In the evolving world of education, schools play a crucial role in preparing students for their future. As academic pressures and personal challenges increase, coaching has become a powerful tool to enhance a student’s holistic development. Traditional classroom teaching, while essential, may not always suffice in meeting the unique needs of every student. Here’s where Coaching, a dynamic approach that goes beyond classroom instruction to support students’ holistic development comes into play. A personal journey of how coaching can transform secondary education. 

Why coaching in schools?

Coaching in secondary schools involves working one-on-one with students or small groups to support their academic, emotional and social development. Coaching is personalized and goal-oriented which focuses on building students’ self-awareness, resilience and goal setting skills. Coaches like me empower students by helping them develop personalized action plans and provide ongoing support to achieve their goals. 

Key benefits of coaching in schools

Tailored support:

Coaching offers a level of personalized attention that addresses each student’s specific needs. Each student has their own set of strengths, challenges and goals. This personalized approach helps students navigate their academic workload and personal challenges more effectively. 

Increased self-awareness:

Coaching helps students to gain a deeper understanding of their strengths, challenges and learning styles. This self-awareness is crucial for developing effective study habits and enables them to make informed decisions about their studies, career paths and personal growth. 

Effective goal-setting:

Coaching assists students in setting realistic and achievable goals. By breaking down larger objectives into manageable steps, students learn to set goals with confidence and stay motivated. 

Enhanced resilience:

The secondary school years can be challenging. Coaching equips students with the tools and strategies to handle stress, setbacks and challenges effectively. Students build resilience and problem-solving skills and this prepares them for future life challenges. 

Improved communication:

Regular coaching sessions encourages students to communicate openly and honestly about their thoughts, feelings and goals. This constant practice fosters stronger relationships with peers, teachers, and family members. Improved interpersonal skills bring about a collaborative school environment. 

Increased motivation and engagement:

Coaching helps students to connect their goals to their interests, fostering greater engagement and motivation in both academic and personal pursuits. 

Growth mindset:

Coaching instills a growth mindset in students. By focusing on progress and looking at the positive aspect of challenges students are encouraged to embrace to learn from setbacks and continuously strive to have a growth mindset. 

Real life examples of coaching success

There have been positive outcomes from these coaching programmes. 

Example 1

Context: Student B, faced challenges with academic performance, particularly when planning, setting and executing goals for school (year end exams)

Implementation: The coaching programme focused on a personalized academic goal setting. The individual action plan was developed by the student through an intense coaching session. The student was asked to think of the various ways that worked for her and methods of planning that did not work for her, mainly focusing on study skills and time management. 

Result: Student who participated in this coaching programme showed a significant increase in confidence and grades. Student has increased self-awareness in knowing what methods of study worked and what did not. Student was able to develop effective study habits. 

Key takeaway: Student had higher levels of confidence and motivation towards planning and studying for final year exams. Personalised coaching can effectively address academic challenges. 

Example 2

Context: Student J wanted to better prepare for post-secondary education and career pathways. 

Implementation: Coaching session included career exploration activities, career interest, skills development and resume-building for post secondary education 

Result: Student reported feeling more prepared with improved skills in resume writing, interview preparation and career planning.

Key takeaway: Student had learnt new skills whilst preparing for post secondary education. Student was able to have a structured approach to career planning. Career coaching can enhance students’ readiness for post-secondary education. 

Example 3

Context: Student L aimed to cultivate leadership skills and prepare herself for future leadership roles. She strived to strike a balance between friendships in school, schoolwork and leadership roles. 

Implementation: The coaching programme included leadership vision, principles, skills and management. Student was tasked to develop these skills and foster strategies to a better study – life balance. 

Result: Student took on leadership roles in school (including projects). Student demonstrated better communication, problem-solving and decision making skills. 

Key takeaway: Student was able to lead the team and was recognized for her contributions to the school. She had developed positive relationships with friends in school and overcame academic obstacles. 

Conclusion: Preparing students’ for lifelong success

A significant improvement was seen in student outcomes through this coaching progamme. Schools that introduced coaching found improvement in students’ problem-solving skills, improved self-esteem, greater achievement both in their studies and overall well-being.  Success stories like the ones above highlight the transformative potential of coaching in helping students reach their full potential. 

Article written by:
Bhavani D/O Jeganathan
Senior Specialist Teacher, DAS International
RETA Fellow