Plain Sailing for Teachers offers unique, effective and affordable interactive online coaching - available from any place and at any time. It truly is 24/7 coaching that gets results!

The programmes are suitable for teachers in nursery, primary and secondary school settings. Particularly those who would like to be empowered with tools and strategies to overcome any challenge in school and become the best.

The programmes are solutions-focused and aim to unleash a teachers full potential and help them excel. They are ideal for those requiring extra support, guidance and encouragement from skilled professionals outside of the school environment.

1

What is coaching? Coaching is one of the fastest growing professions. Having emerged from the area of sports

in the 1960s, coaching transferred to business in the 1970s and 1980s, underwent a high degree of diversification and popularisation in the 1990s, and is today regarded as a respected and widely used resource for personal development.

There are many definitions of coaching, but there is a general common understanding of what it encompasses:

"Coaching is unlocking a person's potential to maximise their own performance. It is helping them to learn rather than teaching them." Whitmore

"Coaching is 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

"Coaching is a professional partnership between a qualified coach and an individual or team that supports the achievement of extraordinary results, based on goals set by the individual or team." ICF

At the heart of coaching is self-directed learning, personal growth and improved performance. Plain Sailing for Teachers provides teachers with a systematic and structured approach to realising their full potential and getting the very best out of themselves. Through a step-by-step approach, it enables an individual to become more empowered and confident in working towards achieving their goals.

2

Is it like counselling? Coaching is very different. It draws its’ influences from and stands on the shoulders

of a wide range of disciplines, including counselling, management consultancy, personal development and psychology.

Rather than dwelling on the past, it focuses on the present and the future. It provides individuals with the tools and strategies to make changes and

improvements.

It will help identify the obstacles and barriers an individual has been experiencing and uncover ways to overcome them.

The Association for Coaching uses the metaphor of driving a car to distinguish coaching from its related fields.

- A therapist will explore what is stopping you driving the car.

- A counsellor will listen to your anxieties about the car.

- A mentor will share tips from his or her own experience of driving cars.

- A consultant will advise you on how to drive the car.

- A coach will encourage and support you in driving the car.3

Registration involves entering a User Name and Password, which should be remembered for logging in each time the client returns to the site.

The Plain Sailing for Teachers website has a dedicated Log-in page to make access as easy as possible for returning clients.

4

Using the incredible Coaching Interactive platform, which aims to bring affordable coaching to the masses, it introduces teachers to a range of life tools to motivate and inspire them.

The Plain Sailing for Teachers voyage of discovery starts with the My Life Mapping Session. Here the teacher is encouraged to select 10 areas that they most want to improve in relation to their roles and responsibilities at school.

There are options to add up to 8 areas that are not included in the list here. For example: School Trips, Difficult Parents, SEN, G & T children, marking work etc.

It may be that all the areas chosen are personal ones such as: inner calm, anxiety, stress etc. That’s fine – the coaching can help with all of these.

5

The teacher will be asked to rate each area on a scale of 1-10.

1 being rock bottom and 10 being absolutely perfect.

6

They will then be asked to write a brief description of what a 10 would look, feel or be like.

Visualisation is an important part of coaching and can be incredibly powerful in terms of motivating an individual to take action and achieve their goals.

7

Next, they must write down why it is important to achieve a 10 in these areas.

Again, through visualisation, it is important for the individual to begin to see how different their life would be if they could achieve what they really wanted.

8

The final and most important part of the My Life Mapping Session involves setting some tasks, along with dates for them to be achieved.

Teachers are fully aware that taking action is the key to making progress and changes. Adding a timescale is also crucial in order to get the best results.

9

The My Life Mapping Session will produce a flower showing all the areas the teacher would like to work on and develop. The fuller the petal, the healthier that area is.

The coach will respond and give useful feedback to the teacher. This will include suggesting the appropriate course of action for the next stage of the coaching journey.

The flower can be re-visited time and time again to be changed, updated, and to set new tasks. By doing this, it is a great way to see what progress has been made over a period of time.

10

Once registered as a client, the teacher will have access to a Mail Box which stores all communication to and from the coach.

The tabs at the top also show that the client can have regular access to the My Life and any other programmes used at any time.

This is ideal if the client needs to be reminded of what he or she said in a programme session, or indeed what the coach has suggested in previous communications.

11

Here you can see an example of how a journal is built up of all the communications between the client and the coach.

The coach is able to keep confidential session notes about a session with a client.

You can also see here where the coach has attached documents for the client to look at.

12

The client can communicate with the coach at any time via the internal Coaching Interactive system.

Using the same process, the coach can contact the client. The coach is also able to use this email system for various other functions.

For example, at the bottom the coach can set a task for the client and add an achieve by date. An email will be sent to the client to say when the task is about to expire.

The coach can also add attachments such as Word documents, images, PDFs, Power Points, videos etc.

