For the last week of this month, we bring the abstracting paraphrase back to the forefront and encourage you to practice this consciously. When we offer an abstracting paraphrase we move beyond organizing thoughts around a specific moment or context, but broaden and open the thinking beyond the current. When we respond to a concern about a student by labeling a value or belief, we broaden the context, e.g., “You believe that self-esteem is a factor in the success of your learners.”

In the Foundation Seminars, we teach abstracting paraphrases for values, beliefs, concepts, and goals. In Advanced Seminars, skills are extended. Some stems to remember as you practice these are:

Value – It’s important to you/us that…

Belief – A belief you hold is…

Concept Label – You are hoping to impact (insert label – e.g., mathematical thinking, literacy, teacher retention)

Goal – What you want is…

What might you commit to doing this week with abstracting paraphrases in order to support others?