[Coaching for School Leaders] Coachinginschools Helps Faculty Leader Save Time, Increase Student Engagement & Empower Colleagues

Annie:

So how have you found the online training, Wajid?

Wajid:

Annie, I’ve really enjoyed the online training. I liked the fact that it was tailored to the needs of a teacher. We have busy lives. And we have busy days. And the good thing was I could work at my own pace. I was able to ‘dip in and out.’ Each module was very clear. It told me how long I had to spend on each module, and that was just fantastic. And that’s what I really enjoyed about the online course.

Annie:

Good stuff. So some people think online training is like watching paint dry, you know, you’ve got to read a load of stuff – and then do a “multi-guess” type thing. So how would you say this online training is different?

Wajid:

Totally different. Each of the modules is very different. You’ve got short videos, you’ve got clips that you need to watch, you’ve got audio files that you need to listen to.

Wajid:

It’s…it’s…it’s… I think none of the modules were that extensively long. So they were very short, and very straight forward. At the end of each module there was a quick test. So there’s on some of the modules there’s a quick test. And then also you then gave your, your feedback (like a self-evaluation form on each of the modules), and what you enjoyed, what you didn’t enjoy, and the reason behind it.

Annie:

Good. So in terms of what you’ve learned, what difference would you say it’s made to you personally or professionally?

Wajid:

Personally, it’s made me think carefully about the questions that I ask. Whether it’s someone in my faculty, or whether it’s a student in the classroom. It’s really, really made me think about how I pose a question – and the type of question. In the past I found myself just asking students a lot of closed-ended questions, not getting much back from them, and then not getting them engaged.

Wajid:

Now I’m thinking about open-ended questions, and really getting them to think about the questions and their answers.

Annie:

And what difference has that made to their learning?

Wajid:

It’s really made them think. And that’s the key thing. It’s really made them think about the responses that they’re giving. And by thinking it’s given them that deep understanding of the topics we study, the areas that we’re looking for. It’s just really made a LOT of difference to them.

Annie:

Good. So how have you used the skills in your role?

Wajid:

I’ve used it a lot in my faculty meetings. I’ve used it when I’m coaching someone in my, in my faculty, I’ve used it in my day-to-day teaching. I have really have thought carefully about questioning. And how I plan my questions for my lessons. When I’m talking to… I found that when I, when I’m talking to members in my Faculty, without me knowing, now I’m actually coaching them.

Wajid:

So the, because, because I’ve been trained in the coaching, just by asking them certain questions – and changing my question – has really got them to think about their own solutions.

Annie:

Good stuff! So have you done any coaching before?

Wajid:

The only coaching I did was of various courses, but not in this depth.

Annie:

Okay.

Wajid:

So not in the depth that I’ve seen here. In the past it was maybe a day course on ‘coaching’ – and then sort of being left to my own [devices]. But this has been over a longer period of time. And that’s just given me the skills that I needed.

Annie:

So what difference would you say it makes to do a more ‘extensive’ course rather than just going on like a ‘one day’ thing?

Wajid:

Oh this has just given me all the skills I need. It’s given me ‘templates’ that I can use.

Wajid:

It’s given me the knowledge. It’s also allowed me to put those skills into practice. Where in the past I couldn’t do that. Now I can embed those skills in my daily teaching, in my daily coaching and it’s just enabled me to just be a better coach.

Annie:

Good stuff!

So in terms of impact on your teaching – obviously you’ve mentioned better questioning, that kind of thing. What other impact would you say it has for a school?

Wajid:

The other impact it has for a school is it really makes your leaders and your senior leaders really think about how to get the best out of every individual in the school. It really allows the coach to really get the coachee to be more independent. You’re saving a lot of time by following this model.

Wajid:

If I follow any other model, I don’t think I’m going to get the results – especially because of how busy we are.

Wajid:

I’m spending no more than 15 to 20 minutes coaching a coachee. I could do that just before the school day starts. I could do that after school. I can even do it in a lunch time. 15 minutes is not a long time to get fantastic results!

Annie:

Good. So let’s talk about some of those results then! So think about coachee. What was their situation like before?

Wajid:

Their situation before was they were unsure about how to make students more independent. They really wanted to run a number of independent projects. They were just unsure. They were feeling demotivated and just ‘lost’, I felt.

Annie:

Okay. So six 15 to 20 minute sessions (using our coaching model) – and now how are they feeling?

Wajid:

Oh absolutely they are full of confidence! Really looking forward to implementing those projects next week. They’re really up for the challenge! They’re bugging me to get the resources in as soon as possible, because they’re just eager to get on with the projects.

Annie:

Good stuff!

And what difference would you say it’s made to you as a leader?

Wajid:

As a leader? It’s just made me a lot more confident in my own abilities. It’s made me a lot more confident as a coach. I’m stepping away from ‘mentoring’ now, and moving more into coaching. But coaching in a way where I’m not giving up huge amounts of time, but I’m seeing a lot of results in my faculty where every one of us, every one of the members of staff in my faculty is moving forward and making REALLY good progress.

Annie:

Fantastic.

So if someone’s thinking about learning to coach (with Coachinginschools) – and they’ve done coaching before maybe – and they’re not quite sure because they’ve come across these other models, what would you say is different about this?

Wajid:

This model just sets you up with the skills you need.

Annie:

Okay.

Wajid:

You don’t need to worry too much about… How can I say it?

Wajid:

You don’t need to worry too much about, you know, knowing what to say – or what to do.

Wajid:

It’s all laid out for you. If you follow the steps that are given, you will go and see fantastic results. You will see how your coachee will just go from strength to strength. This lays it out for you. And it takes away a lot of pressure from you.

Annie:

Good stuff.

So if someone’s thinking about doing the Coachinginschools online training, what would you say to them?

Wajid:

I would say, “Go for it!” “Go for it because you will see how straightforward it is. You will see how it can fit around your daily teaching timetable. You will see how simple it is to get the results. You will see how your coachee will just just shine once you start to coach them in the correct way. Go for it. It’s just amazing!”

Annie:

So if you could sum up coaching in three words, what would they be?

Wajid:

Ah, for me it would be…

“Fantastic!”

“Amazing!”

And the biggest thing for me is “PROGRESS”.

Annie:

Excellent. Thank you so much.

Wajid:

Thank you.