Educational Coaching: A Tool To Learn And Teach Better
Coaching is a methodology that allows for maximum personal and professional development of individuals and influences their transformation, causing changes in perspective, increasing motivation, commitment and responsibility, and of course, learning.
Therefore, Coaching promotes cognitive, emotional and behavioral changes that expand the person’s capacity for action
Educational coaching is not based on directive instruction from the coach, but rather helps create the appropriate conditions for learning and growth.
Possibly, one of the most notable changes that coaching can bring in the classroom is that this methodology does not consist of teaching in a directive manner, but rather allows creating the conditions conducive to learning and growing. It is an experiential methodology, in which both teachers and students reach solutions through their own self-reflection. Coaching leaves behind the barriers that limiting beliefs can impose and the individuals who try it connect with the here and now so that they become more decisive and creative.
Coaching focuses on a dialogue (called the Socratic method) between actors that allows the development of specific skills. For teachers, it allows them to know their own mistakes in order to modify them, and it also helps to create educational environments and classroom strategies that are more experiential and enriching for students, who also benefit from these very productive sessions.
Teachers can have sessions with coaching professionals or learn different coaching strategies to better educate their students. But the relationship between the coach-teacher or student-teacher is not an expert relationship, that is, the coach is not above the coachee. Rather, the relationship is at the same level, and the coach facilitates strategies for self-learning. The coach is a companion in this educational process.
One of the keys to educational coaching is that it does not have the purpose of teaching, but rather of seeking to improve individual performance. It is common to observe in some classrooms that all students are taught exactly the same thing without taking into account their abilities and strengths, greatly limiting their potential and creativity.
Educational coaching affects the individuality of people, the potential of each of your students. And, on many occasions, what is intended to be taught should not limit the potential that students have for learning. Hence, educational coaching offers a different way of learning.
5 keys that teachers or educators should know
To increase the potential of students, teachers or educators can know the five keys to educational coaching, since in this way students can benefit from this type of methodology. Coaching can be a great complement for teachers when teaching classes. But what are the principles of educational coaching?
Student potential: one of the keys to educational coaching is not in instructing, but in finding and developing the true potential of each of your students.
Self-awareness: It is only possible to get the best out of students when you are aware of your own limiting beliefs and adopt a non-directive attitude and open to change. In this learning relationship there must be an environment that allows self-awareness, reflection, observation and interpretation of what is experienced to be enhanced. This applies to both you and your students.
Empowerment: To empower students and make them more independent, it is necessary to educate them not from knowledge, but from the responsibility that this knowledge implies.
Feedback: Constant feedback is essential to maximize learning and benefit from the sessions.
Development of skills: In order to apply coaching in the classroom, it is necessary to develop different skills: active listening, emotional intelligence, patience, attention, compassion, etc.
You can learn more about coaching skills at this link
False coaching myths
Unfortunately, this discipline, which can be really useful, is tainted with some controversy. For example, its popularity has caused a lot of professional intrusion. In other words, many people claim to be “coaches” when they are not. Some of them confuse this methodology with “quackery” or motivational talks, and others, with a simple course, think that they are already coaching professionals.
But coaching is a methodology that, when used well, provides many benefits for the coachees (the coaches’ clients), as they acquire greater self-knowledge, emotional intelligence, empowerment, They structure their objectives better and connect with their emotions more efficiently
The benefits of coaching
As much as some insist on describing coaching as a fad, coachees who have been able to experience the coaching process know how beneficial this methodology is for their well-being and learning. It is because of that Coaching applies to aspects of personal, sports, work and educational life
Whatever the type of coaching, this practice is closely related to change and learning, as it allows you to open your mind, experience and recognize emotions, analyze the present state to set goals and create an action plan to achieve the objectives. in a specific, measurable, achievable, relevant way and in a certain time. The coach guides the coachee throughout the coaching process and helps the latter to be able to develop their full potential
In summary, coaching provides the following benefits:
If you want to know more about the benefits that coaching can bring you, visit our article: “The 10 benefits of Coaching (keys to your personal development)”
