In a blog post from the summer, author and #CoachBetter podcast guest, Steve Barkley, shared the work of Tom Guskey. Guskey reminds us of the change sequence that states, Experience shapes teachers’ attitudes and beliefs (not the other way around).”  

In other words, Teachers need to do it themselves in order to become believers.  Which is why there can often be so much resistance to coaching….in a QuickTips video for last season, I shared about my own resistance to having a coach – because I had never had one before, so I didn’t believe it could work. Being coached myself, completely changed my belief system (and, I think it might have altered my DNA – but that’s a story for another video!). 

So here we are, midway through the school year. Today, I invite you to reflect on who is joining your coaching revolution and why, and how you can leverage those followers to recruit even more. 

One of my favorite leadership videos involves a dancing guy at a music festival. Have you seen this one?

Posted and narrated by Derek Sivers, we learn the importance of the ‘first follower.’ Sivers reminds us that if you’re dancing out there all by yourself, you’re just a lone nut. But that first follower is who makes you leader. It’s the first follower who calls others to join the lone nut, and the more people who come, the more momentum is gained.

So I’m inviting you to ask yourself the following questions…

1: Who was your first follower?

Who was that coachee that helped you believe in yourself as a coach or as a facilitator of professional learning? 

2: Who joined your first follower because that person believed in your first follower? 

At a previous school, I had an awesome coaching relationship with one of our new teachers. We met every week, and they were so open to trying new ideas and committed to growing as a person and a professional.  About a year later, another member of their department sent me a very tentative email asking about coaching.  I was super surprised because this person never seemed interested in the idea, so I scheduled a meeting as soon as I could!

Later that week, my first follower said they knew I had a meeting coming up with this other colleague.  They then told me how they had spent the whole year convincing the second colleague they were missing out on the best free resource ever by not engaging in coaching.  I was floored! And then I was nervous! I thought, ok, wow, I really need to bring my A game – expectations were high! 

So that first follower not only grew my network of coachees, but also helped improve my coaching practice by forcing me to slow down and examine the work I was doing.  I was- and still am – so grateful for this gift! 

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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.

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3: How might you leverage your followers for the second semester? 

The start of a new semester is a great time to recruit new coachees. People are, for the most part, settled into their roles. They’ve got a routine, they know what to expect. Spend the next few weeks looking for opportunities to ask people about their interest in coaching.  No one needs to make a commitment now – just plant some seeds.  Then, when you’re back in session in the new year, send a survey out to see who bites.  You might be surprised….

4: How can you differentiate your coaching to bring on more teachers? 

In that survey you’re going to send out in January? Include a choice board or different ways people might work with you.  And most importantly – ask those who are already part of the revolution if you can use them as a reference.  “Not sure about a coaching cycle?  Next time you see Kim, you can ask her about her experience.”  Word of mouth is the best advertising.

5: How are you using your social capital leverage your school leadership?

Whether that is actually doing some coaching with a school leader (ooh….leadership coaching is my favorite – more on that soon!), or asking your principal to send out an email recommending coaching.  Remember all that evidence you’ve been collecting to document your impact on the school?  Now is a great time to bust that out. 

So there you go, coaches.  5 questions for you to consider as you think about growing your network, building your social capital, and starting your own revolution! 

And If you want to go deeper into this work, sign up for Eduro Learning’s The Coach!  The only online certificate program designed for k12 instructional coaches that includes an entire academic year of mentorship to provide personalized professional learning in a global, community driven environment.

Watch the Video

Are you ready to work with more teachers in your school?

Join The Coach and start your own revolution!

The first phase of the program is called Finding Clarity, because we know how important it is, not only for you to truly have a deep knowledge of what coaching is, and what it isn’t, but because we know you want the confidence to be able to share that with others. Everything from defining your role (for yourself, your school leaders and your colleagues) to creating a coaching menu is included in Phase 1, so you can start from wherever you are in your school setting and take that next step forward.  Defining & articulating your role clearly & confidently to others is a HUGE step forward in working towards engaging more teachers in more coaching cycles. 

If this sounds interesting to you, and you’re ready to have more clarity in your role, so you can work with more teachers than ever before, come join us in the next global cohort of The Coach Certificate and Mentorship Program!

Not only will you learn everything you need to be successful as a K12 instructional coach, with an entire academic year of curated coaching content, but you’ll also get the support of a mentor to adapt your learning to exactly your needs & experience level for the entire program! 

The program is truly personalized – because we know you’re coming to The Coach with your own experience and expertise. So wherever you are in your coaching journey, we can support you in taking the next step forward. 

Plus, inside our private community, you’ll learn with a global cohort of coaches from schools around the world, so you can see how coaching really works in other schools – and build your network of coaches! 

Our global cohorts open only once a year – get all the details for our next cohort at edurolearning.com/coach