The thread running through my seasons isn’t found in my coaching approach, but in my classroom practice – the steady rhythm of reflection and adjustment with my students. What began as an unintentional approach has become foundational to my professional growth. Season 13 deepened this practice in my student work, and now I’m discovering how it might transform my coaching as well. But last season revealed something unexpected about my coaching: People seem to feel safe exploring ideas when we’re together.
That discovery surprised me and didn’t at the same time as I have been told this in passing but don’t like to make assumptions that this is something that happens all of the time. Going into coaching, I wasn’t sure what to expect, but feedback from facilitators revealed someone who provides insight and creates psychological safety in face-to-face sessions. It emerged from genuine care and presence, and also from my previous experience as a participant.
Now, stepping into Season 14, I’m embracing a fascinating paradox: seasoned coach meets fresh participant. Starting at a new school with slightly different goals means experiencing the participant journey from the beginning rather than continuing previous work. This dual role offers something powerful for my participants: real-time modeling of vulnerability and the learning process.
But here’s where I’m trying to stretch myself: challenging myself beyond comfortable verbal feedback to develop written coaching skills, particularly through thoughtful blog commenting. It’s always been a little unnerving to me – what if I don’t know enough about their content area or something doesn’t come across in the way I thought it would? But written feedback requires different muscles, demands precision, and creates lasting records participants can return to.
I’m hoping Cohort 21 will serve as my learning laboratory this season. I hope to see examples of effective blog commenting, practice opportunities, and feedback on my experiments. Like The Beatles experimenting with new sounds, I’m ready to add new instruments to my coaching repertoire, trusting that good coaching isn’t about having all the answers – it’s about asking the right questions (which is something I’m still afraid to do sometimes…)
I’m hopeful that my foundation of reflection and creating safe spaces provides the steady rhythm that allows for bold experimentation. This season, I’m discovering what emerges when experience meets fresh curiosity.