Three Ways I'm Integrating ChatGPT Into Coaching

Including a consistent question I ask myself about the impact of this tool

In this article for Choice Literacy, I shared a lesson learned about technology from taking Millie, our golden retriever, to puppy school two years ago.

During practice time, I asked the trainer how to get our dog to release the ball. “She’s good at fetching and bringing it back, but she doesn’t want to let it go.” The trainer introduced a second squeaky ball. Millie immediately released the one she had in her mouth, prioritizing the new one.

This experience reminded me of my own struggle to let go of “toys” I own. I get comfortable with the tools, strategies, and routines that have worked for me in the past. Dropping them in favor of potentially better ones is risky.

One such tool that’s caught my attention is ChatGPT.

Next are a few ways I’ve been using this large language model in my role as a coach, followed by considerations with how it might change my work.

ChatGPT as a Copy Editor

Simply by feeding it my draft writings, ChatGPT has offered concise, helpful revisions, which have helped refine my work.

For example, I had it offer suggestions for a newsletter I wrote for my organization about coaching. It gave me a rating along with strengths and areas from improvement. I made some of the changes suggested. My writing was better.

How might AI change my work?

Any type of grammar/conventions application, i.e. Grammarly, seems redundant right now. I might lose some efficiency in having to upload my writing into ChatGPT, but it seems to offer the same support.

ChatGPT as a Research Assistant

Beyond just grammar and usage edits, ChatGPT has also shown promise in handling the heavy lifting of data analysis.

As an example, in my role as a systems coach, I help districts synthesize qualitative survey results. By inputting perceptual data into ChatGPT, we’ve been able to distill significant themes and actionable insights quickly.

How might AI change my work?

I can see hours of my time recovered. That means more time interacting with clients and supporting their efforts in continuous improvement.

ChatGPT as a Curriculum Developer

During an assessment workshop, a participant wondered aloud how they might use a standard to develop a performance task.

“Let’s ask AI and see what it comes up with.” I pasted the standard into ChatGPT’s textbox along with a prompt to generate authentic performance tasks aligned with Understanding by Design. It came up with several ideas, all viable for the grade level.

How might AI change my work?

I am released from feeling like I have to operate as a sole source of knowledge. I can demonstrate how to use these tools so teachers can coach themselves and improve their curriculum plans.

Conclusion: Benefits and Trade-offs

As much as I find AI tools like ChatGPT enhancing my productivity, they also invite a questions about our dependency on technology.

As I noted in my Choice Literacy article:

Regarding my own coaching practice, I find myself using paper less when documenting conversations with clients. Am I giving up too much of my attention? As an example, what nonverbals from clients am I missing when part of my focus is on a screen?

As well, by outsourcing the synthesis of the perceptual data, are we losing out on the opportunity to build our own insights into a school culture? ChatGPT could never know the full context of a learning community. And yet how accurate do we need these insights to be? How much time are we spending analyzing when we could be making systems changes now?

Embracing these tools requires a balanced, thoughtful approach. I need to weigh their benefits against what might be compromised, especially the human touch and depth of understanding in our work.