Master's Degree Mentor Coaching System
“Coaching has the power to ignite, grow, and sustain thinking, motivation, and determination for action to achieve the extraordinary results desired and expected today.”
(Kee, Anderson, Dearing, Harris & Shuster, 2017, p.1)
Master’s Degree programs at Florida Atlantic University include a strong coaching component focused on the coach development of principal mentors. Principal mentors engage in a learning community to develop coaching skills and strategies. Mentor/Coaches attend a 10-hour introductory session in the summer of year one of the program. The coaching system also includes three workshops that build a common language around the mentee’s curriculum during the 22-month Masters’ Degree program. The workshops support the coaches as they develop specific skills and strategies to support the program participants around the theory within their coursework and the connection to experiential activities performed within their schools. Principal mentor/coaches also develop a networking system among all other principal mentor/coaches through attending the PLC and participating in critical feedback among peers.
Purpose for FAU Coaching System
Develop principal mentors as coaches to:
- support the well-being of program participants
- facilitate program participants’ development of leadership skills
- build the efficacy and social-emotional competencies of program participants
- promote reflective practices among all participants
- learn and grow with their program participants
- identify their own growth as coaches and their own social and emotional competencies
Goals of Coaching
- Mentor/coaches will develop the ability to use coaching skills and strategies that help future leaders build self-efficacy through reflective practices and the self-identification of the future leaders’ social and emotional competencies.
- Reflective coach conversations focused on giving feedback, relationship building, and listening will guide the future leader to examine their actions and thoughts and lead to a new way of being.