13

By exploring the Catalogue, teachers can choose the coaching package that best suits their schedule and pocket. Options range from a self coaching package to one that incorporates live 1:1 coaching either face-to-face or over the telephone or via Skype.If an interactive package is chosen, this will involve regular feedback from the coach via the Coaching Interactive system. By clicking on details, the contents of the package will be revealed.

14

After completing the My Life, teachers will be encouraged to continue the coaching process by working through the Plain Sailing for Teachers Core Programme.

This programme is a motivating and inspiring coaching journey to help discover effective solutions to issues and concerns currently being faced by a teacher.

The programme has 15 sessions and can be worked through at the individual’s own pace. If an interactive package was chosen then the coach will respond to what is written in each session.

A client can upgrade to a different package at any time, and there are options to include live 1:1 sessions with the coach if required.

15

The Plain Sailing for Teachers Core Programme has a clear structure to it, with one session following on from the next.

Whether the teacher has experienced personal coaching or not, the programme aims to help the coach get to know the client and the issues facing him or her.

Then, through a carefully designed plan, the programme and the coach will help the client to overcome any difficulties and challenges, and ultimately to fulfil their goals, dreams and aspirations.

The programme can be used to address Performance Management Targets, NQT Induction Targets, and Targets for those identified as having weaknesses.

16

Most of the sessions will involve the client performing a detailed questionnaire. These can then be saved and sent to the coach, who will respond. The client may wish to respond back to the coach for further clarification, and at times the coach will wish to delve deeper to uncover more. Therefore, one session can sometimes involve several communications before moving on to the next session.

The client can save to draft at any time, and return to complete the questionnaire, before finally sending to the coach.

17

Some sessions will involve the client being encouraged to set themselves a task. The unique Coaching Interactive system incorporates the use of a calendar, enabling tasks to be given an achieve by date. An email will be sent to the client to remind them when a task is about to expire. This is a great way to help the client be more accountable and to ensure they take action.

18

Another great life tool that is built into the Plain Sailing for Teachers Core Programme is the renowned GROW Web Model.

G (Goals) – What would you like to achieve?R (Reality) – What is happening as of now?O (Options) – What can you do and what is possible?W (Willpower) – What will your actions be in the future and how strong is your will?

This is a very powerful process for anybody setting professional or personal development goals. Once the right options have been chosen, these can be turned into weekly tasks that will be reported to the coach.

19

The GROW Web can be revisited time and time again to explore different areas relating to the teacher’s roles and responsibilities in school.

Each time a new session is completed this will be reported to the coach, who will respond with suitable suggestions, tips, strategies, and most of all – encouragement!

20

The GROW Web always involves working through the four stages.

Each stage asks a series of questions. The responses will build up into a clearly defined plan of action.

The client can return to this as often as possible to be reminded of what has been planned. It can, of course, be printed off at any time.

21

As with the My Life, built into the GROW Web is the facility to set tasks and dates using the calendar.

Emails are automatically sent to the client to remind them of tasks. The coach will also respond with support and suggestions to help the client achieve the tasks.

22

When a teacher has registered as a client, they will have their own Coaching Interactive site, including:

Access to mail

Access to the coach’s Catalogue of programmes

Access to the tasks that have been set

Access to dates for completing tasks or 1:1 sessions with the coach

Access to their My Life, to review and amend at any time.

23

Another very exciting facility for registered Plain Sailing for Teachers clients is access to an enormous library. These libraries include articles, practical tips & strategies, and links to useful websites. This content has been put together by many successful coaches and best selling personal development experts. The client also has the facility to upload their own documents into My Library – which is for their eyes only.

24

Here you can see how easy it is to open up documents that have been put into the Libraries by different coaches. This is an excellent way of sharing ideas, information, tips and strategies.

25

At any time, the client is able to get in touch with the coach either by telephone or email.

The coach’s details are kept in the left hand side bar of the main page.

26

To help the client make the coaching journey as smooth as possible, there is even a FREE audio-visual presentation to explain how Coaching Interactive works.

The Getting Started Tour is available in the Catalogue of Plain Sailing for Teachers. At the end of the presentation a FREE gift is offered to set the teacher on their way.

27

All registered members of Plain Sailing for Teachers will also have options to try a wide range of life-changing Self Coaching programmes.

These are available from the coach’s Catalogue. Current Self Coaching programmes include:

Life CoachingRelationshipsCareerSpiritualityWeight ManagementWealth

28

Teachers are encouraged to use the Plain Sailing for Teachers website,

http://plainsailingforteachers.com

Here they will find a wealth of practical ideas and inspirations.

29

Check out the website too for information about group coaching for teachers in schools and staff INSET training sessions.

30

Teachers’ Forum

Teachers also have the opportunity to join in the Forum run by Plain Sailing for Teachers.

They can start their own topics of discussion, as well as responding to those of other teachers.

This is a fantastic way to network and share ideas, tips and solutions.

31

For more information about

Plain Sailing for Teachers contact Ian Barrett

T: 020 8292 5826

M: 07867 533312

W:http://plainsailingforteachers.com

E: info@positive-horizons.co.uk

Skype: ianbarrett.59

32