When you join The Coach Certificate & Mentorship Program, you not only get a mentor for the academic year, but you also join a cohort of like-minded colleagues who are also working on improving their instructional coaching practice just like you. In each cohort, our participants are all located around the world, so you get to build your Personal Learning Network, while you learn about coaching practices in schools from all over the globe. Because those conversations happen in our private learning management system and messaging channels, we want to give you the opportunity to meet the coaches who are learning with us this academic year.
In this post we’re introducing our regional cohorts in the Americas, Europe, and Africa. These coaches are working with Kim, Diana, and Maggie as their mentors, and they meet and connect regularly to share stories and experiences and reflect on their learning.
Kristen Cameron
@MsKRayCameronMy name is Kristen Cameron, and I am originally from Arcata, a small coastal town nestled in the redwoods of northern California, USA. I am currently living and working in Santa Cruz, California, where I am in my first year as an Instructional Coach with a focus on supporting English as an additional language learners in grades 6-12. Prior to relocating with my family to Santa Cruz, I worked at international schools in Germany, Thailand and China. My twitter handle is: @MsKRayCameron
Why did you decide to join The Coach? Why now?
I decided to join the coach because it feels like the perfect time in my career to enroll in this kind of professional learning experience. I am nearing the end of my first year in this instructional coaching role, and, while I have been mentoring teachers in an unofficial capacity for the past several years, I have not had an opportunity to engage in deep thinking and learning about “how” to coach. And if my goal is to help teachers develop and think deeply about their practice, then I should do the same. I also enrolled in The Coach because I see the impact coaching has had on teacher self-efficacy and on student learning and I believe that continuing to create/develop a culture of coaching in my school district could be transformational.
Share a little bit about your coaching journey so far.
Over the past year, I’ve spent most of my time supporting teachers through co-planning, observation, debrief and guest lessons. I enjoy this work and the feedback I have received has been overwhelmingly positive, and… I feel as though I want and need more tools in my own toolbox. I also want opportunities to practice, debrief and refine so using the language of coaching will feel more natural. The past several years of informal mentoring, and the past year of formal coaching have shown me that I really love working with adults and I’m excited to continue.
What or who inspired you to join this cohort?
My “what” for joining this cohort was really two-fold: 1) I wanted to connect with cohort members who are working overseas to learn more about how coaching started at their schools and how it has progressed over time. 2) I am interested in coaching up so I can feel confident that my ideas are being communicated effectively to the leaders in my district, and so that–hopefully–I can be a part of creating a lasting culture of coaching here in my district.
What are you most looking forward to over the next academic year?
I look forward to the unexpected ah-ha moments and to looking back on the year to identify where progress has been made and where more progress is needed. I really enjoy professional learning and cycles of inquiry, so having a course to engage with while simultaneously continuing in my role as instructional coach is really exciting. I am also looking forward to refining my skills and adding to the box of tools I reach for on a daily basis. Perhaps most of all, I’m looking forward to collaborating with my cohort and our mentors and to learning from and helping one another from now until next April (hooray!).
What are your goals for yourself during the program (at this point in time)?
I feel like I probably have too many goals for myself at this point and am working to prioritize my list, but here it is: 1) conceptualize what a culture of coaching could look like for sites and my school district in general; 2) refine a coaching protocol (be flexible, but use a protocol in order to be able to reflect on results and refine accordingly); 3) refine the phrases and language I use while engaging with coachees (be more prepared and intentional in this area); 4) gain clarity on what my role actually is and what it is not so this can be presented to teachers, admin and other staff; 5) create long term goals for the position and for myself.
How can we make this program “just right” for you?
Having the opportunity to connect with others, build relationships, create a supportive network and learn–and I think this is already very much built into the course, so I am a happy camper. Thank you!
Is there anything else you’d like to share with the #coachbetter community?
I’m excited to be here and to have this opportunity. I look forward to learning from and with you all!
Kelly Esposito
Hi everyone! My name is Kelly Esposito and I am originally from Blue Bell, Pa. I spent the first 20 years of my teaching career in the classroom. During the pandemic, I moved to Wayne, PA. My dream job of a K-5 Math Coach opened in Phoenixville Area School District and I jumped at the opportunity to help improve student learning in the math classroom. As a K-5 Math Coach, I am committed to empowering teachers to create a strong math community that is student-centered, equitable, engaging and rigorous so every child and teacher can grow to his/her full potential. I’m on twitter @kesposito.
Why did you decide to join The Coach Microcredential? Why now?
