Peer Coaching .... sharing best practice? Helen Goodall February 2014

This session A whistle-stop tour of coaching in schools: The ‘what’, ‘why’ and ‘how’ of coaching, with particular emphasis on co-coaching or peer coaching.

What is coaching? "A collaborative solution-focused, results-orientated and systematic process in which the coach facilitates the enhancement of work performance, life experience, self-directed learning and personal growth of the coachee." (Grant, 2000) “Put simply, coaching is a conversation, or series of conversations, one person has with another” (Starr, 2008)

The National Framework for Coaching & Mentoring Mentoring is a structured, sustained process for supporting professional learners through significant career transitions Specialist Coaching is a structured, sustained process for enabling the development of a specific aspect of a professional learner’s practice Collaborative (Co-) Coaching is a structured, sustained process between two or more professional learners to enable them to embed new knowledge and skills from specialist sources in day-to-day practice CUREE 2006

Your special person Think of someone who has been an important positive influence in your life How did they support you? What did they do?

Qualities and skills of an effective peer coach

A Cycle of Learning Unconscious incompetence Conscious competence

A Model for a Learning Conversation - GROW GOAL REALITY OPTIONS WIN COMMITMENT Source: John Whitmore

Challenging your co-coach When might it be necessary for you to challenge your co-coach? How can you do this constructively?

Confidence Building How does confidence building come in to coaching? In what ways might you help to build your co-coach’s self-confidence?

Providing feedback Maintain a balance – don’t just criticise! Concentrate on behaviours – what you have observed or noticed – rather than ‘the person’ Provide examples Suggest alternatives if appropriate Concise and timely

Setting up a peer coaching partnership Who could you work with? How will you establish the partnership? What do you both want from the partnership? Establish boundaries – when, where, how long to meet, sharing the time etc – also, agree confidentiality Regularly review how well it is working