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.

Watch Jen’s Video

Read Jen’s Reflection

My initial goal in this course was to improve my coaching skills and understand the systems and structures necessary to make coaching successful in our school.

Each milestone I chose was an immediate response to the takeaways from each phase, reflecting how my learning was impacting my practice as I increased interactions with teachers.

The biggest area of growth for me was in developing a vision. I now have a broader understanding of the interconnected elements essential for successful coaching. These elements go beyond basic coaching competence to include sustainable systems that support the work of a coach.

One key insight from the course is the value and need for data. This is an area I intend to focus on more intentionally to refine my coaching skills, navigate different stances, and build trust and relationships with the teachers I support.

I have also learned the importance of organization in all aspects. The power of having an agenda, taking notes, preparing ahead, and sending meeting questions and goals to teachers in advance cannot be overstated. I tried to be organized with my time, diligently tracking and documenting my work with teachers. However, the fact that I am posting my last work on the final possible day shows that I still have room to grow in this area!

Next time, I would prioritize my needs when navigating the modules. I insisted on taking the modules in order, even though it wasn’t encouraged, and I realized I could have gained more insights if I had addressed the pressing needs of my team first.

The Coach has given me the confidence to discuss best practices and research, and to advocate for our program with the administration.

I have highlighted to my team and the admin the benefits of having professional development throughout the school year and the value of mentorship for advancing our program.

I look forward to applying what I have learned from the course, creating support documentation for the upcoming school year, inspired by the amazing artifacts shared by previous cohorts and my own.

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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!