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: Phase 0: Foundations Milestone

The Task: Share your artifact and a written reflection on your learning during this phase.

What were your key “aha” moments during Phase 0: Foundations? (these can be pulled from your private reflections inside your Workbook)

As a K-5 Math coach, my biggest “aha” moment during Phase 0: Foundations was that I need to be so much more intentional about discussing equity with teachers. I spent the year focusing on discourse and having every voice, every day, but I’m now realizing I didn’t tie it to equity like I should have.

Did you face any obstacles during this phase of the program? How did you overcome them?

The biggest obstacle I faced during this phase was my own personal reflections on my coaching when watching videos and reading articles. It’s hard to think back and realize the missed opportunities I had this year to discuss equity. I feel disappointed in myself because while I focused so much on discourse and making learning accessible for all learners, I didn’t always clearly tie it to conversations around equity. I think teachers needed to hear that as the driving force.

What artifact did you choose to create and share?

Challenge Yourself To Create A Culture Of Equity, Rethink Practices, And/Or Establish A PLN

Why did you choose to create this artifact?

My Mission Statement is: I am committed to empowering teachers to create a strong math community that is student-centered, equitable, engaging, and rigorous so every child and teacher can grow to his/her full potential.

This phase felt so strongly tied to my mission statement and I wanted to create something for teachers that was simple enough for them to try implementing just 1 new thing to support my mission. Choice is so important for our students, and I wanted model giving them choice in change they wanted to bring to their classes.

What did you learn in the creation of this artifact?

I actually learned that equity needs to be the center of all choices I presented. Equity needs to be part of every coaching conversation I have. Even creating a PLN helps to create a culture for equity. By teachers growing professionally, they are better able to meet the needs of all their students, creating a culture for equity.

How has this artifact moved you closer to your goals for your coaching role or program?

As stated before, my mission statement helped drive my first year of coaching. With that said, I focused my first year more around creating strong math communities that are student centered and engaging. I think while I know that supports equity, I didn’t bring it up enough. This artifact starts with equity and I’m going to share with teachers in a bite-sized PD. I want to have a conversation about how they feel the last 3 choices tie to equity. I’m thinking each table of teachers can discuss a different choice and present out.

Where are you at in terms of your goals for your coaching role or program right now?

I’m so excited to work with admin over the summer and creating a more intentional coaching plan to support them all year. My team of coaches has planned out how we intend to meet our goals and I’m excited to see us put that plan into action in August.

What are the next steps you need to take to get closer to your goals for your coaching role or program?

My next steps is to think through my initial coaching conversations more and to look ahead in the course to learn as much as I can over the summer when my headspace is more free to take in new information.

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

Ashley: Working with Adults

Kate: The Importance of Relationships in Instructional Coaching

Karlie: The Coach as Change Agent

Becca: Seeing Yourself as a Leader

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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!