To be unconventional you must take the risk of doing things differently!
Here are 5 ways in which you can become an unconventional coach.
- Ask for responses to your coaching.
To be unconventional you must not be afraid about asking for feedback or responses to your coaching. Often, teachers will immediately share with you how thankful they are, how helpful you were, or how well a strategy discussed together worked in the lesson. Other times, the response may not happen. Thus, how can you improve the response rate to your coaching?
I worked around this by creating an online survey. This survey is linked to my email signature line and simply says: How did I do today? The teachers or staff click one of the colorful faces on the link to give their rating and that directs them to the survey. I made sure that the survey does not collect email addresses. This keeps the confidentiality of the response and allows the person responding to be honest in the feedback.
If planning to do something similar, keep the questions simple and to the point. Follow this link for an example of the survey I use. One of the features I love about the survey is that it graphs the responses. This feature allows me to have data to share with principals and staff. The data supports my coaching in many ways!
Are you not techy? No worries. You may create a simple paper survey that you can leave in the teachers’ desks or mailboxes. This can be returned to your mailbox. Think about creating a cute and fancy mailbox where you can collect mail and notes from the teachers and staff. This can sit in the teachers’ workroom, lounge, or even in front of your coaching space door.
- Observe other coaches.
Observing coaches sounds simple. In fact, this should be simple. However, unless there are multiple coaches at your school observing other coaches can be a complicated thing! To get around this hiccup, you can plan visits to other schools in your region. Talk to coaches when you attend regional and district meetings. Invite coaches to your school. You may also join coaching groups in virtual settings.
There is empowerment in observing and visiting other coaches’ practices. Among others you:
- Get to learn new skills and develop your practice.
- See what is trending and working in other settings.
- Are able to compliment other coaches on their coaching.
- Open the door for communication and have colleagues to support you.
- Feel the mood and environment of another school and set of teachers.
- Set long-term goals.
Having long-term goals is important. Coaching is, for the most part, a long-haul exercise. There will be many wins along the way, and you should celebrate each one. However, having long-term goals, even a coaching dream board, allows you to keep moving your practice forward.
Ask yourself, where would you like your coaching to be at the end of the semester? At the end of the year? Perhaps you want to double the amount of classroom visits you do. Or, you may want to keep track of the growth in the new teachers’ instructional practices. You may also think of personal and professional goals. These goals may include reading a set number of books on coaching or starting a book club for coaches. You may choose to create a paperless coaching experience.
In setting goals the sky is the limit! It is in setting goals that you push yourself and have something to always look forward to. Share your goals to stay accountable for reaching them.
- Avoid scripted conversations.
It is true that we should have talking points ready, this shows preparedness, planning and purpose. However, scripting your conversation makes coaching practices somewhat robotic. There is no need for a scripted conversation when we are meeting with teachers to discuss a classroom visit or as a follow up to a coaching experience.
Instead, before meeting with teachers, set your coaching points. Review the questions you want to ask. You may even write these down. You will be able to find many coaching question starters online to choose from. Some coaches have developed great resources for you to enhance your conversational toolbox. However, you need to make these questions your own. You need to bring your personality into the coaching experience. Making the conversational tools you find work for you is important for your coaching voice to develop.
Try not to overthink or lose sleep over what you will say to a teacher. Don’t spend time imagining what the reply from the teacher will be or what you will do if such and such happens. Avoid the drama! More often than not what we imagine doesn’t happen and we have created additional anxiety for ourselves. Instead, when you sit down to dialogue with the teacher, allow the conversation to flow naturally.
Be yourself.
Stay professional, calm, and positive. Empower the teacher’s craft. Remember that as the coach you are in a support role. The teacher is accountable for the instructional choices and the success of his/her practice.
- Be energizing.
Energy has a way of leaving a person and taking a life of its own. Make sure that the energy you are sharing is positive. Start the day with a smile. From the time you reach the school, make it a point to smile. Let the smile carry through you and into your steps. Greet people as you walk in the door! Be polite to everyone you see each morning.
In your coaching space, play music, have cheerful lights, and even scented oils. Make your coaching spaceone that inspires you and others. Start your coaching experiences on a positive note. Celebrate teachers and students. You will be surprised by how the little things you do impact those around you.
I speak on this in my book: Be the coach you want to work with!
I look forward to your comments.
Thania
