Ch. 3
"Rather than give advice to or solve problems for another person, a mediator helps he colleague to analyze a problem and develop her own problem-solving strategies" (p. 58). What a challenge this will be for me! I have been mentoring the new 5th grade teacher for about a month now and while many of her questions and concerns are logistical, I have found myself telling her straight out how to do things and what I used to do in the past. I think that this will be a great tool to have so that she will be able to then problem solve on her own and become a more reflective and self sufficient teacher.
As an individual and as a teacher, I have developed a mindset that I know best. The way I have mastered things is the way others should master the same thing. In this chapter, I was reminded that we all work differently and that our way a coming to an answer will most likely be from a very different approach. "Conscious of these differences, Cognitive Coaches strive to be flexible communicators. They recognize their own style preferences and seek to overcome these habits when interacting with someone who operates from a different style" (p. 66). This will also be a challenge for me but I am convinced that this will be the better way to go.
"The shift is from teaching other to helping others learn from situations; from holding power to empowering others; from telling to inquiring; and from holding on to finding strength in letting go. Changing one's identity requires patience, stamina, and courage" (p. 71). While this chapter is full of challenges for me to face, it also is motivating to think that after mediating for others they will have learned so much more than me telling them what to do.
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