[Ted Zehr]

There were a couple quotes that stood out that resonated in addressing the questions. Page 41 “… not only reflecting on the purpose of the gathering, but than also, ideally aligning on it… Why are we doing this?” Continuing from chapter one, there is a need to continue to have a purpose to both CoPilot and Counterpart. In both the Copilot and Counterpart discussions, progress seemed to be made when leaders are able to look at possibilities and make at least one commitments that goes beyond the day to day routines and responsibilities. There were many times were they were stuck in the weeds, especially if they feel they do not have much support. But the Counterpart conversations may bring them the sense they were not alone and provide some hope. I thought the author stating “I believe in the power of the unlike being brought together and made to figure out the world” (pg. 46) and “Specificity in gather doesn’t have to mean narrowing the group to the point of sameness” (pg. 48), were important with thinking of displacement. Though each individual leader has a similar position and there are many parts of the job that are similar, the communities they serve may vary significantly. The importance of the Counterpart allows “waking people up from the slumber of their own routines”, as they are listening, supporting and problem solving what others are trying. Having leaders come together on a regular basis causes “displacing his subject from the context they are in” (pg. 64) is vital for them to make growth and meet the needs of the students in their community.

[Ted Zehr]

One of the areas of the chapter that resonated with me are in pages 17 – 19: “How do you arrive at a something worth gathering about?…The more specific… the more likelihood for success…Why is this gathering different from all other gatherings?” A challenge in the beginning is an uncertainty to what the purpose of the coaching will be – if they are informed of the coaching. Sending an agenda and a couple prompts prior to the first meeting will establish a starting point (purpose), as they may not have a good understanding of the purpose of the coaching. From page 31, “having a purpose simply means knowing why you’re gathering”.

The beginning meetings are in developing relationships between the coach and leaders, especially if everyone is new. Having the leaders analyze, think about, and/or commit to doing something at the end of a Copilot discussion will help establish a purpose for the Counterpoint meeting. Additionally, it may be valuable to find commonalities of what each is working on or would like to move forward in their settings. This will develop an understanding that may be struggling or have struggled with similar issues, even though settings are different.