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 Paul’s Video

Read Paul’s Reflection

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

My goals for the course were honestly linked to being intentional about my time spent on the course – this was time for my growth and development as a coach, and I really wanted to ensure that I took the time for the learning that The Coach course provided. I also wanted to try and engage with as much of the content and the experiences as possible.

How did each milestone support you in reaching your goal?

The Milestones helped to measure my growth and the development of our coaching program throughout the year. They provided useful prompts for me (us) to create tools to use in our coaching work.

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

I think that I have grown in my understanding of the complexity involved when trying to change the culture within a school. Looking at some of the key foundational components (trust, time, commitment, etc) needed to ground a coaching program has been key for me this year (as has been seeing what happens when some of those things do not exist).

Where do you still have room to grow?

I would love to see and experience what transformational coaching looks and feels like within a school. I have been fortunate enough to do this work outside of a school setting (and been coached myself as a leader), but I have yet to really see the impact that coaching can have on student learning at a school-wide level.

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

Too many to list here, but many that I have shared with my mentor and fellow coaches. Everything from the balance of time and priorities to helping colleagues ask for help, compassion and change and be met with very little have definitely had an influence on my year. Construction, war on our border, and other pressures have definitely proved to be challenges as well.

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

Again, too much to truly go into here. We were optimistic and hopeful at the start of the year. I wouldn’t change that at all. The majority of the challenges were things that we likely would not have seen coming (nor did we have too much control over them). I suppose there’s not much I would change, other than working to be more clear on the articulation and balance of my workload – looking to figure out more clearly what I had control over and what I just needed to leave alone.

How did the Coach support you in your learning journey?

Overall, the Coach provided me with a place of reflection and inspiration. Check ins with Maggie helped to ground me and give me a sense of direction when I felt stuck.

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

I hope that our work this year become foundational for the work yet to come at ASW.

What next for your professional learning?

I am changing schools and changing roles as I become a Middle School Director. One of my first hires will be a learning coach to work with our faculty to help improved the inclusion practices within our school.

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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!