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 Maia’s Video

Read Maia’s Reflection

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


I aimed to deepen my understanding of coaching practices and enhance my ability to facilitate meaningful conversations with colleagues. I wanted to move beyond informal interactions to structured, impactful coaching sessions, essentially leaving with a toolbox for how to engage in different coaching scenarios.

How did each milestone support you in reaching your goal?


Each milestone provided opportunities to apply coaching principles to my specific circumstances (in various roles) and to engage in reflective practice through gathering feedback and self reflection.

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


My biggest area of growth has been in structuring coaching conversations by planning as much as possible, but then learning to navigate in the moment and being more open to the flow of the conversation. I also grew in using data to inform goal setting and monitoring progress, especially using the Impact Cycle resources.

Which milestone had the most impact on your professional growth this year & why?


The first one, in which I created a coaching menu for the Inquiry Facilitatorss, had the biggest impact on the program I am leading, and since I am in charge of the implementation of that, it definitely had a big impact on my professional growth. The pre-observation meeting milestone also had a big impact on me personally because it was my first real coaching conversation. It challenged me to apply my learning in a practical setting and reinforced the importance of preparation and active listening.

Where do you still have room to grow?


I definitely still have room to grow in building my confidence and overcoming imposter syndrome. This was reflected in my leadership conversation as well. More experience, getting comfortable with uncertainty, and seeing success will certainly help with this!

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


I faced challenges balancing my work between coordinating the Inquiry Facilitator program, teaching, being an HOD, and dipping my toes into coaching. I think it was useful to realize that the coaching mindset and strategies are helpful in any of these roles, and that knowing how to switch stances was incredibly important.

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


Next time, I would listen to the advice about getting started on the video planning sooner, and getting more video throughout the year, in addition to just images.

How did the Coach support you in your learning journey?


The Coach provided a ton of resources – very specific items like agendas and question banks as well as a bigger framework for different levels of building coaching mindset and program. I also got feedback and frameworks that helped me reflect on my practice.

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


My learning has enhanced my ability to facilitate collaborative conversations in a number of settings, as well as helped me to guide a team of Inquiry Facilitators in their work with teachers as well.

What next for your professional learning?

I plan to continue exploring coaching, doing more cycles with colleagues that are interested, and hopefully building up my comfort and toolbox with data-driven observations and goal setting. I’d like to explore a cognitive coaching class as well, to get those specific tools in my repertoire as well.

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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!