Developing Coaching in East Lothian Schools (Day One)

I wrote this post last night but couldn’t access the exc-el site yesterday evening due to server problems.

Wednesday 14th June 2006.

As I mentioned yesterday one of the key priorities of exc-el is to develop a coaching framework within East Lothian Schools. This would include the development of coaching programme for school leaders. Today I attended the first day of a coaching workshop which looked at the development of coaching within East Lothian schools. The course was facilitated by Claire O’Sullivan of EvaHR ( www.evahr.co.uk).

I have been interested in coaching for a while now in particular the links between coaching and sports coaching. I was interested to see that the origins of coaching are from sports coaching and that it was America who lead the way in the evolution of coaching from the sports world. They used it to help replace the therapists couch with a more positive and results-orientated form of client work.

During the day we talked about coaching, the benefits of coaching, essential coaching skills, the role of the coach and types of coaching framework. The most commonly used coaching framework seems to be the GROW model.

• G = Goal.What is the desired outcome?
• R = Reality.What is happening now?
• O = Options.What could you do?
• W = Way Forward.What will you do, how and when?

The GROW model is not dissimilar to the coaching framework that I have been using recently on Scottish Canoe Association Coach Education Courses. Indeed it has reinforced my opinion that teachers with outdoor education qualifications and training are some of the most valuable people in the industry. This is not just because of their technical skills and the extra opportunities that they are able to offer young people. But also because of the coaching input that they will have received during the gaining of their national governing body awards. Coaching theory is now a generic part of most mountaineering, sailing, skiing and paddle sport awards.

In the afternoon we had an opportunity to take part in a practice coaching session. I took the opportunity to be coached on the idea I have for celebrating pupil achievement. I have to say it worked. The direct questioning that I experienced from my coach helped me develop a clear direction of where I want to go with this idea and what I am going to do about it before the summer holidays. I also had an opportunity to coach another member of the group and I have to confess to finding this a lot harder than it looked (some homework to do here!)