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 Topic: Coaching Essentials

The Task: Think about the challenges you face in your role as a coach.

At this time my biggest challenge as a coach is listening to foster dialogue and feedback. I want to improve my listening and paraphrasing skills. I’ve come to realize I can work the “coaching light” model and probably get by but I’m not growing and staff isn’t growing. I’ve written about lamenting not getting past the “101” in tech integration and how as EdTech TOSAs we never seemed to gain traction. We believed there was too much to do and not enough time. Yet when I put it in a coaching context it’s how we’d been approaching teachers and training them how to perceive us as consultants. Yes we were spread thin but there were also some missed opportunities and it was due to a lack of coaching skills. Managing this challenge means continuing education on coaching skills, practice and reflection. Preparing for meetings is important. Writing down what I want to ask and talking points while also having any content ready to present helps make the most of the meeting time. While I may not use all the planning materials there is also the confidence being prepared so my mind is focused, in the moment and on the other person not on what I need to do.

Read more from The Coach participants as they share their learning from the certificate & mentorship program…

Kate’s post: Seeing Yourself as a Leader

Andre’s post: How to Have a Coaching Conversation

Becca’s post: Defining the Role of the Coach

Amy’s post: Planning for a Coaching Pre-Observation Meeting

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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!