Student-Coach & Coach Educator mentoring: Expanding horizons

Student-Coach and Coach Educator mentoring aims to support the Student-Coach by enhancing their coaching practice. The process involves the following three core aspects:

• Pre-session meeting: The Student-Coach and the Coach Educator discuss the session methodology and learning objectives, with the Coach Educator offering feedback prior to the start of the session. The Coach Educator Developer observes unobtrusivley to gain an understanding of the session and the support provided by the Coach Educator

To begin the mentoring process, the Student-Coach and Coach Educator engage in a pre-session meeting. This meeting is observed by the Coach Educator Developer, whose role is to give feedback to the Coach Educator. During the pre-session meeting the role of the Coach Educator Developer is to: 

• Observe and listen to the discussion between Student-Coach and Coach Educator (with a focus on the Coach Educator).

• Take effective notes focusing on effective behaviour and also areas for improvement.
  
  

During the practical session, we see how the Coach Educator Developer adopts an effective position to allow for observation and active listening. The Coach Educator Developer ensures the position they adopt does not distract or interfere with the session or the interactions between Coach Educator and Student-Coach. In a similar way to the pre-session discussion, the Coach Educator Developer takes appropriate notes to feedback to the Coach Educator during the post-session feedback.

The post-session feedback process is critical to supporting the development of both student coaches and Coach Educators. The feedback process between Coach Educator Developer and Coach Educator is similar to the process followed by Coach Educator and Student-Coach. In both scenarios, it is crucial to create a positive learning environment where feedback, discussion and reflection is encouraged.

Coach Educator’s feedback for Student-Coach

Coach Educator Developer’s feedback for Coach Educator

During this session, the Coach Educator establishes a systematic approach to address a performance gap pinpointed by the Student-Coach during the pre-meeting. From the outset of the feedback, the student coach articulates areas for improvement, and the Coach Educator provides continuous support through direct insights and reflective questioning.

Similarly, the Coach Educator Developer utilises this process to aid the Coach Educator in recognising potential performance gaps to enhance his mentoring abilities.

As a Coach Educator Developer you should aim to:

• Create a positive learning environment and connect with the Coach Educator;

• Take up effective positions during all elements of the coaching session, ensuring you can observe and listen without interfering;

• Provide evidenced-based feedback;

• Reinforce good practice; and

• Encourage the Coach Educator to think critically in order to provide a better experience for Student-Coaches.

Reflective questions

• How can I, as a Coach Educator, expand the mentoring process to better support Student-Coaches in their career planning?

• In my role as a Coach Educator Developer, what strategies prove most effective in fostering self-reflection among experienced Coach Educators?