Craig Owens (2014) discusses the concept of bringing the team sports coaching style to the classroom. He argues that most teachers spend too much time as the center of attention in the classroom. When observing sport teams at school, he saw teammates questioning and answering each other, discussing, debating, analyzing their strengths and weaknesses and analyzing the other team. Owens noticed the students participating in what teachers call problem-based learning. The problem that they needed to solve was how to win the game, and they worked together to solve that problem. When important questions are asked in a traditional classroom, Owens (2014) states that students are often “throwing darts, hoping occasionally to score.” (para. 6) They look to the teacher as the expert in the class for the correct way of solving the problem. Through collaboration with coaches, Owens has implemented coaching strategies in the classroom where he has students analyze their strengths and weaknesses to work on metacognition, and has them work together in order to solve their own problems. He has noticed that students are regularly determining solutions that fit their own context. Owens is continuing to work with coaches to determine more strategies that can be translated from field to classroom.
Nathan Barber (2014), discusses more strategies that teachers can take away from coaches:
- effective communication
- the power of teamwork
- making work meaningful
- embracing technology
- building a winning tradition
- teaching life lessons
- seeking continuous improvement
These categories lend themselves to a more collaborative classroom with students that are more engaged in the course content. Athletes are highly engaged in their sport and are extremely motivated to improve and win. A classroom environment that is similar to a sports practice would involve a high level of engagement and discussion between students, teacher, and other classes.
Nathan Barber (2014), discusses more strategies that teachers can take away from coaches:
- effective communication
- the power of teamwork
- making work meaningful
- embracing technology
- building a winning tradition
- teaching life lessons
- seeking continuous improvement
These categories lend themselves to a more collaborative classroom with students that are more engaged in the course content. Athletes are highly engaged in their sport and are extremely motivated to improve and win. A classroom environment that is similar to a sports practice would involve a high level of engagement and discussion between students, teacher, and other classes.