Two of the coaches in my district just finished The Coach Microdential and they raved about how amazing the learning opportunity and support was. I love growing as a person and a professional and so it sounded like the perfect fit. I’m new to the coaching role this year and so now that I have a year under my belt, it’s time to improve my craft and move students even more.
Share a little bit about your coaching journey so far.
I had an incredible first year of coaching. I spent the first part of the year, new to the district, with building relationships. I got to know so many teachers and tried to establish a partnership that allowed them to see us as equals and collaborative think partners.
As a coach, I want to instill a positive coaching culture, so teachers believe in our coaching program and have a strong desire to reach their full potential. Relucent teachers see coaching as something for weak teachers and not for everyone. I want teachers to believe coaching is for everyone. By being a part of this cohort and having my own coach/mentor/support group, I can model my own journey of coaching and growth and can reap the benefits of the program. It’s a win-win.
What are you most looking forward to over the next academic year?
I am most looking forward to refining my coaching cycles and bringing a team approach to coaching within grade levels for planning purposes and collaboration.
What are your goals for yourself during the program (at this point in time)?
My goal during this program is to help bring real change to math classrooms. Currently, in our district, many classrooms are teacher directed and ask students to mimic the teachers’ instruction. Many teachers lack the math content knowledge themselves and are simply trained to merely follow directions in the manuals. I’m hoping to improve my coaching techniques, so I help children become powerful mathematicians.
How can we make this program “just right” for you?
I have a lot of energy and passion for education. I feed off of others with a lot of energy and it motivates me to be vulnerable to try new things and share my own experiences.
Is there anything else you’d like to share with the #coachbetter community?
I am super excited to learn from all of you so I can be the best coach I can be for the students in my district. They deserve it.
Jessica Lawson
Hello! My name is Jessica Lawson. I’m originally from the UK, currently living and working in the Bay Area, California, USA. Next year, I’ll transition from 5th grade teacher to ‘Faculty Development Coordinator’, which is a fancy title for what is mostly a coaching role.
collaborating and learning with colleagues along the way. I’m really excited (and also a little bit sad!) to move out of the classroom to focus on coaching next year, and to expand my role to facilitate the onboarding of new faculty and the development of healthy teaching teams.
A goal I have is to set up efficient and effective systems for record-keeping and measuring value/progress right from the start. I’d love to hear how others have done this, as well as hear how experienced coaches balance their time between working with teachers and planning. I like to take risks and learn through trying, but I also don’t want to waste the time of the teachers I work with, so I’m hoping to find a community of fellow coaches who are willing to share their wisdom and constructive feedback, and I promise to offer the same in return!
Marcie Lewis
My name is Marcie Lewis and I am from Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada. I have been working at Ridley College in St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada for the past 14 years, teaching Grade 4, 5, and 6. It is a K12 Boarding/Day school about 1.5 hours outside of Toronto. I have been the Grade 6 Teacher and PYP Coordinator for the past 7 years, but I am transitioning to a new role that has just been created next year that will be Library & Media Studies/Technology Integration/PYP Coordinator. I completed my Masters in Educational Technology through Michigan State University in 2015 and have been doing some informal technology integration within my school for a number of years. With my new role, I will have more time to collaborate with teachers across the PYP for all aspects of my role.
Why did you decide to join The Coach? Why now?
With transitioning to a new role in my school, I felt that The Coach was the perfect program to help reflect on how I want to structure my new role and make sure that I am making an impact. We don’t currently have an instructional coaching program at my school, so I haven’t seen one in action, and I know that I have a lot to learn.
Share a little bit about your coaching journey so far.
As a PYP Coordinator, I have been working with teachers on collaborative planning and building units of inquiry. I don’t have any experience being coached or seeing instructional coaching in practice so I feel a little bit like a fish out of water.
What or who inspired you to join this cohort?
I love learning with other people and I knew that this was a skill set that I wanted to develop in order to continue to develop professionally. Having the opportunity to move into a new role where I can work with teachers in a different capacity made it make sense at this point to do a deep dive into instructional coaching.
What are you most looking forward to over the next academic year?
I am looking forward to getting to know all of the other participants and expanding my professional learning network! I have worked at the same school my whole career, and love connecting with teachers from different schools around the world to get new ideas and help strengthen the program at my school.
What are your goals for yourself during the program (at this point in time)?
I would like to develop a better understanding of how I can utilize my new role to support all teachers in my team in their professional growth. This includes how to structure our meeting time more effectively and how to work with teachers in their classrooms as co-teachers.
