Addressing Teacher “Resistance”: The Coach Mindset (Part 1)
But what about resistant teachers? I hear this question often from new coaches or folks who are new to their context. I’ve now come to incorporate addressing this question in my coach training proactively, but for so long I missed this because I’ve faced so little “resistance” from teachers and coaches that I’ve coached over the last decade. I hope that what I share here, with some time and consistency, will also help you forget you even asked the question about teacher resistance.
If you are an instructional coach or leader, chances are you had a successful career as a classroom teacher. At the beginning of the year, I often felt nervous about connecting with students and getting them to buy into our class community. But with a focus on relationships and routines, and with time, it worked every year. It’s similar with coaching. With a focus on relationships and strong coaching moves, you can successfully engage your teachers and help them buy into the coaching process.
What is your mindset about resistance?
Before getting into some practical strategies (coming next week in Part 2) to promote teacher buy-in, it’s important to address our own framing about resistance and how we view teachers.
In this short video clip about teacher resistance, Elena Aguilar gives a great perspective: “Don’t see it as a resistance, it’s not resistance. See resistance for what it really is…”
Take a moment to answer this question for yourself:
What might be behind a teacher’s resistance to coaching or support? Put yourself in the teacher’s shoes.
Possible Reasons for “Resistance”
Here’s just some of the things that could really be behind a teacher’s “resistance”:
Confusion: Teachers could be confused or not have all the information about some basic things like coaching structure or frequency, or they may be operating from a different perspective than you. They may just need more information.
Overwhelmed: Take a moment to remember what it’s like to be in the classroom. Especially now, teachers are being asked to do so much in addition to being a classroom teacher that they just feel overwhelmed. They may feel like what we’re asking of them is just one more thing, or the one last thing that will push them over the breaking point.
Pride: Because teaching can be an isolating profession in some contexts, or there’s a feeling of a “gotcha” culture, teachers want to feel like they’ve got everything under control or just prefer to stick with their routines.
Anxiety: Depending on a teacher’s background with evaluations or class visitors, coaches may hear, “When you are in the classroom, it makes me feel anxious.”
Navigating change: Everyone navigates changes differently, and coaching often supports the change process: new leadership, new schools, new teachers, new curriculum.
Fear: There may be fear of the unknown, looking incompetent, or of not being able to meet goals.
Coach Reflection
While it’s often some degree of a combination of reasons, a teacher’s resistance or frustration could fall on us as well. While this is certainly not an exhaustive list, here are a few things we can reflect on as coaches:
Am I doing too much of the talking in the coaching meeting?
Are my meetings very focused and purposeful?
Does my coaching center on clear data, especially related to student outcomes?
Have I put in effort to know this teacher not only as an educator, but as a person?
Are we focused on one thing at a time, or does my coaching jump all over the place?
Am I asking effective questions? Is there a way I could rephrase questions that would land better with this teacher?
As a final reflection on your mindset towards resistant teachers, I invite you to reflect on this question:
How were you successful in working with a resistant student? What similar principles can apply with teachers?
Continue with Part 2, which includes 5 practical strategies for teacher buy-in!