We want to give you a peek inside our Coach Certificate & Mentorship Program. Coaches taking part in this academic-year-long journey have graciously given us permission to post some of their learning and reflections from the private coursework they are undertaking during this program. Where possible, we have shared the course and the action task to give context for the guest post.

Watch Andrea’s Video

Read Andrea’s Reflection

What goals did you set for yourself at the beginning of the program?

At the beginning of the program, I set out to learn as much as I could about coaching. As a classroom teacher who wishes to transition into a coaching role, I had a lot to learn. I still do! I immersed myself in coaching throughout the course by reading and listening to the coursework and videos. I listened to The Coach Better Podcast. I attended our Cohort Meetings. I completed the first part of Cognitive Coaching. Lastly, I completed a full coaching cycle, which was my ultimate goal in the program. Immersing myself in coaching allowed me to see coaching from many different perspectives and levels of expertise.

How did each milestone support you in reaching your goal?

Each milestone of the program pushed me towards achieving my goal. In phase 1, I created my coaching definition. Doing this gave me the clarity I needed to be able to share with others what coaching is. Creating my coaching definition also gave me clarity into the different stances a coach can take: consultant, collaborator, and coach. Having these stances clarified allowed me to see how coaches shift between stances and how to balance each one. It provided me with a clear vision of when to use each one.

What has been your biggest area of growth in the program?

My biggest area of growth is the confidence I gained in myself in being a coach.

It reminds me of our last cohort meeting when I was sharing my idea for the LJVR. I said, “I’m a classroom teacher, not a coach yet.” One of the mentors, Maggie, quickly reminded me that “I am a coach”. She encouraged me to shift my language. As I shared more about my LJVR, another cohort participant highlighted one of my milestone artifacts. These affirmations, coming from coaches with experience, were a boost of confidence for me. It was a brilliant reminder at just the right time that I AM a coach.

Which milestone had the most impact on your professional growth this year & why?

While each milestone pushed me towards achieving my goal of conducting a full coaching cycle, I’d have to say that having the actual coaching conversations was the milestone that pushed me to achieve my goal, because everything in the course prepared me for this moment. Having coaching conversations is the element of coaching that takes the most practice, so it was the most challenging, but impactful milestone for me.

Where do you still have room to grow?

I still have room to grow in active listening, paraphrasing, and questioning. I need more practice in having conversations. I feel confident in the relationships I’ve built with colleagues. I feel confident that I understand what coaching is and what it is not. I feel confident in collaborating and consulting. I want to grow in conversations.

What surprises and/or challenges have you had along the way?

What surprised me the most was how much interest in coaching I found in my colleagues through my Needs Assessment. It was wonderful to hear that so many people are open to coaching. My challenge is finding the time to support my colleagues as a classroom teacher.

What would you do differently next time? What did you learn?

Next time, I would utilize Kim as my mentor more. By this, I mean using my bi-monthly one-on-one calls with her. I wish I had used this opportunity to practice coaching conversations with her. I think I was honestly a little anxious about it, so I avoided doing it. This teaches me not to let fear stop me from doing something.

How did the Coach support you in your learning journey?

Being a part of the Coach supported me in my journey because it connected me to great resources, content, and educators at all different stages of their coaching journey. During the cohort meetings, it was insightful to listen to those with more experience. It helped me understand the role of a coach better as well as the challenges a coach faces. I also enjoyed how flexible the Coach is. Every participant has an individual journey. The Coach makes the journey authentic and applicable to anyone.

How has your learning inside the Coach impacted your coaching practice & program in your school setting?

To begin, I was able to bring the idea of coaching to my colleagues. Many of them were not familiar. My school did offer Cognitive Coaching to all staff members, so by sharing my journey, more people got excited about the potential of coaching at our school. Additionally, by coaching my teaching partner, he felt supported in his first year at the school. He felt like he “was getting free PD.” I can only imagine the impact a full-time coach could have on a faculty. And, even though he is one person, I believe my support can make a difference.

What’s next for your professional learning?

Next weekend, I will complete part 1 of Cognitive Coaching. I’m excited to get more practice with coaching conversations during this time. But down the road, I see myself working closely with our Director of Teaching and Learning to build a coaching culture and program in our school. Whether that be through starting learning walks or partnering with more colleagues to gain experience, I want my journey to continue and not to end here.

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Level Up Your Coaching with The Coach!

If you are ready to dive deep into your coaching practice, to help you #coachbetter and build a thriving coaching culture in your school, please join us for our next cohort of The Coach!

Wherever you are in building a coaching culture in your school, The Coach will give you the strategies, skills and tools you need to make coaching a success and will empower you to confidently apply instructional coaching strategies in any situation – from building a coaching program, to having coaching conversations, to being a leader in your school community. We facilitate only one cohort each academic year so we can offer individualized support for each participant.

Coaches of all levels are welcome: you’ll start the program with a self-assessment to determine exactly what the next steps are for you!