Rethink processes!

Coaching and self-transformation

Coaching has become a widespread and valuable means for leaders in schools to help their staff improve their practice.

Coaching typically involves the coach helping the coachee to develop a goal (i.e., be clear on where they should focus their discretionary time and energy to improve student learning and outcomes) and the actions, or sequential steps needed to achieve that goal.  Follow up sessions typically involve review of, and accountability for, action taken and what action will be taken next.

Experience shows that goals tend to be about: teaching practice, capability as a teacher/leader, or changing the institution (or part) itself. These generic goals typically align themselves with increasing leadership capability, classroom teachers tend to focus on practice, the most capable leaders on changing a function or whole school process.

Paul Cezanne - Mont Sainte-Victoire - c. 1890

If, as I suggest, relationships – teacher-teacher, teacher-student – are a key element for raising student learning and outcomes in a sustainable way, how can the improvement of relationships be incorporated into a coaching system when the effort required is typically of a regular and long-term nature?  Managing our own red brains (extinguishing triggers, reframing fixed beliefs) requires an effort sustained over several years.

Partially, this can come from leaders modelling their own efforts to build richer and deeper relationships with everyone around them but at some point, experience suggests, individuals need to own and be accountable for their own effort.

It would be worth thinking how to integrate this into existing processes.

John Corrigan is an expert in helping individuals to bring their whole of mind to their daily life and increase their effectiveness and the effectiveness of those around them. This expertise scales from the individual to the team to the organisation. At the core of this work is the practice of encounter.  Earlier blogs can be found here.

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