The final week of my course has been interesting and thought provoking around exploring the range and nature of partnerships that enable learning. This has not just been about teacher and pupil. It has been about different platforms across schools and learning environments.

This week the course covered:

• Partnerships for learning
• Building a climate of trust
• Perspectives on partnerships for learning
• The use of feedback
• Feedback and the growth mindset
• Pupil feedback
• Pupil voice
• Teaching and learning together
• Valuing pupil voice
• Pedagogy pros and cons

Across the last four weeks the course has explored a range of different perspectives and strategies around effective learning particularly for girls. Taking this into account there is no reason why the same things would not be relevant for boys as an excellent teaching/coaching practice.

I have thoroughly enjoyed the course and have taken lots away which I intend to incorporate into my coaching practice in 2017.

I would like to wish you all a Very Merry Christmas and a Very Happy New Year and I will see you in 2017.

Week 3 of my course has been about the importance of communication and in essence the quality of talk.

Effective communication is a huge part of my job as a coach and mentor so I really understand how vital it is for young people to learn soft skills as part of their education.

This week the course covered the following topics:

• Promoting talk for learning
• Building confident learners through talk
• Talking with confidence and clarity
• Developing thinking and communication skills
• Developing cognitive skills
• Building student awareness of their own learning processes
• The value of quality feedback
• Neuroscience and the adolescent brain
• The whole school approach

I had to complete an assignment this week using the principles covered in the course this week combined with a real coaching session. It really made me think about how I can utilise what I have learnt so far and be a more effective coach for my students.

Next week is the last in the course and I look forward to reflecting and reviewing what I have learnt and taking it forward with my students in 2017.

If you know of anyone that is struggling and would benefit from life coaching then please contact me.

Have a great week.

Week 2 of my course with FutureLearn and Girls’ Day School Trust covered confidence and challenge in the education environment. If these are run in parallel and combined with a secure learning environment, students are more empowered and learn more effectively.

This week the course covered:

• Establishing confidence and challenge
• The value of challenge
• Building confidence
• Engaging learners using challenge
• Modelling risk taking

Within the section of ‘The Value of Challenge’ they looked at Carol Dweck’s ‘Growth Mindset’ and how it can influence student responses and their motivation to learn. I read her book a couple of years ago, ‘Mindset: Changing the way you think to fulfil your potential’. This was an interesting read regarding the differences between a growth and fixed mindset and the effect on our approach to the way we motivate ourselves to learn.

The other interesting factor from this week was about encouraging students to ‘have a go’ and to move away from a perfectionism culture. Creating an environment for safe failure, encouraging reflection and seeing mistakes as opportunities to learn is so important if young people are to engage in the classroom through challenge.

The course also covered the use of ‘fertile and open questions’ and the characteristics they need to have. As a coach, I use both of the above to effectively question my students and move them forward in whatever they want to do. Having more of a coaching environment in the classroom is something that I am very passionate about and would like to see more of it across our education system.

Another great week and I look forward to seeing what week 3 has to offer.

If you know of anyone that is struggling with motivation or is stuck in a rut and would benefit from life coaching then please contact me.