When you’re working on building a coaching culture and a coaching program, you know that you need systems and structures in place to make it sustainable.
In this post, we’re highlighting three elements to your coaching culture that you may want to examine – so you can both measure the impact you’re making and define the systems and structures needed to continue to grow
This is a highlight from one of my favorite episodes from a previous season, featuring Laura Lipton. If you’re a longtime #coachbetter listener, you know that I often reference Laura’s work, particularly the Continuum of Practice for Instructional Coaches.
Since we’re focusing on coaches as leaders right now, I want to share this clip where Laura talks about the big picture of what makes coaching work from a school-wide perspective.
If this is something you’re curious about, I know you’re going to find Laura’s advice really helpful. And if you want to make sure coaching is sustainable in your school setting, you’ll love our new workshop for experienced coaches, Scaling Your Impact as an Instructional Coach. You can find it at edurolearning.com/scale!
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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;
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- 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.
Three Elements that make Instructional Coaching Work
In this clip, Laura highlights the three elements that combine together to make instructional coaching work:
1: The Coaching Program
An effective coaching program needs:
- good allotment of time for coaching conversations,
- for coaching to be modeled respectfully whenever you hear it referenced,
- clear expectations that are modeled whenever you reference coaching,
- coaching specific standards with some way to measure that the program is effective,
- coaches have an opportunity to network so there’s continuous improvement, and
- coaches are scheduled for coaching work.
2: The Act of Coaching
The act of coaching combines all of the habits that coaches have during their practice, including things like:
- focusing on listening, to be more curious than judgemental. Laura references Judith Warren Little‘s advice: “listen with the most generous interpretation”
- embracing positive presuppositions
- keeping conversations and coaching work focused on student learning
- the effective use of paraphrase, (as Laura says, “not parrot phrase”).
When coaches follow these habits, and offer what they’re understanding to solicit a confirmation or correction. The message that you’re authentically sending is that you understand your coaching partner (or you really want to understand) which means you care about them.
Building these habits makes the act of coaching becomes a relational gift, and you are developing your relational leadership skills.
3: The Coach
We often talk about coaches as leaders, and leadership is often referred to as change agent, but change has a remedial context. Growth is more developmental, let’s see where you can aspire to. Growth recognizes that there’s always ways to get better and better.
Laura recommends coaches adopt the identity of a growth agent. When embrace that mindset and adopt that language, you will make the mind shift away from fixing or correcting to supporting and stretching. Sometimes coaches go in with the mindset to fix so they’re looking for problems in practice.
Bringing the Three Elements Together
I especially appreciate the ways that Laura brought together both the art and practice of coaching and the systems and structures that make a coaching program successful. When you’re thinking about measuring the impact you make – and identifying ways that you and your program can continue to grow, it’s essential to reflect on all 3 layers that Laura highlights: the coaching program (structures and systems), your coaching practice (the art of coaching) and the coach (the human doing the work). These complex dynamics are all essential in making coaching successful and sustainable in your school community.
Watch the Video
Keep Learning
This episode is a starting point in better understanding what is needed to truly grow a coaching program and culture – but we have more for you!
My brand new workshop, Scaling Your Impact as an Instructional Coach digs into the specific systems and structures that need to be in place for instructional coaching to be sustainable – including advocating for your role with your senior leadership team.
You can find it at edurolearning.com/scale
This workshop will also give you a preview of our online course for experienced coaches, Coaches as Leaders. So, if you’re an experienced instructional coach, and you’re ready to start thinking about these big picture, systemic structures so you can make your coaching program more sustainable, watch the workshop at edurolearning.com/scale
And, if you discover that you need support as you go through the process, join us for our first global cohort of Coaches as Leaders – designed for experienced coaches ready to advocate for and build the systems and structures that are needed to truly sustain a coaching culture.
In Coaches as Leaders we’ll help you recognize exactly which systems and structures you need (and might be missing in your school setting) so you can make your coaching culture sustainable – for you as an individual coach & for your school.
Registration opens only once a year!
Get all the details at edurolearning.com/cal
Wherever you are in your coaching journey, we can support you!
If you’re curious right now, you have questions, please reach out. You can leave a comment below, join our #coachbetter Facebook group, or find us on social media at Eduro Learning and send me a DM. I’d love to support you on your coaching journey. See you next time!
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