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: Evaluating Your Coaching Program
The Task: Share your thoughts on your coaching program
The Thrive Coaching Model Evaluation was very useful to reflect on where we are at as a school from my perspective. It is helpful to see it in the three phases as well as the individual elements of each phase. It made the work seem more doable by breaking it up into parts, rather than just feeling overwhelmed by ‘not being there yet’. Now I can see some concrete areas to invest time and energy in.
I was able to see gaps in the coaching program in all three phases. However, the biggest gaps seem to lie in the Consistency and Community Phase. It makes sense since we are only in year 2 of building a school-wide coaching model. In year 1, there were a few coaches in small pockets of the school piloting the model. Year 2 (2022-2023) is all about scaling it to serve a larger proportion of the school. Most teams will have a coach next year. I feel like all elements in the Consistency Phase are in the beginning stages.
When I think of where I am in this process, I also think the greatest need will be in the Consistency phases. Having a coach as part of a small PLC is new for the team so I think a needs assessment is really important and to keep this going throughout the year. People will learn more about what supports a coach can provide so I think continuous checking in with their needs is important. We have quite a bit of autonomy in terms of what coaching frameworks to use. For me that feels good as I can play to my strengths and adapt to the personalities and needs of the coachees. That being said, I believe that it is good to have ‘go-to’ structures and practices that work in most situations and what I’m really doing is micro-adjustments.
At the beginning of the year, I will be focusing attention on raising awareness about the support that a coach can provide so that teachers know what is available to them. I want them to try out different possibilities in a low-stakes setting to see what fits with their needs. Open communication is going to be important so we can truly know what is working. This is a big area of growth as it requires teachers and coaches to be vulnerable. I hope teachers will be able to have open conversations with me and feel comfortable to say “That worked really well because ….., That felt a bit awkward because …. Perhaps we need to …. I’d like more of ….. /less of ….
Read more from The Coach participants as they share their learning from the certificate & mentorship program…
Tracey: Evaluating Your Coaching Program
Kelly: Evaluating Your Coaching Program
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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