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.

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Watch Lana’s Video

Read Lana’s Reflection

What goals did you set for yourself at the beginning of the program?

My goals were to develop my coaching skills, learn more about coaching cycles and strategies, and build up my coaching expertise.

How did each milestone support you in reaching your goal?

The power of 3Cs is my superpower now. Milestone 1 brought clarity about coaching, what it offers and its goals and benefits. Milestone 2 supported my growth as a coach by providing various instruments for implementing coaching cycles effectively and consistently- personally, for me, it was keeping up-to-date detailed records of my coaching sessions and analysing the data ( the impact of coaching). Milestone 3 kept my focus on relationships and building a positive coaching culture. All three milestones have given me opportunities to grow as a coach.

What has been your biggest area of growth in the program?

Keeping consistent records of my coaching sessions and effective use of data gathered and feedback.

Where do you still have room to grow?

I need more coaching practice and I would like to advocate for coaching in my community.
I would like to work on my coaching skills and develop as a leader.

What surprises and/or challenges have you had along the way?

– how often people have misconceptions about what coaching is ( surprise)
– most( practically all) teachers want to grow (revelation)
– resistance to new learning/ change (challenge)

What would you do differently next time? What did you learn?

– learned to listen closely, ask open-ended questions and inspire self-driven inquiry.
– would do differently: want to be a full-time coach to be able to dedicate all my time to my passion.

How did the Coach support you in your learning journey?

The Thrive Model is clear and all the resources and activities support a smooth transition from one phase to another. Having personal coaching sessions with Kim was my best experience of coaching! Every session was an amazing, valuable learning experience.

How has your learning inside the Coach impacted your coaching practice & program in your school setting?

I am becoming a confident coach, ready for action. I often catch myself having coaching conversations unintentionally and working on making my coaching more intentional.

What next for your professional learning?

My next focus will be on leadership and integrating coaching and leadership.

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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!