During August, Sustaining the Thinking Collaborative Journey will explore the Calibrating Conversation. Thinking Collaborative provides a one-day training in this unique conversation map for those who have completed the Cognitive Coaching Foundation Seminar®.

A conversation between two people is a two-point conversation. When data are added to a coaching conversation, it becomes the third point. In a Calibrating Conversation, the third point is a rubric or some mutually agreed upon instrument such as a Configuration Map. The third point is neutral, providing a psychologically safe place to reference information and depersonalize ideas.

To use a third point in a Calibrating Conversation, the coach would ask the coachee to select a focus and then identify the existing placement on the rubric. Supporting evidence would be elicited before asking the coachee about his/her desired placement. This process provides the opportunity for self-assessment and self-directed goal setting. When used with an evaluation process, these two regions of the map set the stage for a long-term growth plan.

How might you consider using a third point in a Calibrating Conversation as you begin a new school year?