we do this within the structure of the GROW model. Let it go and let them go!
Her initial fear of doing this was around what others might think. Her prior knowledge of coaching had been in an adult context and to move this to the classroom was tinged with some concern for her. However, she immediately saw the benefits and how quickly and naturally the pupils were taking responsibility for their own learning.
By seeing the children in action, her initial concerns soon disappeared. Of course outcomes still need to be met and Mhairi has this in mind at all times, but her teaching is now less controlled allowing the pupils a degree of freedom in their learning with the pupils being the ones who plan tightly now!
The main breakthrough for Mhairi came when she was able to stand back and let the reins go allowing pupils to work in their groups and learn for themselves. She claims she now teaches them how to learn, instead of teaching them facts, giving them the tools to learn independently.
Quality learning which they have identified is producing some very positive outcomes. With the support of her Headteacher, she has also encouraged risk taking in the classroom. Pupils are encouraged to see mistakes as learning opportunities and the classroom is a safe environment to allow discussion around this to take place.
The coaching training was a huge insight for Mhairi who now sees this as a way of being and it is now starting to come naturally to her. After the initial two days, there were further opportunities to meet up and share experiences which she found very helpful.
Her advice to others is to have a go. She invites us into her classroom to see how it works and see how it ties in with Assessment is for Learning (AifL) approaches, but perhaps more than anything she suggests that we need to let go of the control freak within us so as to allow the children to flourish.
Her wish for the future is that her pupils become even more independent in their learning and start coaching each other. She would also like to build links with the High School so that the model can be appreciated by all, ensuring a continuity of learning styles being available for her pupils.
For more information please email Mhairi Stratton (Humbie Primary School, East Lothian).
In association with Education Scotland
Comments
John Daffurn,
27 February 2008, 2.22 pm
I recently had the opportunity to visit Mhairi and her pupils in Humbie PS and witnessed first hand how coaching has become very much part of the classroom ethos. Pupils were taking responsibility for their own learning and Mhairi was displaying a coaching approach to her teaching. The results were amazing!
T Laing,
3 March 2008, 9.23 pm
I am Mhairi's HT and her enthusiasm and motivation are inspiring. She is always happy to share her good practice with staff and both classes at Humbie are now using the Grow model, not only in topic work but in other aspects of the curric. The whole school has benefited from her Coaching sessions. We would be happy to welcome other practioners into our school.