Using coaching principles with students

1. Getting more from one-to-one
with students
Dawn Wood, Janet Finlay
JISC funded PC3 project @ Leeds
Metropolitan University

2. Finding out about you
• Work in pairs
• Take turns to be the questioner
• Ask each other
– Who are you?
– What brings you here?
– How do you feel at the moment?
• You have 5 minutes

3. How does coaching compare?

4. What did you notice?
• Who did most of the talking?
• How did the student respond in each case?
• Which do you think created greater ownership
of the solutions?
• Which provided the best opportunity for
learning?

5. The art of conversation
• A good coach needs to master:
– Listening
• Language, tone, tempo, volume, inflections
– Questioning
• What, Why, How, When
– Observing
• Body language, gestures, eye movement
– Rapport
• Trust and commitment
– Themselves
• Awareness of their values, beliefs, interests, agendas –
achieving a none judgemental state

6. Good Questions
• Goals
– What would you like to happen?
– What is your insight about this?
– What does it mean to you?
• Reality
– Describe/explain where you are now with this?
– How important is this to you?
– What impact is this having on you?
• Options
– What has worked well in the past?
– What else could you do?
• Way forward
– How will you do that?
– When will you do that?
– Who do you need to involve?

7. Case Study – Harry
• Harry is a part-time student. He’s struggling
to get his assignments in on time and is often
late for the start of lectures and seminars,
causing disruption to the rest of the class.

8. Case Study – Trish
• Trish is a final year undergraduate. She has
had her dissertation topic approved but has
yet to start work on it and, when asked about
it, has said that she is not inspired or
motivated.

9. Case Study – Suneet
• Suneet has been at the University for 2
months. You have spoken to her about
unsatisfactory attendance and she has just
told you that she thinks she is on the wrong
course.

10. Case Study – Jack
• Jack is on a Masters course. He seemed keen
and driven at the start of the course but this
has changed recently. You are worried that he
has personal issues.

11. Resources
• The Inner Game of Work – Timothy Gallwey
• Coaching Handbook – Jenny Rogers
• Adult Learning – Jenny Rogers