We would like to introduce you to one of our graduates of The Coach Certificate and Mentorship Program! With over a hundred graduates since 2019, educators taking The Coach come into the program with different backgrounds, experiences and goals. Because the program is designed to be flexible and practical in nature, each graduate is able to customize their learning experience for exactly their needs – with the support of a mentor and the global community the whole way!
The Coach follows the Thrive Model for Sustainable Instructional Coaching, a proven framework for success in developing your coaching practice – for you as an individual coach and for your coaching program in your school. These educators have graciously given us permission to post some of their learning and reflections from the private coursework they are undertaking during this program.
Meet Jen
Jen came to The Coach after moving to a new school, and after having spent a year in her new role of Technology & Design Coach at Taipei American School. Previously she taught STEM & Robotics at Graded in São Paulo. She considers herself a newbie, just dipping her toes into coaching with this move to TAS.
Jen joined The Coach because she felt she to uncover the things that she was not aware of in her practice, things she thought she needed, but wasn’t sure.
During her time in The Coach, Jen had some huge “aha” moments:
1: Embracing Her Informal Leadership
“The Coach helped me understand the relational leadership you have with a teacher. The importance of growing my capacity and using it intentionally was a big aha moment. I need to use those intentional relationships to leverage the work of the coach.”
2: Working With All Teachers
In The Coach, Jen realized, “It’s very comfortable to work with the “keeners”, it would be easy to work with them forever. Then I realized I need to think about what I am doing to move the work forward with the others. I realize I need to prioritize my work to think about how to move everyone forward.”
3: Changing Perceptions
Upon reflection, Jen started to recognize “that people are seeing me, as outside of the classroom, as I’m closer to admin, that there is some power in that. There’s an assumption that I’m evaluating them, even though I’m not.”
4: The Importance of Building Trust
It goes beyond feeling comfortable, you have to build trust with the teacher. We don’t have to have a personal relationship, it can be professional and still make progress. You have to be ok with those things, and be intentional about how you are building trust, putting money into the piggy bank.
Before I started The Coach, I did not have a full vision of what a coaching program is. My knowledge was centered in the act of coaching, not all the other elements around the coach themselves, and the program. I did not understand why I was not really seen as a coach, and why our program was not thriving. Now I am definitely more equipped. I am confident in my reasons and moves, but still learning how to articulate it all. I have a greater vision and have been evaluating parts of the program in place, and my job, to develop strategies moving forward.
After completing the program, Jen says…
“Coaches also deserve coaches. Model how you want your coaching partners to interact with you, by being a learner. It was very helpful to have all the support that zthe Coach offers you through the year, having a mentor, all the office hours, the global cohort. That’s important, especially when you’re starting.
You need to have your own sounding board, your board of trustees, who you are going to get together, share things and bounce ideas. Just to keep your mental health in check, it’s heavy work. Being able to share with others and have a team of coaches you can rely on, and be inspired by is really important.”
Watch Jen’s Final Project
At the end of The Coach, all participants complete a Learning Journey Video Reflection…
The Learning Journey Video Reflection is a chance for you to reflect on everything you’ve learned and/or discovered throughout this Certificate Program. You will create an 8-10 min video sharing on the goal that you set, documenting the process of working towards your goal, reflecting on your achievement and sharing the process/outcome with our learning community. The most important part of your personal project is that it’s relevant to you, and you can demonstrate, through documentation and video, the impact your work has had on your school.
Now that she’s completed the program, Jen says
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.
Watch Jen’s Learning Journey Video Reflection Here!
Learn more about Jen’s Learning Experience
Jen was recently featured on the #coachbetter podcast in a Case Study episode.
These case study episodes are designed to share the story of a coach, and the development of their coaching program and practice in their unique setting. At the time of recording, Jen had just graduated from The Coach. In this episode we talk about her journey to coaching, and the development of the coaching program at TAS. We talk about what coaching looks like in her school, what works and what’s challenging, her “aha’ moments from her first years as a coach, how she’s refining her practice for the next year, and what she wishes she knew before she started. If you’re curious about stepping into a coaching role as you’re building a coaching culture , this episode is for you!
Want to Learn in a Community Like This?
If you’re finding value in these episodes and you’re working to be more intentional in your coaching practice in the upcoming year, please join us for the next global cohort of The Coach Certificate and Mentorship Program. Registration will open in early September and the program will run from the end of September – May.
The Coach Certificate & Mentorship Program is a comprehensive academic-year-long professional learning experience designed for experienced educators who are ready to be intentional and strategic in their instructional coaching role so they can build a thriving coaching culture. This course on the essential foundations of instructional coaching and building an instructional coaching program.
In The Coach we’ll support you in developing your coaching practice and program following the Thrive Model for Instructional Coaching success.
Not only will you learn everything you need to be successful as a K12 instructional coach, with an entire academic year of curated coaching content, but you’ll also get the support of a mentor to adapt your learning to exactly your needs & experience level for the entire program!
The program is truly personalized – because we know you’re coming to The Coach with your own experience and expertise. So wherever you are in your coaching journey, we can support you in taking the next step forward.
Plus, inside our private community, you’ll learn with a global cohort of coaches from schools around the world, so you can see how coaching really works in other schools – and build your network of coaches!
Our global cohorts open only once a year (and it’s coming up soon!) – get all the details and join the waitlist for our next cohort at edurolearning.com/coach
If you’re not sure if The Coach is right for you, send me a DM at EduroLearning on social media and let’s talk it through! I’d love to support you on your coaching journey!
Find out more at: https://edurolearning.com/coach/
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