Hitting a Coaching Wall
Coaching is important.
Coaching should have a central role in all schools.
Coaching is a supportive framework that allows staff to grow and develop.
Coaching is more than a sum of it’s parts; a good coaching program should be embedded in the fabric of the school and all the decisions we make.
I thought the above statements were recognised facts. However, I have been rudely awakened, not everyone thinks this. Many people wonder what we are up to and need to see hard data to prove that coaches have a place or purpose. The art of connecting with people is subtle, it can not always be quantified, but it can be seen in the people who are willing to reach out and seek support, are willing to be vulnerable to improve, are willing to try something new. I think recently I have been so caught up in questioning my role and behaviours, looking at “what makes a good coach”, that I have missed the wider school/institutional questions of “what is the purpose of coaching?”, “why should a school have a coach?” If we are still questioning this at an institutional level, then my questioning becomes mute.
Now I have that off my chest, on with the assignment, how do I work within the “Coaching Cycle”?
Connect - I am all over this. This is my skill. This is what I do well. This is where I thrive. Connections can be slow to build, but they are where the magic happens, people are the soul of the school! I think every person brings something to the school's fabric and it is an honour to be able to support this.
Goal - This is pretty straight forward. It is at the heart of everything. What is their goal? Where do they want to go? What do they need? What are their aims/thoughts? What drives their ideas? Where would they like to go? Without a goal, no matter how small then nothing can be achieved
Support - Well of course we give support. If someone comes to you with an idea, a concept, a place to be, of course you give support. However, when we talk about the coaching cycle, this is always formal. Have a meeting. Document a meeting. Observe a lesson. Model a solution. Co-planning. I am not saying we can not do that, but where is the coaching elements where you are just there supporting someone. Helping them achieve their goals. So do I support staff - the answer is yes and my feedback proves this. Do I hit all the “coaching support targets” then no. No I do not. My question is should I? My gut reaction is yes, to qualify my job and to make coaching a more embedded element in our school. However, I am not sure that is a good enough reason. Surely coaching should be supporting staff in a way that suits your client, which may not always be formal.
Reflect - Now this is where I am not succeeding. I always ask how it is going and what happened. However, this is a quick conversation and not true reflection, I would argue that in any coaching model, be it peer coaching or mentoring, reflection is key! I now need to add this to my every growing list of things to improve and work on!
I got into coaching (and teaching for that matter) by accident. However, the joy of working with someone to enable them to solve problems, to enable them to track their course to their end destination, to meet their goal, for me, is the joy. I love it. I get a buzz from it. No matter how small or large the problem, I genuinely love working with people.
In my coaching role I would like to develop more skills in cognitive coaching, Garmston, Linden and Whitaker write: “Cognitive Coaching uses these cycles for the sole purpose of helping the teacher improve instructional effectiveness by becoming more reflective about teaching” and I agree. Effective questioning is something that everyone thinks they can do. It is only when you see someone who has truly mastered these questioning protocols that you realise your limitations! I am a good listener, however the art of pulling out the essential information, without taking over the conversation, is a true gift. Also, a good listener does not always mean an active listener. I recently did some work on listening without trying to find solutions. Just listening - and that is harder than it sounds!
