Page 14 - Sponsor Booklet

Sponsor as Principal Coach
What is a Coach and why are they important?

BPs are often faced with quite clearly defined
situations and incidents which are specific to their
school context, stage of development and the challenges they
currently face. Many such situations, while new to the BP, have
been successfully addressed by their more experienced colleagues.
Clearly identified needs often carry the need for specific skills,
knowledge or competencies, and sometimes within quite a tight
time frame. Imparting such skills and/or knowledge requires the
Sponsor to provide (or find others to provide) specific instructions
rather than philosophical discussion or psychological support. As
such, the Sponsor must sometimes take the role of coach, whose
job is to instruct or train the BP in specific skills or competencies.
Or, using a sporting analogy, one who instructs the BP in the
fundamentals of the job required for a specific ‘game’, problem
situation or programme.

In this programme we see mentoring as distinct (but related to)
from coaching. Coaching is seen as an activity focusing on actually
instructing the BP in an identified area of need (often involving a set
of skills, competencies or behaviours in a specific situation). Such
assistance can be drawn from the Sponsors’ own network or found
on the register of expertise which forms part of the blue skies
support package. Consider the case of Barry Man-lo on page 16.

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