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: Learning Journey Video Reflection Overview
The Task: Share your thinking about your goal for this program
My personal goal is to develop a clear picture of my identity as a coach and leader, as well as build sustainable practices and systems to make certain aspects of the role consistent and dependable. I want to build a clear vision of what a day in the life of a coach/teacher/leader looks like and build the dispositions and skills to balance those roles.
I think having a clear plan for the beginning of the year is important. There will be some teachers eager to jump into the work early on and some who need time to settle into the year. Following the energy of the team will be good for me at the start and hopefully others will get excited by the work they hear is happening.
I want to build experiences with colleagues that they see value in. Some teachers are not sure about the benefits of coaching and are worried about something else being added to their plate. My goal is for the coaching to become intertwined with the day to day operations so it’s not seen as an extra or have to.
Some obvious challenges will be the balancing of the three roles (Teaching, PLC leader, & coaching) and feeling like I’m doing each role well. Also, teachers have had a lot to deal with these past few years and while most people will get to travel over the summer and come back feeling refreshed, I think it would be a mistake to believe that a summer holiday is all that is needed to reset. The trauma of the past few years lives on in many. I believe we have learned to slow down and focus on the most important things first – our well being. It will be important for me to keep the focus on building trusting relationships and healthy workplace practices.
In this new role, I will need the support of other coaches in my school. They will be invaluable as they understand the dynamics of the role and will be experiencing many of the same challenges. I will also need the support of my principal and divisional coach who will be able to help me stay grounded and see the big picture. Luckily, I know they are there for me and are doing all they can to set things up for success.
Success would look like:
- Teachers articulating that having a coach is value added.
- Teachers having evidence of impact on student learning.
- Teachers noticing that having a coach has supported them in their professional growth as educators.
Read more from The Coach participants as they share their learning from the certificate & mentorship program…
Mairin: Leading Professional Learning
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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