The benefits of having pupil coaching to support attainment & wellbeing
Introduction
Coaching is a process of support, guidance and mentoring for individuals to help them achieve their goals. In a school setting, you can use coaching differently depending on your goal. I use it for personal development, professional development, and many other purposes.
Coaching is an effective way of helping young people attain their full potential by improving their confidence, resilience and mental wellbeing, which will help them reach their goals in life.
The Benefits of Coaching for Attainment
Focus on goals.
Setting achievable objectives.
Developing self-discipline and motivation
The Benefits of Coaching for Wellbeing
Coaching is a powerful tool for helping young people to overcome challenges and achieve their potential. Coaching can increase self-confidence, improve behaviour and academic achievement, and help pupils foster better relationships with peers and adults.
Coaching helps young people learn how to take responsibility for their actions by giving them the tools they need to make better choices in life. This is particularly important when developing emotional intelligence (EQ), or "the ability to identify, assess, control and express emotions". EQ has been shown by researchers at Harvard University's Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University that high levels of EQ are associated with good mental health outcomes such as resilience against stressors such as bullying or bereavement, lower rates of depression among teenagers, less anxiety among college students; fewer symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder among veterans returning from war zones - all leading towards greater life satisfaction later on down the line!
The Benefits of Coaching for Resilience
Coaching for resilience can help young people to identify and manage stress, develop strategies to cope with difficult situations, and recognize and avoid potential pitfalls.
Coaches can support young people by helping them to:
Understand their strengths and weaknesses
Learn how they react under pressure (e.g., do they get angry? Do they freeze?)
Learn how their actions impact others in the team or group (e.g., are there other ways of reacting that would be more helpful?)
Coaches should also encourage their clients/players/students etc., if appropriate, to reflect on past experiences where they have been successful at overcoming challenges or failure has led them forward into new opportunities.
Real-Life Examples of Coaching Success
Here are some real-life examples of coaching success from this year from my coaching with pupils across Scotland:
Young people from St.Benedicts High School in Renfrewshire have had my coaching all year. This has led to self-reporting of increased confidence, teacher observations about improvement in behaviour & motivation, and learner engagement in class.
Another young person from St. Andrew's RC Secondary in Glasgow had been experiencing difficulties at home, affecting their confidence and self-esteem. Through regular coaching sessions with their coach, this young person gained the confidence to apply for university courses and find employment locally after leaving school.
Having professional coaching expertise in school is a powerful tool to support young people's attainment and wellbeing and something you should consider in addition to guidance & pastoral support to help you positively impact pupils' academic performance and assist them in developing resilience and confidence.
Coaching is also beneficial for teachers who may feel overwhelmed by the demands of their job or need additional support to improve their teaching skills.
We hope this article has given you some insights into how coaching can help young people achieve their full potential at school, college or university - and beyond!