Issue 7

Introduction

You will know by now that our public examinations results during the summer were very good with even more records being broken because of the hard work by students, their teachers, and support from parents. If you would like to see the full breakdown of the results, please visit the school web site where there is a detailed analysis of our students’ achievements.

 
As always with education, we are anticipating a great deal of changes to the curriculum in the next few years with the advent of 14 new specialised diplomas by September 2010 in addition to GCSE functional English and Mathematics before that time. We await developments with interest and will, of course, keep you informed.

This edition’s focus is on coaching in teaching. Jo Howell, Assistant Headteacher, with a responsibility for Staff Professional Development, summarises developments in coaching within school with nineteen staff having already worked with the coaching ‘guru’ Mike Hughes during recent months. The second piece is an essay written by Deb Gajic exploring the psychology of coaching.

 

 

 

 


Mr P Fowler (Deputy Headteacher)

Coaching at Polesworth

 In the past coaching has been limited to the sporting world and could be observed in athletics grounds or on football pitches where for many years it has had a proven track record, if you’ll forgive the pun! More recently this approach to developing skills has moved into industry, the business world in general and even education. Over the last year we at Polesworth have focussed on implementing coaching into our school. In September 2005 we began with a very small pilot group of eight teachers who worked together in pairs to coach each other, focussing on various aspects of their classroom practice. All of the teachers volunteered to be part of the scheme which essentially involved the coachee identifying an aspect of their teaching practice which they wished to improve. The coach then observed the coachee teaching a lesson focussing only on the aspect highlighted by the coachee. After each observed lesson the pair would meet to discuss the area of focus.

Following the very successful pilot scheme, coaching is now being extended at Polesworth. We now have 19 trained coaches on staff who are initially working together in coaching pairs to experience both sides of the process before offering their services to the rest of the staff as a Professional Development opportunity. We feel confident that coaching can only have a positive impact on classroom practice, with the students ultimately benefiting the most from the initiative.

Deb Gajic, writer of the following article, is vice chair of The Association for the Teaching of Psychology. Deb has been involved in the coaching process from the very start. As one of our trained coaches she continues to play a key role in the development of the coaching process at Polesworth.
 

Coaching : An article by Deb Gajic as printed in the newsletter of the Association for the teaching of Psychology.

New initiatives in education rarely get an enthusiastic response from teachers. They are all too often regarded with suspicion and cynicism. They are seen as yet another thing that teachers ‘have to do’. One such initiative is coaching, although this is not just restricted to education; it is being implemented in many workplaces and has been shown to have the potential to make a real and sustainable difference.

So, what makes coaching different from the mentoring and performance management techniques that are already used extensively in education? Unlike these techniques, coaching is not based on a hierarchical relationship with one person cast in the role of ‘superior expert’, telling the other person what they should do and what they are doing wrong. I feel the ethos of coaching is best summed up by John Whitmore in Coaching for Performance: -

‘Coaching is unlocking a person’s potential to maximise their own performance. It is helping them learn rather than teaching them.’

Coaching shares some of the principles of humanist counselling, where the answer to problems and dilemmas must essentially come from the individual, if strong and sustainable progress is to be made. Coaching is about empowerment, we all have the potential to improve, and the crucial trick is to learn how to unlock that potential. The philosophy of coaching became clear to me when I took it out of an educational setting. For example, if a friend phones you to talk about a problem with their children, you know instinctively that sometimes all they need is a sympathetic ear; the last thing they need is advice on what to do, no matter how well meaning. Often if we do offer advice it will be instantly rejected because it will be perceived as judgemental and threatening. What they actually need is to vocalise the problem and then come up with their own solution, which will be unique to their particular set of circumstances and family.

 The most important aspect of coaching is that the coach must listen carefully to what the coachee is saying (and possibly what they are not saying). Coaching is essentially a conversation, albeit a structured conversation. The role of the coach is to help the coachee establish: -

  • Where they are

  • Where they would like to be

  • How they are going to get there

A popular template for coaching sessions is the GROW model devised by John Whitmore: -

Goal – Establishing both short term and long term goal is vitally important. Usually the coachee will begin with goals that are too broad or too ambitious. It is the coach’s job to encourage the coachee to be more specific. This process is known as chiselling. The coach must ensure that the goals agreed upon are the coachee’s goals and therefore they need to monitor the language and type of questions they ask in order not to lead or impose their own ideas.

Reality – The coachee is invited and encouraged to describe what is actually happening at the moment. These first two stages are crucial and very time consuming. However, these stages enable coachee and coach to see the ‘wood from the trees’. Often vocalising an issue is really useful in clarifying the problem in the individuals own mind and beginning the process of discovering solutions.

Options – A list of options is generated. ‘What could you do about….?’ Each possible option is then evaluated in turn.

What next? – Having examined the possibilities, a choice now needs to be made about which course of action to follow. A coaching session should end with a commitment to some sort of action. It needs to be clear how the plan will be implemented and the success criteria. The coach should also ask; ‘What can I do to help you achieve your goal?’

Coaching is a skill that needs to be learnt and practised. However, it really is worth the effort because of its practical application in everyday life. Coaching can improve not only your professional performance, but your social and family life too. For example, remembering the principles of coaching in everyday conversations could enable you to help your family and friends to resolve their own problems and issues effectively. The principles can also be used individually to bring insight and understanding into your own life. The real skill of coaching is the ability to really listen, something we could all develop further and benefit from.

Deb Gajic is Head of Social Science at Polesworth International Language College.

Acknowledgements:

Mike Hughes (2004) Coaching in Schools, John Whitmore (2003) Coaching for Performance Nicholas Brealey Publishing

Training session by Mike Hughes (Education Training and Support) Polesworth International Language College 17th July 2006, organised by Ms J Howell, Assistant Head Teacher

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