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January 11, 2010

Using Cognitive Coaching^SM with Low-Socioeconomic- Status Students

There is a rich body of research on working with students of poverty. While not attempting to synthesize that research here in these weekly coaching thoughts, it should be emphasized that the mission of Cognitive Coaching^SM is aligned with those research findings, that is, promoting self-directedness through the mediation of thinking. Costa and Garmston define self-directedness as having the capacity to be self-managing, self-mediating, and self-modifying. Costa and Kallick further explicate these qualities:

Self-managing persons:

• control first impulse for action.
• delay premature conclusions.
• clarify outcomes and gather relevant data.
• think flexibly, develop alternative strategies.
• draw on past knowledge and apply to new situations.

Self-monitoring persons:

• think about their own thinking, behaviors, biases, beliefs.
• have sufficient self-knowledge to know what works for them.
• establish conscious metacognitive strategies to monitor effectiveness of own plans.
• persevere in generating alternative action plans.
• know how and where to turn when perplexed.
• listen to others with understanding and empathy.

Self-modifying persons:

• can change self.
• reflect on experience and evaluate, analyze, and construct meaning.
• readily admit they have more to learn.
• apply what's learned to future activities, tasks, and challenges.
• communicate their conclusions with clarity, precision, and prudence.
• are curious, motivated, and open to continuous learning.¹

Oftentimes, schools with high poverty populations reduce instruction to teaching basic skills in a rote fashion instead of focusing on creating self-directed learners. These definitions of self-directedness provide criteria for evaluating the level to which our curriculum, instruction, and assessment practices align with developing these qualities in our students.

Additionally, the tools of Cognitive Coaching^SM—pausing, paraphrasing, and posing meditative questions—are practices which, when used by teachers, enhance engagement, motivation, and self-directedness.
 

¹Costa, Art, & Kallick, Bena. "Launching Self-Directed Learners." Educational Leadership, September 2004.