With that in mind, I'd like to share a recent event:
Recently,
I made a commitment to have better health, and one aspect of that commitment
meant beginning to work with a personal trainer.
Initially,
I fretted about the idea of personal training. Someone paying undivided
attention to my body seemed overwhelming, but I scheduled my initial evaluation
anyway. I grew increasingly anxious the closer the time came for this
appointment, when the realization hit that the initial evaluation would
probably include gathering numerical data about my body.
In the
beginning, my anxiety seemed justified. It was just as horrible as I had
imagined – first the scales, then the BMI number, and finally the tape measure
encircling all parts of my body, from head to toes. Though my glasses were off,
leaving me unable to read the measurements the trainer actually wrote on the
chart, I cringed each time he put his pen to the paper. None of this could be
good.
Then
something wonderful happened. The tape measure and scale were put away and the
trainer began to collect data about my body and health in different ways.
First, many questions were asked about my definition of being physically fit,
my activity level, enjoyment of movement, family medical history, and any
current concerns about health. With each response, the trainer drilled down a
bit further, looking for more clarification of my initial answers.
After
the interview was completed, the trainer began to observe my movements in
space. He asked me to walk, stand still, raise arms, bend at the waist, and
bend at the knees to a squat position multiple times. As I complied, the
trainer would carefully, with great focus, observe my movements, and then add
his observations about those movements to his paper.
The
final portion of the evaluation came when the trainer analyzed and synthesized
all the information he had collected about me. He spent some time in
thoughtful reflection, and then shared his analysis. He first mentioned the
things going well with my physical health, a short list, but at least a place
from which to build. Then, he focused on what he considered to be my most
immediate concerns – aligning my spine, working on gaining solid core muscles,
and strengthening neck muscles. He shared that once those areas were addressed
and in control, we could then focus on other items of concern. But for now, we
were going to build a solid foundation for my body and its movements. Using
those multiple pieces of data about my body, the trainer then devised my
personal plan, and it had clear goals I would be working toward achieving.
While
driving home from this initial evaluation, there was an “aha” moment when I
realized what Adam, my trainer, had just done was incredibly similar to what I
do as a literacy coach with colleagues, and what classroom teachers do with
their students every day.
We
gather data, and yes, for teachers, several of the pieces of data about
students will be numerical in content. But as literacy coaches and educators,
we need to push past the numbers, because we are all far more than just a
number. As educators, we also need to observe and confer, then analyze what we
discover. We should identify the most important need that will help individuals
build a solid foundation in their learning. We are then able to make the best
coaching or instructional plan for each person. We help our colleagues and
students by sharing their strengths with them, and scaffold their learning by
setting clear and attainable goals.
I learned a great deal from Adam that day, and it wasn't all about my physical well-being. To get the best picture of an individual in order to help them with positive changes, we need to look at multiple types of information and data. It was what Adam did for me as my trainer, and what I know is best for my colleagues with whom I collaborate as a literacy coach.
Thanks so much to my friends at Two Writing Teachers blog for hosting Slice of Life. I hope to see many of you in DC this week! Head on over to their blog to check out some wonderful writing for Slice of Life Tuesday.
