Chris Munro, Managing Director, shares 5 things about GCI and our online programs.
Growth Coaching International (GCI) has been providing coaching and coaching training to the education sector since 2002. Our courses are now delivered in Australia, New Zealand, Europe, the United Kingdom, North America, the Middle East, Africa and South East Asia.
Our purpose is to enhance the quality of conversations in education communities:
So that leaders lead well, teachers teach well, parents contribute well, and student learning and wellbeing are enhanced!
The key differentiator is that coaching in education has a clear purpose: improved outcomes for learners. While the focus is on the success and wellbeing of learners, coaching is used to support everyone in the educational community.
The Global Framework for Coaching and Mentoring in Education (van Nieuwerburgh, Knight & Campbell, 2019) shows 4 areas where coaching is being used currently in schools, colleges and universities:
To support students directly
To support educational leadership
To improve the professional practice of educators
To connect educational institutions to their communities
"a one-to-one conversation focused on the enhancement of learning and development through increasing self-awareness and a sense of personal responsibility, where the coach facilitates the self-directed learning of the coachee through questioning, active listening, and appropriate challenge in a supportive and encouraging climate"
"intentionally managed conversations that employ active listening, skilful questioning and other coaching skills tempered with high levels of emotional intelligence, in order to raise awareness and encourage responsibility in the coachee"
A ‘coaching approach’ is about intentionally utilising the transferable elements of coaching in a range of conversational situations that would not typically be considered coaching interactions.
Some ‘transferable’ elements of coaching include:
"In defining coaching as a form of ‘conversation’ it can be easy to trivialise and underplay the critical importance of effective coaching skill development training. Coaching is a specific kind of conversation, full of intention; subtle and not so subtle shifts in perspective; carefully nuanced language; and acutely refined listening among other things"
This program is a practical introduction to our three elements of effective coaching practice:
You will leave the program with:
This course is for any educator looking for a common language and approach for coaching conversations.
These are not webinars or online lectures. Our programs utilise the versatility of the Zoom Pro platform to enable the most interactive and engaging experience in each of our live workshops.
This is achieved through a careful balance of :
Regular stretch breaks are built into each 2 hour workshop.
The live interactive workshops are complemented by self-paced modules on our Learning Management System (LMS). Participants create an account and complete pre and post workshop modules over the three weeks of the program. The notional time to engage with the Introduction to Leadership Coaching modules is approximately 4 hours in total.
The LMS modules contain a curated selection of readings, podcasts, videos and guided reflection activities designed to extend and deepen participant learning and set the scene for the next workshop.
By creating an LMS account, participants have ongoing access to the materials beyond the completion of the program.
Thoughtfully designed for online learning, this program builds on the pedigree of our highly regarded face-to-face training programs that are underpinned by high-quality, research-informed and up-to-date intellectual property; a commitment to interactive and engaging learning experiences; and expert facilitation by skilled professionals with extensive experience of working in education.
A Learning Design to Enable ‘Praxis’
Our spaced learning design consists of live interactive workshops using Zoom complemented
by self-paced modules on our Learning Management System (LMS). By spreading the learning over a number of
weeks, participants are able to go through a praxis-enabling process of learning, reflecting and implementing in context. When
we are engaged in praxis we are reflecting in action – taking what we are learning and applying it in real-life situations.
Our online program design provides greater opportunity for immediate implementation in context than conventional
multi-day programs.
"I used to think that participating in an online professional learning would be difficult to engage in and I might not learn as well as face to face. Now I think that online learning is engaging and I have learnt a lot. Thank you."
"I appreciated that we were able to try the method in small chunks and receive feedback. I also liked that is was spread over 3 weeks and we could process and try what we had learnt. Zoom was great as I didn't need to travel to attend."
"Thank you for this course. It is the best PD I have ever been involved in. It already has positive real-world application not only in my workplace but wider sphere of life."
Our facilitators, all of whom also coach, are skilled professionals immersed in the field of coaching in education. They bring a rich range of educational experience and credentials to our work and all embody a ‘coaching way of being’.
Our senior staff are internationally recognised leaders in coaching in education who contribute to the knowledge base of the field through writing and research.
Our programs are underpinned by high-quality, research-informed and up-to-date intellectual property alongside a commitment to interactive and engaging learning experiences with immediate applicability. We understand what it is like to operate in complex and busy educational environments and we design our programs and services accordingly.
Note: You must be available on all dates listed for your chosen cohort