How can we make this program “just right” for you?
I hope that through working with my mentor, I am able to really customize the course to fit my scenario as someone who is very new to the instructional coaching world!
Tracey McGillian
Hello! My name is Tracey McGillian and I’m originally from Blue Bell, PA and I am currently working in Phoenixville, Pennsylvania. Both are suburbs of Philadelphia. For 17 years I was a 6th grade science teacher, but my current role is a K-12 Instructional Technology Coach. My twitter handle is @tlmcgillian.
Why did you decide to join The Coach? Why now?
I decided to join The Coach because two coaches from my coaching team completed The Coach this past year and had so many amazing things to say about this professional learning course. I know I have many opportunities for growth and am looking forward to connecting with others experiencing similar situations.
Share a little bit about your coaching journey so far.
This is my first year in an instructional technology coaching role. The year started off with me helping teachers with workarounds to not so interactive
whiteboards. I don’t want me role to focus on troubleshooting tech issues, but it was a nice way for me to build relationships right out of the gate. I also ran a PLC on Tech Tools for Instruction which led to many coaching partnerships. Most of the my coaching this year has been modeling and supporting teachers’ integration of technology in a culminating activity or project. I hope to work technology into the instruction part of lessons next year.
What or who inspired you to join this cohort?
The teachers in my district inspired me to join this cohort because I want to support them as best I can.
What are you most looking forward to over the next academic year?
Implementing ideas or possible entry points to barriers we have identified from this year.
What are your goals for yourself during the program (at this point in time)?
- School podcast to talk about newsletter
- Class time embedded PD
- Digital citizenship video with embedded instructional strategies
- K12 Digital Citizenship curriculum
- Work with a group of teachers at each grade level to develop Canvas expectations for them
How can we make this program “just right” for you?
Providing me with a tool box and strategies (ways to question and coach) to best support teachers’ effectively teach with tech.
What’s YOUR level of coaching mastery?
All coaches go through various stages of coaching mastery. Once you identify where you’re at, you can begin to build the skills needed to move to the next stage.
This quiz is based on real-life case studies compiled from years of working with coaches inside The Coach Certificate & Mentorship Program!
When you receive your results, you’ll also get your matching case study from the STRIVE Case Studies to see where you fit in the stages of coaching mastery.
Ready to tackle your challenges and move on to the next level in YOUR coaching practice?
The STRIVE Model of Coaching Mastery quiz will help you identify your level of coaching mastery by matching you with case studies compiled from years of working with coaches inside The Coach Certificate & Mentorship Program so you can easily see where you fit!
When you complete the quiz, you’ll get:
- Your matching case study,
- Specific strengths & challenges aligned to your result;
- Suggested next steps for each stage;
Plus the Case Study Document includes:
- Case studies leveled by coaching mastery;
- A framework to identify essential stages of professional growth & key areas to focus on in your professional learning;
- Alignment with the THRIVE Model for a Successful Coaching Culture;
- Space for you to reflect & prioritize so you can take action immediately!
You’ll go straight to the Quiz, and get the Case Study Document via email.
Nicola Millward
Tēnā koutou katoa. I’m Nicola Millward and I’m from Auckland, New Zealand. Currently I am living and working in Hilversum, The Netherlands as an Instructional Coach. I have been in education for 17 years, 14 of those internationally. My husband and I have lived and worked in Frankfurt, Luxembourg, Den Haag, Dubai and Hilversum and now have two young kids who we are dragging along on the adventure too. We are looking to make our next international move for the 23/24 school year.
Share a little bit about your coaching journey so far.
In my second year of teaching, my school in NZ was involved in a 2 year peer coaching cycle of professional development. As this was very early in my career, I have found coaching has always just been a natural part of the collaborative interactions within the different school environments I have been a part of. During my time in Dubai, an Instructional Coach role was introduced (the first time I’d heard of it) and advertised. As part of the interview process the three candidates were required to define what the role would look like as there was no job description. This process began my journey of clarifying what a coaching program
would look, sound and feel like for both coach/es and teachers. Although I didn’t get the position, it was interesting to observe the roll come to life through the successful applicant. Upon moving to The Netherlands as a “lady of leisure”, after 6 months I decided to move back into education again. I approached the local international school with the concept of having a full time Instructional Coach and, luckily for me, the principal was open to giving it a go. Given carte blanche to build the program from ground up, I have worked the last four years to establish a coaching culture and framework.
Why did you decide to join The Coach? Why now?
