From Taksmaster to Teacher: Coughlin's Transformation

How many transformative changes have you had in your life? By "transformative," I mean a revolutionary change in ideas or behavior. I'm talking about seeing the world in a radically different way than you did the week before. I'm talking about a seeing that leads to action.

Enter 62 year-old Tom Coughlin, the head coach of the World Champion New York Giants. Jerry Green's article provides a concise portrait of the old Coughlin and the new one. What amazes me is, "The coach who was reputed to be a taskmaster but was not quite up to the task himself" transformed into a players' coach. In fact, Coughlin established a Leadership Council, which consists of a group of players whose primary purpose is to foster better communication between Coach Coughlin and the rest of his team. (What a great idea! I wonder if classrooms would benefit from this type of dynamic?)

By all accounts, Coughlin ran a tight ship. He possessed a retentive personality, rarely cracked a smile, and micro-managed to the point that his players lost their love of the game. As teachers, we are called to ignite our students' imaginations--to stoke the embers of curiosity. Technology allows us to do this better than before. Like the Leadership Council, technology fosters better communication--better communication between student and student, between student and teacher, and between student and the world. For many of us, embracing technology required & requires a transformative change. These kinds of changes are difficult, and they do not happen often. A transformative change, however, is well worth it. Just ask Tom Coughlin.