Centro Provinciale Istruzione Adulti

Si pubblica di seguito il testo dell'articolo in lingua inglese pubblicato sul blog di ELA - Erasmus Learning Academy sulla recente mobilità ERASMUS a Tenerife.

 

The Convergence of Teaching and Coaching: Cultivating Motivation in the Classroom

The traditional role of a teacher involves transmitting knowledge and facilitating skill development in students. Conversely, a coachis tasked with supporting and motivating their students through active listening, questioning, and posing challenges. While theseroles may appear distinct, what if a teacher were to integrate coaching principles into the classroom, becoming both an educatorand a motivator?

This concept was fundamental during the new edition of the course “Emotional intelligence and coaching inside the school andeducational context” that took place in Tenerife from 02/09/2023 to 09/09/2023. The participants came from all across Europe,with Lorraine from St. Monica School in Malta, Armando, Romeo, Elena, Raffaela, Chiara from CPIA Ancona in Italy, Monika from "Wichterlovo gymnázium, Ostrava-Poruba, příspěvková organizace" in Czech Republic, Valērijs and Randa from Liepaja Marine College in Latvia. The course began with Coaching ourselves part. The participants explored their skills and checked which area of their life needstheir attention in the moment in order to set a goal.

Next they moved to an exploration of Emotional Intelligence, which refers to the capacity to not only recognize our own emotionsbut also understand the emotions of others. This awareness enables a teacher to establish a connection with students, assistingthem in managing their feelings effectively.

Coaching entails inspiring and guiding individuals to become the best versions of themselves. To enhance our coaching abilities,they delved into the concept of setting SMART goals. Participants were tasked with defi ning SMART goals for themselves, ensuringthey were Specifi c, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Time-bound.

The course also delved into the potent infl uence of questions. Questions have the unique ability to stimulate thinking, self-refl ection,constructive responses, and action, fostering idea development. As part of this course, participants explored the art of constructinglearning-focused questions. This process began with an invitation to engage, presented thought-provoking content, and highlighteda cognitive focus for thinking and elaboration. Later using the GROW model, they tried to do their fi rst coaching session, in order tounderstand how it really works.

Another critical coaching skill, relevant in any setting, including the classroom, is confl ict management. Self-awareness andemotional control play pivotal roles in preventing the escalation of confl icts. Contrary to conventional belief, confl icts need not beinherently negative; they can serve as catalysts for growth and positive outcomes. As coaches, our role is to facilitate dialogues andsupport students in fi nding their solutions. It is crucial to note that a coach's function is not to impose solutions but rather to guidethe analysis of the confl ict, aid in decision-making, and evaluate behavior.
Throughout this training week, participants had the opportunity to share their collective experiences and draw insights from theirdiverse cultural backgrounds. They honed their coaching skills and discovered practical ways to apply them effectively in theirclassrooms.

 

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