Cognitive Coaching^™ for Mentors

Presenters: Penny Ballagh & Denise Overall
Toronto District School Board/Educational Consultant

“As an experienced teacher-mentor, what are some behaviours, skills or approaches you might use to support and extend the thinking of a teacher with whom you are working?”

• identifies key aspects of learning-focused mentoring and Cognitive Coaching™
• two factors that interfere with teachers’ ability to grow cognitively are isolation and a lack of time in their day for reflection
• the model of Cognitive Coaching™ is trying to mitigate some of these factors in the life of a teacher so that people have the opportunity to develop intellectual capacity over the span of their careers
• a cognitive shift is a prerequisite for changing behavior
• a beginning teacher needs to be the expert in his or her classroom
• new teachers also need to  grow in their ability to interact professionally with other teachers, to see the value of collaboration, and to see themselves as part of the larger community
• coaching conversations can help when someone is:

1. planning something
2. reflecting on something s/he has done
3. “stuck”, having difficulty – perhaps becoming inflexible in his or her thinking

1. Ballagh, P., & Overall, D. (2006, November 3). Cognitive Coaching for Mentors.
   Video retrieved from http://www.curriculum.org/NTIP/videos.shtml  
2. Center for Cognitive Coaching (external website)