I feel I have come to the stage of wanting fresh eyes on what I have established thus far. I am very much on my own in my position and crave the critical eye and enthusiasm for coaching as a role.
What or who inspired you to join this cohort?
This year we have a new principal who is just as invested in the coaching program as our previous principal. She recommended Kim and this looked like the kind of thing I was in need of to rejuvenate what I’m doing and aspiring to be.
What are you most looking forward to over the next academic year?
- refining
- being inspired
- solidifying
What are your goals for yourself during the program (at this point in time)?
Articulating a coherent coaching framework at my school. Expanding my repertoire.
How can we make this program “just right” for you?
Lots on energy!
Is there anything else you’d like to share with the #coachbetter community?
I can’t wait to learn from all of you!
Amber Rhinehart
My name is Amber Rhinehart and I am originally from a very small coastal town in Maine, USA. I am currently the IB/Middle Years Programme coordinator at Lincoln Community School in Accra, Ghana where we have been since 2019, but where we also previously worked 15 years ago. I have been living and working in international school since 2000 in Cambodia, Ghana, Uganda, Bangladesh and Germany.
Why did you decide to join The Coach? Why now?
I feel as though this is where I am in my career in education – I have moved from being a classroom teacher to a curriculum coordinator. Concurrent with that, I am also a workshop leader and school evaluation visitor for both the IB and MSA. I really like working with adults and affecting positive change in teaching and learning through working with teachers. I wanted to increase my skills in coaching and this course is the best fit for that goal.
Share a little bit about your coaching journey so far.
As a curriculum coordinator, my role is to ensure that the teaching and learning follows the requirements of the MYP. I wanted to expand that
role into one that includes more coaching and collaboration and less telling teachers what they need to do.
What or who inspired you to join this cohort?
A colleague and friend joined Women Who Lead and former school heads of mine popped up in my Facebook feed from this page. I respect and admire all of those women and wanted to get involved in a movement that they were a part of.
What are you most looking forward to over the next academic year?
Definitely creating a collaborative culture with my cohort where we can both learn from and help each other in this next step in our careers.
What are your goals for yourself during the program (at this point in time)?
I really want to create a successful coaching culture for my faculty. I want to shift the mindset from required IB meetings with their coordinator, to cycles of collaboration that impact student achievement.
How can we make this program “just right” for you?
Certainly I will have to balance the requirements of the MYP with the nature and nuturing of a coaching relationship. Sometimes I have to tell people what they need to do or create. But I want to increase teacher agency and leverage the expertise we have on our faculty.
Tine Vandewege
Hello Everyone, My name is Tine Vandewege, I am Belgian and I have been working at UWC Maastricht (The Netherlands) for the past 12 years. I am an MYP/DP music teacher and head of the Arts Department. Before the pandemic I was part of the coaching team in our school, but it was challenging to balance this with my new role as HOD, so I decided to continue as HOD, but now I feel I miss being part of the team leading and learning through coaching, so I will join again in September 2022. I have 2 boys at home ( age 6 & 8), so there is a lot of energy in our household!
Why did you decide to join The Coach Microcredential? Why now?
After a conversation with my principal, I explained I felt like I was ready for something else, also explaining that I realized I missed the instructional coaching as it felt like it benefited my own students so much too. Also being in the field of education for 20 years, there is a lot of experience to share, but the learning never stops, which makes it so exciting to start this journey again.
Share a little bit about your coaching journey so far.
My first year of coaching was nice, but also a little scary. I was trying to do everything according to the book/rules and that did not always work out for me
the way I hoped. It did not always feel like the colleague got the most out of the sessions, that I could do better as a coach. I also felt like I did not have enough time to practice and develop my skills.
What or who inspired you to join this cohort?
After being given permission to take on coaching again, I started looking for a course that could support me on my journey!
What are you most looking forward to over the next academic year?
I am most looking forward to retraining/refining my coaching skills, and being able to become more confident in instructional coaching again.
What are your goals for yourself during the program (at this point in time)?
My goal at this time is to get back into the routine of coaching, find my place back in the coaching team at school, and define more precisely what my part would be in the team. Overall I hope to become more confident as a coach, refining my listening skills and finding my ” own way” of coaching.
How can we make this program “just right” for you?
For me, it is helpful to practice a lot, but also to share a lot of resources and ideas to work with.
Is there anything else you’d like to share with the #coachbetter community?
Thank you for accepting me into the community, this will be a great learning journey and I hope to continue to establish a solid coaching program at our school, supporting colleagues and students in their learning journey.
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!
Registration for our next global cohort opens once a year – check the website for details!
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