Why did you become an impact coach?

There was a Staff Only Day that the teacher aides were invited to attend at Nayland College.  I listened to Russell Bishop speaking and he really interested me.  The principal at my school gave me a copy of his book (Teaching to the North East) to read and I thought it made sense.

What was the training process like for you?

Challenging!  I had to learn a lot of the language that teachers use and become familiar with it.  It seemed hard but once I'd done it, it all made sense.  It's like putting a puzzle together.

How are you using your new skills?

I thought I'd just use them for me because I learnt so much.   It changed my attitude.  I started checking my planning to see if I had things like prior learning and power sharing and adding them in.

What impact has this had for your learners?

They are more engaged, student voice is so important for this.  I now use learning progressions as a scaffold so kids know where they are at and where to go next.  Having an understanding of power sharing has really changed the way I connect with them.  

I went to some of the workshops and it gave me lots of ideas of ways to keep the children engaged.  I really like how the workshops gave us practical ideas we could use with any learning.

What would you say to someone who is considering training as an impact coach?

It's invaluable.  Keep going even when it's hard because all the pieces fit together.

What are your goals as a coach now?

I need to keep coaching regularly and I can coach myself.  I am now able to show my capabilities.

My next step is introducing the RBL way of thinking to the rest of the teacher aides at my school.

"Having Ann, our wonderful teacher aide, trained as an impact coach helps us all.  We are all speaking the same language and working in the same way to help our learners."  Lienkie WST Nelson Christian Academy