Principals and coaches – we know that our job is to support teachers. But supporting teachers doesn’t always mean just giving them the answers!
In fact, when we just “give” answers, we might be avoiding capacity-building within your system!
So, if you are working with a group of folks who are frustrated, confused and a little stuck, ask this question: What information are you missing that, if you had it, would help you solve this problem?
A different form of the question is: What information do you need to keep moving forward?
What I’ve learned about supporting folks through a long or longer process is that when frustration arises, it’s not usually something that can be or should be easily solved. In fact, a lot of times the success comes straight from the struggle!
In fact, an “a-ha” moment (thanks Oprah!) doesn’t come UNLESS YOU’RE SEARCHING FOR AN ANSWER!
So the big idea here is this: In some cases, you will support the teachers more by helping them get over the ‘hump’ and solve it themselves! These are the moments where capacity is built – the moments when we look back and think, “Remember when we figured that out?!”