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.

When was the last time you saw a waterfall in real life? If you’re like us, it’s sadly been a few years. So, let’s take a moment to remember their immense capacity.

A waterfall gushes down the side of a rock with unexplainable force. A waterfall carries momentum into the water below and trickles onwards. A waterfall has grace and strength. A waterfall is powerful.

The idea of ‘The Waterfall Effect’ has been contemplated by many. In Paul H Burton’s book, The Waterfall Effect: Six Principles for Productive Leadership, he describes the effect as the benefits that cascade down through an organisation, into the community and out to the client base. For us, the effect is seen in nearly every school we’ve worked with and seen in spades!

This blog was inspired by a very talented, vegan entrepreneur, Leanne, who has recently turned her life inside out and backwards, to find not only what fulfils her deeply but what also makes her healthy and happy.

If you’ve been coaching for any length of time, you likely have your favourite go-to questions; the ones that you use time and time again. You may think the question in your head is the best one to ask your coachee, but sometimes, you need to challenge yourself to swap one question for another to really open someone up.

When we hear about a school embedding coaching skills, whether for professional development, student academics or more, we can't resist the urge to share it with our wider community. We believe that stories like the one below are inspiring and destined to have a ripple effect.

On a recent Foundational Coaching Course, The Anatomy, a participant shared that our coaching model was a lot like triple jump. This resonated with us. Like Start With Heart, the triple jump is also based on three stages—Hop, Skip and Jump—and like Start With Model, each and every step is integral.

Is coaching simple or complex? It is both, and herein lies its power.