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 a time that someone was able to get you to change your mind.

This assignment reflection caught me off guard. I learnt something about myself and what it takes to bring about a change in my thinking. As I was trying to think of a time I changed my mind due to an interaction with someone, I realized that real transformational mindset changes for me take place when I am in need or in the headspace of wanting to learn something new. There must be a hint of interest in the subject matter, or I must be emotionally invested in the change somehow. All other changes for me fall in the range of mental assent…I’ll do it cause you asked me to do it, but a long-lasting change will not necessarily happen under these conditions.  In short, I must see or feel the benefit of such a change before I commit myself fully.

People who speak such change into my life are trusted mentors, friends and colleagues. Their words carry weight because they have invested time and effort into the relationship we have, both on a friendship level and a professional level. There is some give and take mojo between us. Their investment in me, in the process, made me a better person or at least challenged me to become a better version of myself.

Thinking back, the worst experiences of change are the forced ones, from people who have not invested in building trust, who feel entitled to their title, who do not seem to care much for the people working for them. Those changes have been the most challenging and often do not outlast the person.

What can I take into my role as a coach. Change is deeply personal and challenging at the same time. Change involves relationship, it involves trust…and it requires a sense that we are all in this together. The commitment to relationship, effort, trust, and support are what I would endeavor to weave into any coaching conversation.

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

Becca’s post: Defining the Role of the Coach

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

Karli’s post: The Coach-Principal Partnership

Kate’s post: The Coach Approach

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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!