Case Study: Building a Coaching Culture BEFORE Starting a Coaching Program with Melissa Carr

·48 min·4 clips

A first-grade teacher in Japan got her school so excited about coaching that they created a new position for her.

Host Kim Cofino introduces the episode as part of a coaching case study series, featuring client Melissa Carr. Melissa is a grade one classroom teacher at St. Mary's International School in Japan and a graduate of the Coach Certificate and Mentorship Program. She shares her educator journey, starting with teaching English in Japan and moving to an international school, where she served as a language arts learning coordinator. Melissa became interested in coaching to impact colleagues beyond her classroom without moving into administration. Her school had shown interest in coaching for years but took no action. While enrolled in the coaching course, Melissa was invited to present her learnings to the school leadership team. She focused on redefining coaching as confidential, invitational, and non-evaluative, emphasizing teacher belonging and professional goal valuation. The leaders were excited, and months later, the school posted an instructional coach position for the elementary school, which Melissa applied for and secured. She and her principal are now using the Thrive model and systems checklist to build a sustainable coaching program. Melissa discusses her aha moments in the course, appreciating its flexibility and the examples from other cohort members that provided a roadmap. She practiced coaching cycles with a colleague, recording conversations to refine her listening skills and seeking feedback. Melissa advises educators to take a course, use frameworks like the Thrive model, embrace vulnerability, and maintain curiosity. The episode concludes with Kim highlighting the Thrive model's role in Melissa's success and promoting related courses and workshops.

As heard by us

A grounded look at why trust and clarity need to come before a coaching program can do its best work.

Melissa Carr's move from grade one classroom teacher into instructional coaching gives #coachbetter a clear school-workplace lens. The episode is most useful when it stays with the conditions that make coaching possible in the first place: trust, clarity, and a shared sense of…

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Why you'd press play

You can sit with the delicate part: growing coaching habits while a school is still finding clarity around the role.

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