Using a Coach Approach to Academic

Advising

Christina Fabrey, M.Ed., PCC, BCC Director, Center for Advising and Achievement

Green Mountain College fabreyc@greenmtn.edu

Agenda

• Why coaching? • Definition of coaching • Application to advising • Practice coaching skills

Six Year Persistence and Degree Attainment

National Student Clearinghouse Research Center (2012)

What gets in the way of student success?

Laundry

Studying

Waking Up and

Staying Up

Medications

Getting Along with Roommate

Exercise and Healthy Eating

Habits

Managing Stress

Managing Academic and Social

Life Getting to Bed

Balancing Romantic

Relationships

Making Friends

ACADEMICS

Career and College Readiness

A career and college ready student possess the content

knowledge, strategies, skills, and techniques necessary to be

successful in a post-secondary setting.

Four Keys to College and Career Readiness

Key Cognitive Strategies Key Content Knowledge Key Learning Skills and Techniques

Key Transition Knowledge and Readiness

Think Know Act Go Problem Formulation Hypothesize Strategize Research Identify Collect Interpretation Analyze Evaluate Communication Organize Construct Precision and Accuracy Monitor Confirm

Structure of Knowledge Key Terms &Terminology Factual Information Linking Ideas Organizing Concepts Attitude Towards Learning Content Challenge Level Value Attribution Effort Technical Knowledge & Skills Specific Career and College Readiness Standards

Ownership of Learning Goal Setting Persistence Self-awareness Motivation Help-seeking Progress Monitoring Self-efficacy Learning Techniques Time Management Test Taking Skills Note Taking Skills Memorization/recall Strategic Reading Collaborative Learning Technology

Contextual Aspirations Norms/Culture Procedural Institution Choice Admissions Process Financial Tuition Financial Aid Cultural Post-secondary Norms Personal Self-advocacy in an Institutional Context

Conley, David (2014). Education Policy Improvement Center. Portland, OR.

Adaptability Leadership

Applied Knowledge Problem Solving

Career Awareness Resource Utilization

Collaboration Self-Awareness

Communication Self-Care

Critical Thinking Self-Control

Initiative Self-Efficacy

Integrity Social and Personal Responsibility

Intellectual Curiosity Study Skills

Involvement Time Management and Goal Setting

Metacognitive Skills: All learning processes and behaviors involving any degree of reflection, learning-strategy selection, and intentional mental processing that can result in a student’s improved ability to learn.

Conley, David (2014). Education Policy Improvement Center. Portland, OR.

What is ADHD/EF/LD Coaching?

ADHD/EF/LD coaching embraces the ideals and core competencies of life coaching--a collaborative, solutions-based, result-oriented process that facilitates the attainment of goals in order to improve a person’s life experience

In ADHD/EF/LD coaching, we hold our students more accountable and usually have a tighter plan with more frequent contact than in general life coaching.

Connection to Advising • Developmental advising:

o Advisor takes a holistic view of each student to maximize that students’ educational experiences in an effort to foster his or her academic, personal, and career goals towards future success.

• Appreciative advising: o Advisor include components within their

advising of: building trust and rapport, uncovering strengths, co-constructing plans, and providing support and accountability.

• Strengths based advising: o Advisors taking a strengths-based approach

to use students' talents, defined as naturally reoccurring patterns of thought, feeling, or behavior that can be productively applied (Clifton and Harter, 2003, p. 111)

The Coaching Mindset Belief: Students are creative, whole, and

resourceful.

• Develop a professional relationship • Open-ended questions • Genuine curiosity • Co-creating solutions • Non-judgmental • Accountability and check-ins

Exercise 1: Developing a Coaching Relationship

Groups of Two: • Decide who will get to be the “coach” first

(you will both have a chance). • Share a “you at your best” experience— a

highlight of your life. It could be anything! • “Coach” only asks curious open-ended

questions– trying to identify values and to learn as much as you can about this person and their you at your best experience. Adapted from the Coaches Training Institute (CTI).

Initial Question: Think about a time when you were at your best. It could be from this week, several

months ago, a year or many years ago. Think about that story and for a moment think

about what it was like at the beginning, the middle and the end. Think for a moment

about those details. There is no wrong story– anything you felt really wonderful about!

Open-Ended Follow-up Questions:

• Describe the emotions that this brought up for you.

• What did you gain from this experience? • What excites you about this? • How has this experience helped you to

become the person you are today? • How does this experience relate to your

dreams or sense of purpose? • How did you conquer your fears during this

experience?

Debriefing: • What did it feel like to be the “coach”? • What did it feel like to be the person being

coached? • What did you learn about the person’s

values, interests, and motivation from their “you at your best” experience?

• How could this “you at your best” experience tie into current academic/life challenges?

Strength Spotting: Creativity Humility/Modesty Curiosity Fairness Open-mindedness Leadership Love of Learning Forgiveness Perspective/Wisdom Prudence Bravery Self-regulation Persistence/Perseverance Social intelligence Integrity/Authenticity/Honesty Gratitude Vitality/Zest/Energy Hope/optimism Love Humor Kindness/Compassion Spirituality Appreciation of beauty and excellence (awe, wonder)

Citizenship (Loyalty/Teamwork/ Social Responsibility)

Coaching Skill:

Strength Spotting

“What I know about you is you are

_____________________.”

Three Simple Questions for Tapping Strengths:

1. What are some of the things from your past about which you are most proud?

2. What energizes you in the present? 3. What are you looking forward to in

the near future? From: Robert Biswas-Diener, Positive Psychology Coaching.

The Core of “Coach Speak” Open-ended Questions

Avoid asking “Why” Invoke Curiosity

Focus on the Student’s Agenda Keep it Simple

Coaching Skill:

Powerful Questions

Exercise 2: Open Ended Questions

• Can you realistically handle that class given your current commitments?

• Are you feeling discouraged? • Will you do something to improve

your grades? • Are you studying hard in your classes? • Do you think you should get extra

help in that class? • Are you getting involved on campus?

Developing Powerful Questions

In pairs, choose one area of life that students typically struggle with: Examples:

• Academic stress • Organization • Time Management • Self-advocacy • Academic writing • Roommate concerns • Personal hygiene • Motivation • Others?

Then, come up with at least eight open ended, curious questions that you ask about the topic.

Topic: Organization Questions: • How can you be more organized? • What is the cause of your disorganization? • What strategies are you aware of to help manage your

organization (room/schoolwork)? • How have you managed your room/schoolwork before? • How do your friends organize? • What opportunities for support are available on campus? • How can you be more efficient with organizing your

academics? • Where is the disorganization coming from? • When do you feel the most disorganized? • What does your disorganization look like? • What is one thing you can do today to get more

organized?

Student Driven Action Steps

Coaching Skill:

Action Steps

Accountability

What are you going to do? By when?

How will I know?

Coaching Skill:

Accountability

Exercise 3: Action Steps and Accountability

Divide into groups of two. Decide who will coach first (you each will get a chance). Use the topic that you chose, role play coaching a student through that topic using open ended powerful questions. If you get stuck, go back to your list of powerful questions and ask your partner that question. ** When inserting your opinion or providing a suggestion, please ask permission: “Would you be interested in hearing how other students tackle this issue?”

Accountability & Feedback Self-driven/self-directed

Study smarter (not harder) Time Management/Prioritize

Future focused Social Skills

Health & Well-Being Life Balance

How Coaching Helps

Questions?