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 Angela’s Video

Read Angela’s Reflection

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

I kept my goals for this year simple – build relationships and learn how to be a highly effective instructional coach.

How did each milestone support you in reaching your goal?

The milestones were incredibly helpful in helping me reach my goal. The first two milestones helped me find clarity in the role. The final milestone allowed me to review the types of work I engaged in during the year. By seeing the data, I learned that the majority of my work was focused on supporting my goals.

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

My biggest area of growth is really understanding the what and how of instructional coaching. I now know what an instructional coach is, and I know how to do instructional coaching.

Which milestone had the most impact on my professional growth this year and why?

Milestone 2 had the biggest impact. It gave clarity to every aspect of my role, and brought our team together on our work.

Where do I still have room to grow?

As much as I feel like I have grown, I know there are many areas for improvement. Time and experience will afford me the opportunities to improve in coaching conversations. Knowing when to listen, when to offer suggestions, how to guide conversations, and what are the right moves will all build my skills as a coach. I also need to continue to build relationships and make connections with many of the teachers I did not have to the opportunity to do this with this year.

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

The biggest surprise/challenge this year was the push back from teachers about the program. It seems like more teachers undervalue coaching than see it as a benefit. Throughout the year, I came to understand that a big reason for this is because there is a great deal of vulnerability in working with a coach. I did not realize this before taking this role.

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

I learned about mid-way through the year to find opportunities to connect with people through things like eating in the teacher’s lounge. I would have started this earlier. I also think I stuck with the team most of the time, and because there are activities that I would like to do like going to a building for a day and visiting with teachers that the team did not do, that at times, I just need to do that.

How did the Coach support me in my learning journey?

This program was incredibly powerful in supporting me through all aspects of this role. The learnings were perfectly timed with my experiences, helping meet the various moments throughout the year.

How has my learning inside the Coach impacted my coaching practice and program in our school setting?

The program provided the support and guidance to get our team on the same page. It helped us to build clarity for the program and guidance on how to build a robust program with new leadership and new team members.

What is next for my own professional learning?

This summer, I plan on digging into the materials from some of instructional coaching’s “gurus” – Jim Knight, Elena Aguilar, etc.

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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!