Classrooms are wonderfully fertile grounds for assumptions. As a weathered teacher, I know the assumption gremlins only too well. They seem to smell the opportunity for negative interpretations, and rush in tumbling over one another like a crazed crowd. Yes, more often than not, these assumptions are fed by our negativity bias.
A student’s yawn makes their jaw crack – my lesson must be horribly boring.
Two girls at the back won’t stop quietly chatting and smiling – they must be commenting my moves.

The boy in the front row never smiles – he probably doesn’t like me anyway.

I could add to the list after every new lesson. I could continue assuming and drawing more or less devastating conclusions.

Yet I could also halt the drama and ignite curiosity. I could just as well ask my students what is happening. Give them space to actually tell me.

Every time I have opted for curiosity, the results have been revealing and wonderfully calming for a worried teacher. It’s not boredom that makes the student yawn, but a tough conversation and a sleepless night that ensued. The giggles come from one girl’s nervousness to speak up. And the serious guy in the front, well, he’s anxious to make sure he gets it all correct.

When I ask, my students tell me. And once I know more, I can navigate the lesson in a more confident and relaxed manner. I can create the space where learning can take place.

A good coach does the same. They don’t assume, but ask. And once they know more, they can better support their client by tailoring the session to them.