• What personality types feel easy and challenging to coach?

What comes up for you when

you need to coach someone whose personality is very different from your own?
• What kinds of thoughts go through your mind when you are introduced to someone who
Exhibit 15.4. Reflective Prompts for a Coach
comes from a very different background than you? Who seems very different than you?
• Think of a client with whom you struggled. What might he or she have said or thought about
Prompts for Daily or Weekly Reflection you? What would his or her "side" of the story be?
• Consider your initial beliefs about a client's capacity to grow with what actually happened
• What happened in today's coaching session?
as you coached him or her. What happened? What did you learn that you might apply when
• What did you notice about your client?
working with future clients?
• What did you notice about your own coaching? About your thoughts and feelings today?
• What metaphor could represent what coaching is to you?
• What kind of impact did your coaching have on your client today? How do you know?
• What are you learning about yourself through coaching?
• When did your coaching feel effective today? What made it feel that way?
• What would you like to pay more attention to?
• Was it possible that your client had any "aha" moments today? What led to that moment?
• What do you want to stay curious about?
• What was challenging for you in today's session?
• What did you notice about your own listening? About your inner dialogue?
• What do you appreciate about your own coaching today?
• What would your client say about your coaching today?
• What do you think was "not said" by your client today?
Audio journals. Another strategy for capturing our reflections is to use audio
• Was your client sharing any stories today? Were these new stories or ones she's told in the
For those of us who spend time in the car each day, using a recording
past? device on a phone, for example, can be a strategic way to gather our thoughts. Even if
• What indicators were there today that your client made progress toward her goals?
we never listen to th m again, the pr cess of speaking them aloud shifts our thoughts.
• Where do you think your client is ready to go next? This is what we do often with client -give them spa e and time to speak aloud - and
• What are you curious about or do you want to learn more about?
just this act can be helpful.
• What is your next coaching move? Personal tra11sformation. This will mean something different for each coach and no
• What would help your client move forward? one should be evaluated on his or her personal transformation. However, to include
• What do you want to do or say in your next meeting? it on a rubric is to value it as an area deserving time and attention.
Reflecting on the meaning of personal transformation co uJd be energizing for
Prompts for Occasional Reflection coaches. Personal transformation might suggest a work-life balance or pra ticing
self-care; this is something many educators strive to attain. Coaches can be very
• What do you enjoy about coaching? What draws you to this practice?
compassionate people toward everyone but themselves so for some practicing radical
• When have you felt particularly effective as a coach? What happened?
self-acceptance may be personally transformative. Learning to accept ourselves where
• How does coaching align to your core values? we're at can be a major growth area.
• What do you see as the possible effect or potential of coaching?
Personal tran £ rmation could also mean cultivating patience and equ animity or
• What's challenging about coaching? When do you feel frustrated or ineffective?
finding ways to bring joy and play into our work. It might mean healing past pain and
• What kind of client (gender, age, race, background, experience, and so on) seems the
trauma so that they don't affect work relationships. As each identifies what personal
"easiest" for you to coach? What makes coaching him or her easy?
transformation means, he can search out practices that could support this growth.
• What kind of client feels the "hardest" to coach? What makes coaching him or her hard?

What ls Professional Development for Coaches? 285

284 The Art of Coaching
 What's another way you might ... ?
What would it look like if ... ?
What do you think would happen if . . . ?
How was . . . different from (or similar to) . . . ?
What sort of an effect do you think ... would have?
APPENDIX C
I'm noticing (some aspect of your behavior) ... What do you think is going
on there?
What criteria do you use to . . . ?
Transformational·
Informative Stems
There's a useful book on that topic by .. . Coaching Rubric
An effective strategy to teaching . . . is .. .
You can contact ... in ... department for that resource ...
The coach is talking about the strategies, demonstrating awareness of them,
Your principal will be in touch with you about that. Beginning
and may occasionally try them out.
The coach has begun to use these strategies, but is inconsistent in usage and
Emerging
Prescriptive Stems effectiveness.

I would like you to discuss this issue with your supervisor. The coach consistently uses these strategies and approaches; employing these
Developing
practices leads to meeting some coaching goals.
You need to know that the school's policy is ... The coach's usage of the strategies and approaches is deeply embedded in the
coaching practice and directly results in meeting goals.
Have you talked to . . . about that yet? Last week you said you planned on
The coach's practice is recognized as exemplary and is shared with other
doing so. coaches; the coach shares and creates new knowledge and practice .
...---- -- -----<
Would it be OK if I shared some advice that I think might help you? You're
1. Knowledge Base Coach understands
welcome to take it or leave it, of course. and applies a set of core coaching 1:14
knowledge components. ·c:c
I'd like to suggest ...
Q)
Element a:i Evidence
a. Coach has knowledge of the discipline
around which he or she coaches
(literacy, math, leadership, classroom o 0 0 0 0
management, school transformation,
or other).
b. Coach has knowledge of a range of
coaching approaches, including
directive, facilitative, cognitive, and o 0 0 0 0
ontological, and can apply them as
needed .
(continued)

300 Appendix B 301

 ..,

(Continued)
3. Strategic Design Coach develops
c. Coach demonstrates understanding strategic work plans based on data
of adult learning theory and applies and a variety of assessments. Coach

