Imagine a Classroom Guided By a Coach

In 2017, one of our cofounders, Quinn Simpson, wrote a blog for the 74 Million that articulated how transformational teachers are when they use coaching skills. The blog focused on the teacher and their relationships with students, but it didn’t explore in great enough detail how the classroom would transform when guided by a coach.

Here’s a little taste of what it looked like:

“Imagine a classroom where the teacher believes that students have all the answers, that they are capable and whole. In this space, the teacher’s role is to ask, not tell. They know their students already have — or can find — the resources they need to take the next step in their learning. They connect and partner with their students, tapping into their innate desire to develop and grow.

The journey from A to B (whether enhancing literacy or building a suspension bridge or solving an equation) is individual and tailored on a needs basis….

As a result, the classroom is more flexible and open than the more traditional model. Its culture is one of shared responsibility, with an ongoing feedback loop between teachers and students.”

As we begin 2022 and reflect on what the last two years have brought us, how and where learning can and cannot take place, is at the forefront of our minds. The pandemic opened our eyes to the challenges educators face every single day and the potential for new ways of teaching and learning. 

Let’s explore how a classroom guided by a coach could be different in a clear and practical way. A coaching guided classroom would enable: 

1.     Student Voice.

Students would be given consistent choice in their own curriculum. At every stage of learning, students would be heavily involved.

2.     Experiential Collaboration.

Students would be guided through experiences to solve meaningful challenges in teams. They would be encouraged to collaborate and discover, together.

3.     Deep Exploration.

Students would be walked through awareness raising exercises, focused on developing their curiosity and a deep sense of exploration. Then, with their newly found discoveries, they would take responsibility for their learning by putting it into action and tangibly applying it. Exploration would always come before application.

There are, undoubtedly, teachers around the world already coaching in the classroom, guiding their lessons with student voice, experiential collaboration and deep exploration. Graydin’s vision is to live in a world where coaching is the norm in every classroom.

If you think your classroom could benefit from being guided by a coach, join us on March 2, 2022 for Coaching Day. We’ll be gathering educators from around the world to showcase the impact coaching can make in your classrooms. Most of the time, we’re all just 1mm or 2mm off, and sometimes that millimeter makes all the difference.