Certificate in Practice-Based Coaching Alumni Interviews

Introducing Blanca Garza!

Q: Tell us a little about yourself. Where do you live? How long have you been coaching? What is your current caseload? How has your job changed over the years? 

A: Hello, my name is Blanca Garza. I live in Pasco, Washington, and my job is coach lead/supervisor. I had a caseload of childcare sites for the past six years however, as of January of this current year, I am not assigned a caseload. I currently supervise and mentor coaches in their role, and also onboard new coaches and guide them through the process of onboarding.

Q: What has been a highpoint experience for you recently? 

A: The onboarding of new coaches has helped me gain more experience in the role of coach because each of them have different questions which helps us research the answer to better understand the how and why of the questions or curiosity.

Q: What are some of the challenges you’ve been experiencing in your work lately? How have you been addressing them?

A: There have been some challenges during the pandemic, which have affected communication with some sites that are disengaged because of staff turnover. It’s been a challenge finding the time to meet with site staff. However, there have also been some great highlights with virtual meetings. This has helped communication tremendously with sites that have the time to meet either in the evenings or weekends.

"I would recommend all coaches take this program. The certificate opens your mind to new opportunities for coaching. "

Q: What led you to apply for the Certificate in Practice-Based Coaching? 

A:I applied to the coaching certificate because I wanted to gain more knowledge and skills on how to help teachers in creating Shared Goals and Action Plans; how to conduct Focused Observations, and what type of questions to ask during Reflection and Feedback.

Q: What did you learn from the certificate? And how have you applied that in your job going forward? 

A: I learned many great skills to implement during my coaching visits and during the review of my own videos I learned how to be mindful and be supportive while giving feedback. The program helped me be more culturally responsive to appreciate and respect other people’s values.

Q: What would you say to coaches contemplating taking the Certificate in Practice-Based Coaching?

A: I would recommend all coaches take this program. The certificate opens your mind to new opportunities for coaching. What I liked best was videotaping myself with the coachee because I was able to observe my strengths and opportunities for growth with my coaching skills. 

Introducing Jacki McBride!

Q: Tell us a little about yourself. Where do you live? How long have you been coaching? What is your current caseload? How has your job changed over the years? 

A: I have been working in the early childhood education field for over 30 years. During that time I have held a wide variety of positions, including my current position as an early learning coach and coordinator for a local ECEAP program. 

Q: What has been a highpoint experience for you recently? 

A: There have been several highpoints in my career as an early childhood educator. One of the highpoints I have had recently is being able to coach teachers around social emotional skill development. Observing teachers strengthen their teaching practices in this area has been a highlight for me over the last few years.

Q: What are some of the challenges you’ve been experiencing in your work lately? How have you been addressing them?

A: I try to look at challenges as learning opportunities and have experienced several throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, such as providing in-person coaching sessions, conducting in-person observations, and maneuvering through the various COVID-19 protocols at sites I partner with. During this time, I have learned how to use virtual platforms, such as Zoom and Google Meets, to conduct coaching sessions.

I encourage teachers to video record themselves for observations or set up a camera in their classroom to conduct virtual observations. As sites adjust their COVID-19 protocols, I stay informed by asking questions so I am prepared as we move to providing more in-person services. I have found that being flexible and having a growth-mindset has helped me navigate these challenges.    

"Throughout my career as an early learning professional, I have been a coach and also a coachee. Taking this certificate program allowed me to reflect on both experiences and blend them together, strengthening the skills I already had and learning new ones. "

Q: What led you to apply for the Certificate in Practice-Based Coaching? 

A: I applied for the Certificate in Practice-Based Coaching to strengthen my coaching skills and make connections with other early learning coaches.

Q: What did you learn from the certificate? And how have you applied that in your job going forward? 

A: One of the coaching skills that was strengthened by participating in the certificate program is my ability to engage in reflective practices. I applied this learning by creating a list of reflective questions that I use in coaching sessions to promote teachers’ reflections of their own teaching practices. Strengthening this skill has allowed me to move away from being the “problem-solver.” Giving teachers an opportunity to come up with solutions, goals, and strategies on their own with me being their sounding board and account-a-bila-buddy (as we call it at my house) providing an opportunity to think about their progress throughout the coaching cycle. 

Q: What would you say to coaches contemplating taking the Certificate in Practice-Based Coaching?

A: I would encourage coaches who are thinking about the Certificate in Practice-Based Coaching to take the leap into new learning. Whether a person is an experienced coach or coaching is something new, it is worth the investment of time. Throughout my career as an early learning professional, I have been a coach and also a coachee. Taking this certificate program allowed me to reflect on both experiences and blend them together, strengthening the skills I already had and learning new ones.