Teaching or Coaching?? Are Coaches… missing a trick? The real art of effective questioning in coaching!

So over my lifetime as a player, teacher and coach this is what I’ve seen!

·        Stop talking to players about what they can and can’t do technically and tactically and remind them daily of what they can do!

·        Stop asking those questions… that you interrupt on anyway! Let the player speak for christ sake!

·        Give them more opportunity to express themselves! Not physically…Verbally! and MOST IMPORTANTLY ask them after they fail at something…

“How does it feel?”

Teaching and coaching I still believe are two different things. I once defined it as:

“Coaching often includes motivating and developing a person's skill set in a sport or team setting and uses rote learning. Teaching is based on developing and inspiring minds in a structured and innovative way with a focus on developing a deeper understanding of learning where emotions connect learning more coherently”

This mainly includes asking questions like:

Why do you do it this way?

And

How does it feel when you perform poorly?

I believe there is a key difference in teaching and coaching methodology. It is finally getting closer, but still work to be done.

Again before people think I am coach bashing I am not. So let me tell you a story. I have formally and informally observed over a 1000 teachers. The subject topic does not matter but there are common trends. In summary:

·        the questions they ask are normally fantastic

·        but how they deliver the questions to meet the needs of all learners is poor

My point is… why deliver these great questions if:

·        You are going to answer for the kid anyway? LET THEM FINISH!

My advice…Enjoy the awkward silence. Give the player thinking time after you have delivered the questions (not in cold weather may I add as keep them moving). After all if the question is that important and you require “learning” to take place surely thinking time is healthy instead of you giving yourself a false “pat on the back” for “one” kid answering one question really really well and you moving on in your session/lesson.

I mean what about the rest of the group that:

·        Haven’t had to THINK

·        Haven’t had to collaborate with a friend and SHARE ideas, good or bad may I add

·        Haven’t had to BRAIN STORM thoughts, emotions or ideas about anything!

·        And have got out of jail because ONE team/class mate has answered perfectly for them.

So after reading this…

How do you know what they know if you don’t ask QUESTIONS PROPERLY. I repeat it’s not the question itself it’s how you deliver the question… Start connecting the emotions of the people/players with the learning that takes place. Thinking time, pair share (which helps all learners access the question) and finally SQUARE. 1’s, then 2’s and finally 4’s (square).

“Think, pair-share, square”

Have a think…Thanks for reading