Coaching Leadership Professional Learning - Part 1

GROWTH Coaching Leadership (February 21st 2018)

This morning we were asked to place ourselves on a continuum. If we placed ourselves on the number 1 it meant that we knew nothing about GROWTH coaching. If we placed ourselves on a 10 it meant that we were experts and confident in GROWTH coaching.

I placed myself on a 4. Here are the reasons I placed myself at 4.

1. I know what the GROWTH model is
2. I have used it. 
3. I have an understanding of how to coach a colleague using this model (albeit limited at the moment). 

The idea of completing this exercise is gague the progress we made individually over the day by reflecting on whether we have moved up the scale at the PL's conclusion. 

At the conclusion of this PL I have moved up, dare I say, a couple of points. Here are my take aways from todays session. 

Knowing what coaching is

Coaching Vs Mentoring, this is what we spent much of the morning discussing. Currently, I am finding the push/pull metaphor helpful. Mentoring: you are giving someone a 'push' in the right direction, being directive. Coaching: you are 'pulling' or 'giving a hand up' but the coachee is coming up with all the solutions. I love this image that illustrates the difference between the 2 quite well.

(http://www.gtcs.org.uk/professional-update/coaching-and-mentoring.aspx)

Questioning

I love the idea of coaching being a soundboard! Questioning is the tool is which to do this. You don't want to be a coach who inserts themselves too much in the discussion. Everything works best when it comes from the coachee. The next step for me if to experiment with different ways of questioning that will allow me to naturally use the GROWTH coaching model.

Listening

This is something that I need to work on! often when I'm listening I have trouble get all of the white noise out of my head and therefore, become distracted. . . This is a side effect of working in a school. I am getting better at recognising when I'm doing this and self correcting - definitely have plenty to work on here. 

Goals

Setting a goal is the foundation of all productive GROWTH conversations. Wording an 'ISMART' Goal by using the following simple sentence starters: 

1. by, 
2. I am/have,
3. so that. 

Here is my example of an ISMART goal: By Thursday, Week 10 in Term 1, I have developed learning progressions to support our school curriculum (the dispositions under the key components of THINK, DRIVE SHARE) 

so that 

1. Teachers in the new curriculum drive group can use it to inform their UBD planning

2. students have voice and can reflect on their progress in relation to the school curriculum goals and the progressions can be reviewed with teachers/students/community.