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 1: Find Clarity

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

I chose to create a definition of coaching. Taking into consideration that the school where I work doesn’t have a coaching program I thought defining what coaching is would be a logical first step, as part of the clarity needed to start advocating for such a program in this school. Additionally, I also felt this was useful to me as the first stage in my formation as a coach. This artifact is the result of my learning journey after compiling readings and conversations about coaching, and reflecting about them. 

During this phase of the program I had several moments of insight that added more perspectives to what I had learned about coaching. One of them has to do with the power that an effective coach cycle can have to promote independence in teachers so that their professional growth is sustainable in time: 

“The Coaching stance is a set of conversational skills that moves the cognitive work from the leader to the client or coachee. The leader/coach’s role is to support the other person’s thinking, processing, and problem-solving skills. This helps build the coachee’s efficacy, strengthen their agency, and increase confidence in their own problem-solving skills. This, in turn, builds their capacity to be life-long learners who continuously improve their professional practice.”  Taken from: “Coaching is not consulting, nor is it collaborating. Here’s what it is.” (Learning Forward)

Ana Cristina’s Coaching Definition

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

Angela: The Benefits of Coaching

Andrea: Creating a Definition of Coaching

Alexsandra: Creating a Coaching Vision Statement

Sarah: Designing a Teacher Growth Continuum

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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!