Coaching Best Practices

---

Our coaches follow guidelines for best practices for relationship building in academic success coaching, including:

• Demonstrating commitment to the student  
• Exploring needs, motivations, desires, skills and thought processes to assist the student in the process of goal setting and the development of an action plan (strategies to achieve goals)
• Asking questions to facilitate student's own thought processes in order to identify solutions and actions rather than taking a directive approach
• Supporting the student in setting appropriate goals and methods of assessing progress in relation to these goals
• Observing, listening, and asking questions to understand the student's situation – and working to avoid questions that can be answered with a “yes” or “no”
• Acting professionally at all times, while still sharing some of their story, experiences, and shortcomings, so the student feels comfortable with the relationship they have with their coach, and understands that the coaches role is one of support, not corrective action 
• Maintaining positive regard for the student, which means that the coach is at all times supportive and non-judgmental of the student, their views, and aspirations
• Setting boundaries to ensure that students develop personal competencies and do not develop unhealthy dependencies on the coach
• Teaching effective decision making and problem solving skills
• Evaluating the outcomes of the process, using objective measures wherever possible to ensure the relationship is successful and the student is achieving their goals
• Encouraging students to continually improve competencies

Once these things are established, the coach works with the student to set goals and develop a plan of action with strategic solutions.  Some solutions may include improved note taking, time management, study skills, test taking, reading comprehension, writing skills, research skills, memory and/or organization. There are many tools available to help with each of these areas.