ExchangeEveryDay Past Issues

"Good questions are at the heart of effective supervision and essential for nurturing teachers' reflective practice, advise Paula Jorde, Ann Hentschel, and Jill Bella in their new book, Inspiring Peak Performance.  

"Many issues that teachers confront have no easy answers.  Sharp incisive questions can help teachers discover their own answers and unleash their creative energy to envision new possibilities.  In a nutshell, good questions help support teachers' continued growth and success.

"The key from a supervisory standpoint is to frame questions so that the exchange doesn't seem like an interrogation.  For this reason it is important to avoid asking 'why' questions whenever possible.  Questions like 'Why was Jeremy left alone in the nap room?' or 'Why did you do that?' immediately put a teacher on the defensive.  They imply that you already made a judgment about their actions.

"Instead, starting with a stem such as 'I am curious about how...' or 'Help me understand how...' can lead to a more productive conversation to understand the rationale for behavior, rather than the finger-pointing tone implied when using why."

Imagine what your program would look like if it were a true professional learning community – a place where teachers saw each new day as an opportunity to expand their competence and confidence and support one another in moving toward a shared vision of program excellence. This book provides the power tools you need to help you build teacher competence, strengthen staff commitment, and expand opportunities for collaboration to make that vision come alive.

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