Being Coachable Is The Secret To Success

My boys once had a coach who swore he could teach any kid to play.

And he did.

Kids would start out timid and shy and uncoordinated.

And he would turn them into athletes.

It was an amazing transformation.

The caveat, he said, was that the kid had to be coachable.

The ones who argued or who complained or who dragged their feet might not turn into athletes, even if they had raw talent.

Anyone who was willing to listen, willing to try, and willing to accept advice could be turned into a fine athlete.

I always admired that coach.

I teach my English classes the same way.

Every child has the capacity to learn to read and write.

I have had middle school students reading at a third-grade level, and I’ve brought them up to grade level.

I have had ten-year-olds who couldn’t read at all, and I’ve brought them up to grade level.

I have had troubled kids who thought there was no hope, and I’ve brought them up to grade level.

The caveat is that they have to be coachable.

They have to be willing to listen, willing to try, and willing to accept advice.

I had one middle-school girl who was not coachable.

The class was online, and she was always on her phone during every session.

How do I know?

Her eyes were glued down to her lap, and she would laugh at inappropriate moments.

I called on her often, in an attempt to force her to pay attention.

Her responses were either an eye roll or a completely off-topic answer.

I encouraged her to set her phone aside.

I sent messages to her parents.

Nothing ever changed.

Sigh.

She got out of this class exactly what she put into it.

Nothing.

This kid didn’t make any progress.

Hopefully it was just a phase for her.

One day she’ll realize that she has some catching up to do.

I’ve taught plenty of adults how to read.

She can come back to me when she has her epiphany.

When she’s ready to be coachable, I’ll teach her to read.