Individual coaching for teachers
This approach would suit a teacher who has a few years' experience.
When you prepare to become a middle leader, you might engage in training and attend courses. However, it's not until you’re in post that all of the theory makes sense. This is where coaching could play a key role in your professional development. The school day is intense and a great deal of decisions often need to be made quickly. As a result, much of what we do as middle leaders is reactive.
Coaching allows you professional, focused reflection time. It affords you space to plan ahead. The coach supports you in establishing what your goals are and helps you to consider all of the options available towards achieving that goal. They act as a non-judgemental accountability partner and work with you to break these plans into targeted, manageable steps. In coaching, you are seen and heard.
You can be taught how to apply coaching techniques independently of your coach. Coaching is therefore not only an investment in the here and now, but will add value to your professional life for the whole of your career.
Areas could include:
- Team dynamics, and getting the most out of your team.
- Working out who you are as a leader
- Managing tricky conversations
- Running productive department meetings
- Managing workload
Individual mentoring for teachers
This approach would suit a teacher towards the start of their career.
I love teaching, and have taught French, German and Spanish in comprehensive, grammar and independent schools for 19 years. I have worked as Head of Department, Advanced Skills Teacher, PGCE mentor, and currently lead the Learning and Teaching group. My breadth of experience means I am perfectly placed to support teachers in a myriad of aspects of their role.
Mentoring sits between coaching and teaching. Whereas coaching is suggestion-free, a mentor could offer ideas and options for discussion with their mentee.
Training for teachers
This could be relevant to you if you lead Professional Development or Learning and Teaching in your school.
I lead and run the Learning and Teaching group in my current school. In my role as AST (Advanced Skills Teacher) I delivered whole school training sessions. Recent topics have included:
-Using technology to lessen teacher workload
-Digital gains and limitations
-Courageous conversations
-Teachmeet style best practice sharing
The most popular session I have run marries coaching with lesson observation, sometimes referred to as 'instructional coaching'. In the session entitled 'Using a coaching approach to enhance lesson observation', I facilitate discussions around observations and their potential for enhancing teacher practice. I then introduce some key coaching ideas and give practical tips on using coaching techniques in the feedback conversation.
I present sessions as part of the Bristol Education Partnership's annual Teacherfest. This year I presented a popular, interactive session entitled 'The implications of Science of Learning research in the classroom'.
I also run sessions for pupils, with a focus on their understanding of the transferable skills developed in the studying of world languages. In a carousel, the pupils then have the chance to quiz a range of adults in different professions, to find out more about the expectations of the world of work.
Who do I work with?
I coach middle and senior leaders in schools, as well as those aspiring to leadership. I coach Heads of Department, Houseparents, Heads of Year, Assistant Headteachers and SENDCOs in different schools. As well as my own school in Bristol, I work with:
- Oundle School www.oundleschool.org.uk
- Laxton Junior School www.laxtonjunior.org.uk
I also provide professional development and support teacher training by delivering sessions at:
- University of Bristol, Faculty of Education www.bristol.ac.uk/education
- Bristol Educational Partnership www.bristollearningcity.com/education/bristol-education-partnership
