Cognitive Coaching: A Foundation for Renaissance Schools

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Summary: This has excellent comprehensive information on education.
Review: The authors of this book wrote not only about coaching as a method for professional growth in education but also about proven practices in education with ideas to better create a productive learning climate to help everyone learn. The concept of a school as a learning community with a focus on the students is wonderful. This is one of the best works on the powers of total staff collaboration that I have come across. You need to read this and talk through it in a discusion group to really grasp the power of its message. The only criticism that I have is how the work of Madeline Hunter was portrayed. I believe that parts of many programs should be integrated and adapted for benefits. Madeline Hunter strongly advocated reflection for improvement and did not intend her research to be the basis for staff evaluation. I also advocate the 'clinical model' be used as part of evaluation, and cognitive coaching is a wonderful component for everyone in education to keep growing!

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Summary: The merits of cognitive coaching in the mentoring process
Review: This book establishes the advantages of the nonjudgmental, empowering experience of cognitive coaching over that of the traditional behavioristic supervisory model in the mentoring process. The three major goals of cognitive coaching are establishing and maintaining trust, facilitating mutual learning, and enhancing growth toward holonomy (individuals acting autonomously while simultaneously acting interdependently within the group). Efficacy, flexibility, craftsmanship, consciousness, and interdependence are the five states of mind that combine to provide the actualization energy of holonomy. Trust in self, trust between individuals, and trust in the coaching process are all necessary characteristics in aiding the facilitation of mutual learning. This strategy is demonstrated at the individual level with teachers and students and at the school level with administrators and teachers working in conjunction. Costa and Garmston use the concept of renaissance to describe the rebirth and redefinition of schools and a greater understanding of how we learn. They view the renaissance school as a holonomous organization that embodies all of the above principles in a value-centered, idealistic environment. While this book details cognitive coaching in the educational environment it could easily translate into the corporate or government arena. It is rich with graphs, charts, tables, and other tools that can be used in the mentoring process. The layout is similar to a textbook, which may negatively effect reading continuity, but is written in an easy, conversational style. I would recommend it as a useful primer in understanding the mentoring process at multiple user levels of student, teacher, and schools. Although in many cases the coaching relationship is between a more experience mentor and a less experienced mentee the authors also discuss the merits of peer coaching.