Internal Coaches in Action!
April 2013 – Picture a group of residents as they make their medical grand rounds. Looks like a great learning opportunity? Well, Hidden Sparks has taken that model and adapted it to its work with coaches and teachers. Recently, as part of their participation in the Internal Coach Program, a group of “internal coaches” from different schools gathered for their third such meeting together, facilitated by Hidden Sparks’ Dr. Tamar Bauman. This time, the coaches gathered at Yeshiva Har Torah to observe Aviva Stern’s 8th grade class on metacognition and memory — helping students understand how their memories work and how this impacts them in school. Aviva presented the lesson as part of an effort to begin to teach students about metacognition and self-advocacy. This involves teaching students about the way that their minds work, creating an open environment in which students can feel free and willing to share with each other both their strengths and their struggles, and learning to ask for help when needed.
The session at Har Torah was powerful and engaging. At one point, one student turned to another and said “Hey, you’re really good at remembering history and I’m not that good at it, will you help me study for the next test?” This session created a sense of communication and sharing, of a willingness to acknowledge who students were as individuals, and of a real sense of self-acceptance.
For the coaches, it was a great opportunity to see constructivist coaching and talk about helping students develop awareness and self advocacy skills.
The next training Hidden Sparks Internal Coach training course begins May 1, 2013. To visit an upcoming training, please contact us!
