Solution focused coaching for improving teaching practice in PCET Initial Teacher Education Programmes.

Chris Lawrence and Catherine Ashdown

PCET Approach to partnership

Working together in every

possible way!Key = effective communication and

mutual support

What is coaching?

One person being available to help another’s thinking in order to increase their understanding so that they can take confident action.

Pemberton: Coaching to Solutions

Coaching v mentoring

• Mentoring - transferring learning from a more experienced individual to a less experienced person. A long term relationship where the mentor gives a push in the right direction !

• Coaching - helping to unlock potential and facilitate self help and self development. A short term magnifying glass !

Why take a coaching approach?

• Assumes the other person has the ability to find a solution

• Are they coaching ready?

• Works with their motivations

• Thinking partnership of equals

• Has a forward focus

Coaching Cycle

Agreeing actionRehearsing actionReview

Getting together

Getting involvedGainingcommitment to a contract

Working together

Coach’s Role in Development of a New Narrative Pemberton 2013

Privileged Audience; Hearing

the story

Empathic Listener: Deepening the

story

Critical Listener:Challenging the

story

Plot developer:Opening up new

narrative

Sustainer: Supporting the new narrative

What Does a Coaching Conversation Involve?

Asks questions that they don’t ask themselves

Gives feedbackHelps the person look at situations from

other perspectivesSlows them down or speeds them up

Listens to understand how they see the situation

Is non-judgemental

Asks them to experiment with doing different things

Moves them from talking about to doingAsks them to be accountable

Ensures they do not take on more than they can achieve

Offersresources when needed

Helps them practiceReviews what they have learnt from their

experiments

Thought Action

Support

Challenge

Focus on questioning • Genuine interest

• Avoid the negative spiral – be solution focused

• Style of questioning

• See handout with 70 questions for Coaching Conversations

• Coaching Crib Sheet – What ?Where? How? and When? See next slide and handout

Find a partner and using the questions and the crib sheet…

Coach each other through this conference - work out a way forward for the rest of the

conference.

• “ The coaching went really well and I would advise any teacher to do this on a regular basis. The thing I realised about coaching is that coaching identifies the root of the challenge which we face at a particular time; it is necessary for teachers to do this so that the problems can be addressed practically and readily. It is like having a personal trainer only nicer!