Coaching: Sharing challenges and giving back

Through the Teach First Coaching Programme, we’ve partnered with organisations and professionals across a range of sectors to help teachers develop and thrive throughout their careers.

Meet Liz, one of our dedicated coaches on the programme:

I'm the Vice President of Human Resources for DHL Express in the UK. I cover all elements of HR in the business, and I have a team of about 60 people.

It's an exciting business that brings with it all sorts of challenges.

I've lived and worked in China and in Poland and had a really varied career.

Why coaching?

Working in HR, I'm passionate about supporting people with their own talent journey and how we can help them do what's important for them. Coaching and one-to-one support is often the nature of the job.

Overall, I’ve been pretty fortunate in life and I want to give something back. I’ve always done voluntary work and I’m a trustee of a charity supporting families with children who have complex disabilities.

I've got quite a lot of coaching experience as well as relevant HR qualifications. We also have a programme at DHL called Coaching for Success which I have delivered on, although I don't have a specific coaching qualification. In the past I’ve also volunteered as a Samaritan.

Choosing Teach First

A lot of my family were teachers. I really respect what teachers do and the impact they have.

I really like what Teach First does as an organisation and a charity. I think that's amazing and why wouldn’t you want to try and support them, if you can?

The structure of Teach First’s Coaching Programme, and having that training and confidence going into it, has worked really well. There is a network, and you’ve got lots of support.

Working with my coachee

I connect with my coachee every few months. There’s not just one way of doing things. We find what works for us. And it’s an enjoyable time whenever we get together.

Early on in the programme, my current coachee got promoted. It was great to be able to work with them on preparing for that. They went from secondary school to primary, which was quite a big change. We discussed transferring leadership skills and how different environments can bring about challenges you haven’t faced before.

My coachee’s new school served different communities to what they had experienced and it was interesting to discuss how we handle things in our workplace versus how they handle it in school and how to make that work.

We've also had some really good conversations about being open and authentic. This individual had gone into their new role quite open-minded, but that had been a challenge because it wasn't what they were used to. So, it was quite interesting talking about changing leadership styles and what to do.

All of those things, in my view, translate into the workplace.

Facing challenges together

Sometimes just being able to share these challenges helps. Especially in a school where you are the most senior person. It can be quite lonely. Having that conversation allows them to work through things themselves.

Coaching is not about looking for solutions for somebody or owning the solution. It's about giving them the opportunity to work through challenges and asking questions to support them.

You can be very honest and open. And it's somebody with a very different perspective because they're in a different environment. So, you don’t get lost in some of the politics of education, you're just talking about how it feels being a leader.

You learn a lot about yourself

I would absolutely recommend the Coaching Programme. It's not difficult. You need to go through the training which is a really good coaching development resource.

You’re reminded about the challenges that other people are going through, and that makes it almost easier sometimes to handle your own.

To anyone considering volunteering for Teach First, I’d say be prepared to make the time that's needed, which isn’t vast. Plus, a lot of it is remote.

You get a lot out of it for a comparatively small investment of time and effort, and you’re doing good for the teachers involved. You get that feeling of giving back.

It’s humbling when you listen to some of the challenges that somebody's facing within a school. It’s sometimes quite lonely in terms of the decision-making process. So, to be able to be part of making that a bit easier is good.

Education is pretty fundamental to us all at some point. So, to be able to give back adds a lot of value, and you learn about yourself, too.

Could you help a teacher get the most out of their career? Find out more about becoming a Teach First coach and play your part in helping schools and pupils to succeed.