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 Coach Learning Journey Video Reflection

The Learning Journey Video Reflection is a chance for you to reflect on everything you’ve learned and/or discovered throughout this Certificate Program.  You will create an 8-10 min video sharing on the goal that you set, documenting the process of working towards your goal, reflecting on your achievement and sharing the process/outcome with our learning community. The most important part of your personal project is that it’s relevant to you, and you can demonstrate, through documentation and video, the impact your work has had on your school.

Watch Vanessa’s Video

I learned so much more than just instructional coaching on this course. I learned how to listen, how to have more empathy, how to consider all types of data and how to navigate difficult conversations on a professional and personal level.

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

A key goal for me was using coaching skills in a group setting such as planning meetings as a PYP coordinator

How did each milestone support you in reaching your goal?

Foundation milestone allowed me to set boundaries and consider tools for organisation through the use of twitter and scheduling.. Milestone 1 connected my own values to those of the school and how coaching could be implemented in my context. Milestone 2 allowed me to inquire into questioning as that was my big wondering. I think I learned the most from this section as it was almostl entirely self driven. I did a lot of sorting out and going further in my thinking about questions and their relationship to coaching. Milestone 3 helped me to think about being strategic as I moved into a new role. Remembering to bring others along with me so I get buy in.

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

Confidence in using questions, understanding that there is no fixed formula for coaching because it is about people and self awareness.

Where do you still have room to grow?

Practice coaching conversations so that I become more skilled at listening and responding appropriately.

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

I learned so much more than just instructional coaching on this course. I learned how to listen, how to have more empathy, how to consider all types of data and how to navigate difficult conversations on a professional and personal level.

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

Start practicing coaching conversations sooner, don’t wait to have a formal cycle just get started because practice will give you more confidence.

How did the Coach support you in your learning journey?

The individual sessions and the cohort meetings were a great way to think out loud, listen to the perspectives of others and get feedback in a safe environment.

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

It has helped me define what coaching is and can be, it has also helped me think about how I support a coaching programme in my new school as the Head of Primary.

What next for your professional learning?

I want to hone my coaching conversation skills through practice and think about what other contexts they will be useful in, eg I noticed I used deep listening during my interview which allowed me to answer with authenticity. This ended up being very important to make sure I was the right fit for the school and they were the right fit for me.

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Level Up Your Coaching with The Coach!

If you are ready to develop your coaching practice over the next academic year, and explore topics like transitioning your work from individuals to teams, 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.

Registration for our next global cohort opens once a year – check the website for details!

Find out more at: https://edurolearning.com/coach/