Building Confidence as a New Coach

Making the move from the classroom to coaching is an exciting transition. We are thrilled we get to pass on knowledge from our area of expertise (technology, pedagogy, math, reading, etc)… but what will that actually look like? We know relationships are key to a good coaching experience, but what if we are new to the school we will be coaching at? Does the school already have an understanding of what a coach does? Is the school new to coaching?

I had many of these questions when I transitioned from being a homeroom teacher to an EdTech/Innovation Coach two years ago. I came at a time when the school was just starting to figure out what coaching is, and was offering a lot of professional development on it. I was lucky to learn from some big names in the coaching world, both online and in person. As someone who loves to learn new things and put them into practice, I took this new knowledge and ran with it. I also scoured the internet for any courses that could add to my new knowledge of coaching to try to find my own groove with it.

I found an online Education Specialist (Ed.S) Degree in Teacher Leadership and Coaching at Ferrum College. Just coming out of my Masters and into this new coaching role, I thought it would be a great fit for me (and was right!). Some of my assignments led me to create things I wish I had as a new coach, or even a seasoned coach looking to improve my craft.

Coaching Resource Whiteboard

The first thing I wish I had was a bank of resources to learn new things about coaching. I decided to create one on a Canva Whiteboard as a living document. I encourage you to have a look, and also to let me know of any resources that can be added to it. The point is that it is never finished.

TPACK Examples

When taking my technology coaching course, focused on TPACK, I constantly wished I had a visual that would give me actionable examples in each of the areas of TPACK. So, again, I made one for my final project.

CKaardal TPACK Playbook by Cindy Kaardal