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.
The Coach Final Project
The Final Project is a chance for you to reflect on everything you’ve learned and/or discovered throughout this Certificate Program. You will create an 8-10 min video sharing on the goal that you set, documenting the process of working towards your goal, reflecting on your achievement and sharing the process/outcome with our learning community. The most important part of your personal project is that it’s relevant to you, and you can demonstrate, through documentation and video, the impact your work has had on your school.
Watch Carrie’s Video
Read Carrie’s Reflection
Teacher retention in school districts across the United States has become a serious topic of discussion everywhere. This is no different in districts across the state of SC. Over the past three years, Anderson School District Five located in the heart of Anderson SC has had a little more than 30% loss of first-year teachers. This past year, our loss was cut nearly in half at 18%. My name is Carrie Simpson. I am the new Induction Coach for Anderson School District Five. This is the story about my new journey as the district induction coach. I will be sharing with you things I learned along the way from The Coach Micro-credential @ Edurolearning as I worked to bring retention to our district with its first-year teachers.
As a classroom teacher for 22 years my educational background is multi-layered. I have an Administrative degree from Anderson University, a Master’s Degree in Education, a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education from Lander University, was endorsed for the Gifted and Talented Programs from Converse College, and am a National Board Certified teacher of Mathematics. In addition to my certifications, I have worked with the SC State Department of Education in the Leadership Cohort, Collective Leadership Initiative, and as a support document performance task writer.
I knew early on in my career that I had a passion for helping and working with other educators in achieving their goals. I began working with student teachers at local universities and received mentor training to work with first-year teachers within my own school. My desire to become an instructional-type coach grew a tremendous amount over the past 5-10 years. For this reason, I decided to work towards a second degree in supervision and leadership. Upon receiving District Teacher of the Year for my school district, I was given even more opportunities to work with teachers in my own school. This sparked a huge passion for working with first-year teachers.
Our district created a new position entitled “Induction Coach.” The responsibility of this position was to work with all first-year teachers across our district. This person would uphold monthly academy meetings to help new teachers with evaluation and survival, coteach, model, observe, provide feedback, support, plan, and provide real in-the-moment help that new teachers could immediately implement within their own classes. I was beyond excited to apply for this position and even more so when offered the job of my dreams.
Anderson County encompasses 5 different school districts. Anderson School District Five is the largest. The district spans approximately 109 square miles and serves 21 schools. Within these schools, there are close to 1000 teachers, 800 staff, and 13000 students. This past year, as the district induction coach I worked alongside our 70 first-year teachers, serving 18 schools out of our 21 schools in the district.
Some would say this is a job, but for me, this is a true passion. I love every challenge, every hurdle, and every success that comes my way working with these new teachers. Why does it matter to me? It ultimately comes down to the students. The students depend on educators to help them learn in life. It is important not only the content of what they learn but how they learn it. It is like a ripple effect, as a coach I cast a stone in the water that affects the teacher and that teacher casts a stone in the water to affect the students.
What have you learned in your Learning Journey in The Coach?
I have learned that being an instructional coach is multi-faceted. The many hats that coaches wear are that of a resource provider, data coach, curriculum specialist, instructional specialist, mentor, classroom supporter, learning facilitator, and much more. I understand the importance of being able to truly listen to my coachees and understand which stance I need to take based on their needs. I have seen the importance of building relationships with not only the coachees but the administrators as well.
What have you been able to apply from your learning in The Coach?
I have been able to apply all components of the coach micro-credential. How I see myself as a leader, what the role of a coach is, understanding the coaching cycle, how to have coaching cycles (this has been big!), how to work with adults and teams, and how to work through challenges as a coach- all of these I have been able to learn more about and utilize in my role as the induction coach for my district
How has The Coach supported you in your learning?
I have learned so much in this program. The resources provided, hearing from expert coaches and their successes with things that work well, and having opportunities for reflecting on my own practices as a new coach.
What’s the biggest value of the program for you?
Because this position is new for our district- I wanted to do everything in my power to make it successful. The biggest value that I have gained from this program is self-confidence- the idea that I can accomplish anything I set my mind to.
What’s different in the Coach in comparison to other PD that you’ve received or participated in?
The main difference between this program and other PD is that it is relevant to me and my situation. The whole micro-credential was able to be catered for me personally and not just a cookie cutter, one size fits all scenario.
What made you look for this program? What made you look outside the normal resources to level up your coaching skills?
As stated before, because this position was new to the district and me as well, I wanted to learn all that I could about how to be an effective coach- this program has given me the tools to pull from to make that happen.
What would you say to someone who is considering The Coach?
For someone considering taking The Coach- this is one of the most powerful endeavors you can do as a classroom educator, leader of educators, instructional coach, and mentor of other educators. You will grow in ways you never thought possible. You will become empowered to help other educators reach their potential in the classroom, which empowers them to reach students and their learning. Isn’t that what it is all about?
Closing out this last year and working with data collected, I realized that our retention loss was cut nearly in half which was so uplifting. We are now at the start of a new school year with new opportunities! As I begin working with the newest Induction Teachers, through constant reflection, I will use the strategies and techniques learned over the past year including all of the successes, the bumps in the road, and what works and what doesn’t to hopefully bring about even greater retention of first-year teachers in our district. I will always strive to love first, teach second, and coach better.
What’s YOUR level of coaching mastery?
All coaches go through various stages of coaching mastery. Once you identify where you’re at, you can begin to build the skills needed to move to the next stage.
This quiz is based on real-life case studies compiled from years of working with coaches inside The Coach Certificate & Mentorship Program!
When you receive your results, you’ll also get your matching case study from the STRIVE Case Studies to see where you fit in the stages of coaching mastery.
Ready to tackle your challenges and move on to the next level in YOUR coaching practice?
The STRIVE Model of Coaching Mastery quiz will help you identify your level of coaching mastery by matching you with case studies compiled from years of working with coaches inside The Coach Certificate & Mentorship Program so you can easily see where you fit!
When you complete the quiz, you’ll get:
- Your matching case study,
- Specific strengths & challenges aligned to your result;
- Suggested next steps for each stage;
Plus the Case Study Document includes:
- Case studies leveled by coaching mastery;
- A framework to identify essential stages of professional growth & key areas to focus on in your professional learning;
- Alignment with the THRIVE Model for a Successful Coaching Culture;
- Space for you to reflect & prioritize so you can take action immediately!
You’ll go straight to the Quiz, and get the Case Study Document via email.
View Carrie’s Course Engagement Reflection
Level Up Your Coaching with The Coach!
If you are ready to develop your coaching practice over the next academic year, and explore topics like transitioning your work from individuals to teams, 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.
Registration for our next global cohort opens once a year – check the website for details!
Find out more at: https://edurolearning.com/coach/
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