1. Learning-Focused Interactions: Paraphrasing and Inquiry Questions
CCLM: 2011–2012
This project is funded by the Wisconsin Improving Teacher Quality (WITQ) Program, administered by the University of Wisconsin System with funds from the U.S. Department of Education, Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) Title II, Part A ( The grant for this project was awarded to the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee under the direction of Dr. DeAnn Huinker.

2. Session 3
Paraphrasing
Pausing
Mediational Questions

3. Goals
To deepen understanding of paraphrases; the types and intentions.
To learn the template for forming inquiry questions that mediate thinking.

4. Paraphrase (p )
The paraphrase is a powerful, nonjudgmental verbal phrase.
It communicates that I am attempting to understand you, and that says I value you.
The purposeful use of a paraphrases pushes us as a coach to offer our full attention. We are communicating with our colleague that we are trying to understand their thoughts, concerns, questions and ideas.
By paraphrasing we are getting in alignment to think together. If we ask questions too soon, a underlying message of interrogation can be assumed.
The intention of a paraphrase is to support thinking and problem solving.
By paraphrasing we are reflecting back our colleagues thinking for further consideration. They might agree or they might disagree. Either way thinking is being supported and clarity is evolving.

5. Paraphrases I am… Listening, interested, understand
Supports relationship and thinking
Not → “I hear you saying”
Instead → “You’re thinking …..” or “Something important for you is ….”

6. Paraphrases: 3 Types 3 Intentions
Acknowledge and Clarify
So, you’re wondering if…
You’re thinking that…
Summarize and Organize
First you’re going to…, then you will…
So, to recap you have three…
Shift Focus
Shifting up (goals, beliefs)
Shifting down (example, choice)
Basic fact scenario
There are three types of paraphrases a coach may use that support three different intentions. However, all three support relationship and thinking. Sometimes a coach may use all three types of paraphrases starting from the top to the bottom. However, there is no one exact way you have to paraphrase. As you get more comfortable with the three types of paraphrases you will become more versatile in using the types of paraphrase with intentional purpose.
Acknowledging and Clarifying – restating the essence of someone’s statements. You may be calibrating content and emotions. You might want to tag along an emotion to the content to communicate our desire to understand and show value for what the person is feeling and saying.
Summarize and Organize – this paraphrase offers themes and containers to help shape or separate jumbled issues. This type of paraphrase is useful when there is a great deal said in a long stream of language.
Shifting Focus – moves thinking to a higher or lower logical level. The intention of this paraphrase is to illuminate large ideas or categories. This often leads to new discoveries. Shifting down helps the speaker focus and clarify, increasing precision in thinking. For someone who thinks globally a shift down is a way to ground their thinking in specific examples and details. For someone who thinks in a highly sequential and concrete patterns, then a shift up is a way for getting them to explore the bigger picture.

7. Paraphrasing Practice (triads)
Person A: Describe an issue you are pondering either in your teaching or leadership role.
Person B: Paraphrase
Person A: Clarify and continue
Person C: Observe/Feedback

8. Reflecting on Paraphrasing
Coach: What was it like to paraphrase?
Partner: What happened to your thinking?

9. Silence Can Be Golden pg. 50
Wait Time 1: 3 – 5 sec. after a coach’s question
Wait Time 11: 3 – 5 sec. after a partner’s response- you have a choice
Wait Time 111: before a coach responds (paraphrase/question)
The pace of a conversation affects both emotional and intellectual climate. Frequent and well paced pauses contributes to your colleagues confidence and capacity.
So, as a coach, we need to be conscious of our pauses to provide a space for thinking. This intentional pause time that we can provide in a learning focused conversation requires us to be patient with our ourselves and our colleagues. In our heads, we may have a belief that there is relationship between speed and intelligence. However, when addressing issues complex thinking takes time and requires time.
Wait time 1: length of time we pause after asking a question. Which means after we ask a question we pause – we don’t ask another question, or reframe the question. If we pause we are signaling our support for thinking. It is communicating our belief in our colleagues capacity to think.
Wait time 2: after our colleague offers a response we pause. This pause time gives the colleague a few extra moments (3 to 5 seconds0 to retrieve and add related information. This higher level of cognitive thinking requires us as a coach to allow thinking time.
Wait time 3: This pause time is back on us. It indicates to our colleague the importance of thinking before responding. That we too need a few seconds to think about our language before we respond.
All of this intentional pause time takes practice and fan feel uncomfortable for us as a coach.

10. Attributes of Questions
Closed questions
Mediational questions
Closed – yes/no questions
Did you, Can you, Would you
Interrogative stance
Mediational – open questions supporting multiple answers
Coach does not have the “answer” in their head
Approachable voice
Plurals
Exploratory language

11. Probes/Questions INVITATION TOPIC INVITATION COGNITION COGNITION
Questions or inquiries intended to open thinking, invite multiple responses and are generally asked from a collaborative or coaching stance.
Questions intended to focus hinking probe for increased specificity of information. These questions elicit examples, criteria, and details that support precision in verbal responses.
So mediational questions can either open thinking or focus thinking.
Intention of inquiry is to support a colleague in exploring issues, problems, and concerns and ideas.
Three essential components.
These elements can be combined in a variety of ways and do not always appear in the same order.
Eliminating – can you, have you, did you, will you you can invite thinking.
Approachable voice ---- Use of Plurals attention to exploratory language, and communication of positive presuppositions. -
As you plan your lesson, list the mathematical ideas you want students to learn.
As you think about the Common Core for basic fact development, describe the big shifts in teaching practice that need to occur.
COGNITION
INVITATION

12. Elements of the Invitation
Attending Fully
Approachable Voice
Plural Forms
Exploratory Language
Positive Presuppositions

13. Questions/Probes that Promote Thinking
Invitation - As you think about, As you consider, As you reflect on, Given what you know
Cognition - recall, analyze, compare, list, envision, predict
Topic -