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.
The Topic: Learning Journey Video Reflection
The Task: Tell the story of your personal learning journey throughout The Coach
Read Stephanie’s Reflection
What goals did you set for yourself at the beginning of the program?
I wanted to understand coaching better. I didn’t have any context of how a coaching conversation worked or the details of a coaching cycle. I also wanted to learn strategies for working with adult learners.
How did each milestone support you in reaching your goal?
Finding clarity helped me understand the big picture of coaching, the role of admin and the importance of all stakeholders being on the same page in terms of what your role is. I learned that the relationships that you build with staff are the key in developing a coaching culture. In the implement consistency phase, I learned how to listen with curiosity, the role of paraphrasing, different styles of questioning, and the importance of honoring experience and providing feedback. The grow community phase helped me be patient and reminded me that different times of year are more stressful than others for teachers. I learned that it’s ok for a coaching cycle not to wrap up right away and it can still be beneficial for the coachee even though it feels like it’s taking a long time for you.
What has been your biggest area of growth in the program?
My biggest area of growth was learning to be agile and not wanting to fix the problem based on how I see. I really worked on listening without judgment and asking questions for clarity and paraphrasing.
Where do you still have room to grow?
I am still not good at asking for feedback at the end of a coaching conversation. I often forget or it feels forced. I’m working on my facial expressions so that I suspend judgment. I am also learning when to switch my coaching stances and how to communicate that to my coachee
What surprises and/or challenges have you had along the way?
Not being in a school was challenging. I think I could have been able to practice more. I would have liked to have been in classrooms and talking to students during my observations. It would allow for richer conversations with my coachee.
What would you do differently next time? What did you learn?
I would attend more cohort calls and ask my cohort questions about their experiences. I’d also take advantage of the one on one time with Kim more frequently. I wish I started having coaching conversations earlier and filmed them so I could share them with Kim
How did the Coach support you in your learning journey?
Kim met me where I was and didn’t make me feel like not being in a school was going to be a disadvantage. She helped me find opportunities where I could practice what I was working on at smaller scales and gave me suggestions on how I could reach out and get involved in other areas. She encouraged me to just start and not be afraid to make mistakes.
What next for your professional learning?
The next step for me is to continue to find ways to practice. I’ve reached out to two schools to see if they would allow me to come in and coach some of their teachers. I’m hoping I can start in the Science departments because that’s what I am most familiar with but ultimately I am willing to take any experience to practice. I also want to continue talking to coaches and sharing examples to gain experience.
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!
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