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.
Follow TracyThe Topic: Phase 1: Finding Clarity
The Task: Share your artifact and a written reflection on your learning during this phase.
What were your key “aha” moments during Phase 1: Finding Clarity?
This phase was packed with so many important aspects of coaching and therefore so many “aha” moments. Here’s a few:
- Building relationships is critical – be intentional and leverage connections – I’ve put a lot of thought into the relationships I’m building with my team. I’m trying to talk less and listen more, listen for underlying needs and wants, and to really see & know each teacher individually.
- Keep looking for opportunities to articulate the role and help teachers understand the role by the things I do every day
- Coaching up – articulate the role by sharing successes with my principal
- Identify what skills I have and be realistic about what I can do right now. I think my menu conveys my skills well. If I were to make a menu in the future it might include different content and components as my skills continue to grow.
Did you face any obstacles during this phase of the program? How did you overcome them?
The biggest challenge during this phase was staying focused on the menu without my own clear articulation of vision & job description. While we do have these documented, they are school wide and designed to be broad enough to make sense for the many different coaches in the school. They were not developed by me and I still want to go back and articulate these clearly for myself and create my own personalized vision statement and job description.
I also spent a lot of time thinking about the menu, but it took a long time to bring it to life as a document. I think this was because I didn’t have a clear picture in my mind of what it was going to look like. I finally just put all the content pieces down as a starting point. I wish I’d done this a lot earlier. From there, I revised and tweaked and got feedback. I’m always telling students to just get something down and it is just the starting point. It was a good reminder of the student experience.
What artifact did you choose to create and share?
I chose to create a coaching menu in order to have a concrete tool to support me in my role, and also a tool that would help communicate the role and what the coaching experience could look like for teachers. Since some teachers have never had a coach, there are some who are not sure what to ask for. This menu will be a helpful visual tool for them to use as we partner together. Something that was important to me in creating this menu was the separation of what and how. There are some teachers who know what their need is but don’t know what structure could support it. I also didn’t want to start with support structures without teachers thinking about ‘What’s the greatest need presenting in their classroom right now?”
The other important aspect of the menu was the link to our strategic focus and priorities for this school year. When teachers are involved in professional development without a clear why or link to larger focus, it can cause disengagement or lack of purpose. Linking the work I do with teachers to our school wide priorities will help us to feel like we are all working towards larger goals. At the same time, I’m hoping the menu creates agency for teachers.
Why did you choose to create this artifact?
I chose to create a menu so that I could have something concrete to use when initiating work with teachers. Since having a coach is new for many, I’ve noticed many teachers don’t know what they can work with a coach on.
What did you learn in the creation of this artifact?
I relearned it is okay to just get ideas down and it can always be modified and improved. I also had to think carefully about the skills I have right now and be realistic about what I put on the menu.
How has this artifact moved you closer to clarity in your coaching role or program?
This artifact definitely brings clarity to the role by communicating specific areas we can partner to work on and in what way. It brings a level of comfort since there are some boundaries. I know I can do all these things, so I’m less likely to be pulled into stuff outside my range or that deviates from a coaching stance.
Where are you at in terms of clarity in your coaching role or program right now?
I am feeling good about the role right now as we finish up quarter 1. We started the year with building relationships both between me and individual teachers but also as a team. I’m looking forward to getting into more coaching work in quarter 2.
What are the next steps you need to take to further increase clarity in your coaching role or program?
I’m keen to put the coaching menu to work. I’m very interested to see how it is used or taken up by others. I’m hopeful that not only will this be a useful tool to work 1-1 with teachers, but also when working as a team to work towards our teams’ goal through the coaching framework. I also want to continue working on my personal vision/mission for myself as a coach.
Read more from The Coach participants as they share their learning from the certificate & mentorship program…
Tina: How do Coaches Work?
Tracey: Tech Coaching Menu
Nicola: A Coaching Vision
Kristen: Coaching Menu and Calendar
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!
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