•
0 0 0 0 0
it in analyzing coaching situations is continually guided by the work plan,
be
makes adjustments as necessary, and
and working with clients.
monitors progress along the way.
c
·sc = 1
IMI

e j
d. Coach demonstrates understanding 'Q Q,I

of systemic oppression and applies Element Q,I

GD la.I Evidence
0 0 0 0 0
it in analyzing coaching situations a. Coach gathers a variety of data and
and working with clients. engages client in assessing data in 0 0 0 0 0
e. Coach demonstrates understanding order to coconstruct work plan.
of systems thinking and applies it in b. Work plan aligns to school or district
0 0 0 0 0
analyzing coaching situations and vision and larger context. 0 0 0 0 0
working with clients.
c. SMARTE goals drive the work with
f. Coach demonstrates understanding client; coach regularly gathers data
of an inquiry lens and applies it in to demonstrate progress toward goals
0 0 0 0 0
0 0 0 0 0
analyzing coaching situations and and engages client in this reflection.
working with clients.
d. Coach develops a theory of action for
g. Coach demonstrates understanding coaching each client and applies 0 0 0 0 0
of emotional intelligence theory and theory in conversations and actions.
0 0 0 0 0
applies it in analyzing coaching
situations and working with clients. e. Coach breaks down the learning into
chunks and identifies high-leverage
h. Coach demonstrates understanding coaching strategies; a plan for gradual
0 0 0 0 0
of change management theory and release of responsibility is articulated .
0 0 0 0 0
applies it in analyzing coaching
situations and working with clients. 4. Coaching Conversation Coach
demonstrates a wide range of listening
2. Relationships Coach develops and and questioning skills. Coach is able
maintains relationships based on trust to effectively move conversations be I'
and respect and demonstrates cultural toward meeting the client's goals.
c
·= = 'i'i5
'@!
bl

I
c
competency in order to advance the bO IMI '60 Q,I
c

"" i
work. ·=c i::
Element Q,I
ID
e Evidence
CD
E a. Coach plans for and structures
Element ID la.I Evidence
coaching conversations to ensure
a. Coach enrolls the client in a coaching that they align with client's goals 0 0 0 0 0
relationship and monitors enrollment 0 0 0 0 0 and that they are moving the client
throughout the work. toward meeting the goals.
b. Coach builds trust with client and b. Coach uses a variety of questioning
sustains it over time; coach maintains 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
strategies with clients.
confidentiality at all times.
c. Coach listens for high-leverage
c. Coach demonstrates cultural compe- entry points that could deepen 0 0 0 0 0
tence and the ability to effectively the conversation and uses them.
coach across race, ethnicity, gender, 0 0 0 0 0
d. Coach effectively uses a range of
class, sexual orientation, age, and
conversational coaching approaches
language background . 0 0 0 0 0
in order to push client to find new
d. Coach demonstrates empathy and possibilities for action to meet goals.
0 0 0 0 0
compassion .
(continued)

302 Appendix C A ppendix C 303

(Continued)
6. Coach as Learner Coach consistently
e. Coach listens with empathy and uses reflects on his or her own learning and
nonjudgmental langua_ge in coaching
conversations.
f. Coach listens without attachment to
0 0 0 0 0

0
development as a coach and actively
seeks out ways to develop his or her
skill, knowledge, and capacity.
c
·c:c
"64
tlll tlll

...
"tio
cu
c •
}
c»
outcome.
0 0 0 0
Element cu
CX)
E
..... cl Evidence
g. Coach shows up as a calm, grounded a. Coach solicits feedback from clients
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
presence. and takes action based on feedback. 0

5. Strategic Actions Coach implements b. Coach gathers a variety of data (notes,

high-leverage strategic actions that audio recordings, video, and so on)
support client in reaching goals and and utilizes a variety of strategies to 0 0 0 0 0

·I I
uses a gradual release of responsibility reflect on coaching practice. Reflection
model to develop a client's autonomy. ·='64
c leads to development of practice.

Element cu E
Evidence c. Coach seeks out professional learning

a. Coach observes client in various

a:i
"" opportunities and consultations with
other coaches to develop coaching 0 0 0 0 0
contexts, gathers data, and offers practice; also stays informed of
0 0 0 0 0
feedback based on what the client current research on best practices.
has asked for.
d. Coach collaborates effectively with
b. Coach guides client to develop colleagues by supporting their 0 0 0 0 0
reflective capacities when receiving 0 0 0 0 0 professional growth .
feedback .
e. Coach demonstrates awareness of his
c. Coach engages client in analyzing or her own emotional intelligence and 0 0 0 0 0
data (student work, survey data, test works to develop emotional resiliency.
0 0 0 0 0
scores, and so on) and responding
f. Coach models transformational
to data .
leadership and demonstrates
d. Coach models best practices 0 0 0 0 0
awareness of how he or she is
(delivering a lesson, facilitating a perceived by others.
meeting, providing professional
0 0 0 0 0 g. Coach attends to his or her own
development, giving difficult feedback, 0 0 0 0 0
personal transformation.
and so on) and engages client in
reflecting on the demonstration.
e. Coach engages client in other
coaching activities (role-playing,
visualizing, gathering surveys, using 0 0 0 0 0
video, and so on) that move the client
toward goals.
f. Coach works within a cl ient's ZPD
and gradually releases responsibility
0 0 0 0 0
to enable the client to meet his or
her goals.
g. Coach supports client to identify
needs, access resources, and build
0 0 0 0 0
relationships that can help meet
those needs.

304 Appendix C Appendix C 305