Guest Post: The Coach Final Project: Debra Hernanz

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 Debra’s Final Project

Read Debra’s Reflection

What’s your role in your school? What does it look like? What does it mean to you?

I am the Lower School Technology Specialist. The job is slated 75/25 meaning teaching tech to grades 2-5 75% and supporting teachers 25% with blending technology with instruction.

What worked well? What was challenging?

The mentor meetings and the cohort responses were very insightful. The responses weaved through the course like supplemental case studies in contrast complementing the course content. The effort people put into the responses made for engaging reading & learning. Challenges were more external dealing with changing work landscapes and job duties due to Covid had me table the goal of defining a coaching role.

What was your greatest learning in this program? How will you continue to apply that learning in your coaching practice?

My greatest learning was about the different coaching stances and starting to break free from the consultative stance. I’m on the journey to problem finding VS fixing. I’m able to wrap my head around what this looks like. Thinking about outcomes, what I want to create, hearing from the people that I’m helping, letting go of solving and looking for solutions. Thinking more instead about what success looks like to lead us. It’s very heady as if my brain is getting rewired.

What were some key learning moments for you throughout the program? Which courses impacted your coaching practice the most?

All of the coaching sections were impactful. I enjoyed reading the Pedagogic choices. It put me in touch with a strategy to connect with teachers in my school as the culture is very collegial. They would be open to discussions about technology learning theories.

How did this learning support you in reaching your goal? Did you actually meet your goals? How do you feel about how far you’ve come?

I met one of my goals and I am on the road to the other. I have new skills that are transferable to a variety of professional situations. I think I’ve accomplished more than I realized. As I reflect I did introduce a coaching cycle to AP World Languages for a project and it went very well. So well the team leader has introduced it on the Innovation Website and the other two division techs were supportive which was progress. In hindsight I could have included this in my video.

What would you do differently next time? What did you learn? (Reflection)

I learned the benefit of sticking to a goal through pacing. I also accepted it’s okay to take it slow and create boundaries at work. I’ve learned I’m not alone with challenges. Others are facing similar circumstances with this field and still working on being change agents.

How did the community environment of the Coach support you in your learning journey?

I enjoyed reading everyone’s responses. When learning is enjoyable it doesn’t feel like work. I felt connected because we were all in Tech or coaching in some capacity.

How has this program supported you in your learning?

The program’s Mentorship gave me a real time instructor to go over questions, ideas and confer.

Meeting with the cohort was a challenge due to time differences but I was able to make two meetings and it felt really good to connect with the people who were creating these great responses in the forums.

The Forums were great! The content created not just from my cohort and past cohorts provided more anecdotal content connected to the course readings.

What’s the biggest value of the program so far:

I felt heard and valued by my Mentor and the cohort. It was a safe place I could lean into for ideas, affirmation and honesty.

What made you look for this program? What made you look outside the normal resources to level up your coaching skills?

What attracted me to the program was the reputation Eduro has with online learning programs and it had an Education AND Technology Component.

Why/How did you choose the Coach?

I felt I had gone as far as I could with the professional development courses and conferences I had attended. I wanted something different that would give me a new learning experience and I liked the accountability factor of a Mentor.

What’s different in the Coach in comparison to other PD that you’ve received or participated in?

Through the reflective process of the course assignments and my mentorship conferences I didn’t just experience new content I experienced new learning about myself and my abilities.

What would you say to someone who is considering The Coach?

The Coach isn’t just a year long online course. It’s a personalized learning experience where you are part of a small cohort of people who take the journey with you. You are in charge of your own learning and can also have the support of an experienced Mentor who offers unconditional support and advice.  Be prepared to reflect and find your authentic voice on what it means to be a Coach.

Level Up Your Impact with Our Certificate Programs

There are so many ways to make an impact in your school community. If you’re looking to level up your impact, either as a school leader, a coach or a teacher, explore our certificate programs: Women Who Lead, The Coach, and COETAIL. Or, if your goal is truly unique, register for a private mentoring package. If any of today’s post resonated with you, join us for the next cohort of WWL, The Coach or purchase a private mentoring package! Registration for our global cohorts opens once a year, make sure you’re on our mailing list to be notified as soon as they open! You can find all of these learning opportunities on the our website!