Reflective Leadership Coaching

Professional Development Credit – This Micro-Credential may be eligible for continuing professional development credit in your state. Contact your state affiliate association to learn more.

Overview – Reflective Leadership Coaching Micro-Credential requires that the practitioner demonstrates proficiency of all essential outcomes and research-based subskills. These include facilitating collegial, coaching conversations in which the practitioner leads the educational leader through a process cycle of reflecting and analyzing his or her leadership practices, decision-making, problem-solving, professional context, knowledge, skills, and planning skills. The practitioner while coaching will further demonstrate the use of probing, high-level, self-reflective questions to challenge the educational leader’s thinking, stimulate growth, and lead to actionable improvements.

Essential Outcomes – Reflective Leadership Coaching includes the following four identified essential outcomes:

1. Engage in a collegial, trusting, reflective relationship to address and analyze leadership issues or initiatives.
2. Communicate collaboratively and provide reflective, probing, high-level questions during outcome-based conversations.
3. Engage in evidence-based communication and actionable feedback that guide the educational leader through a reflective process.
4. Provide support for improved performance through goal setting and action planning.

Requirements

Part 1. Overview Questions

Develop a responsive narrative that answers the following questions (1,000-word minimum):

1. Describe the strategies you use during collaborative, reflective conversations with a school leader that build and further preserve trusting relationships while addressing leadership issues or initiatives.
2. What dialogue and questioning strategies do you use to ensure a reflective, outcomes-based conversation with an educational leader?
3. How have you prepared for and provided actionable, evidence-based feedback during a reflective coaching conversation?
4. What strategies do you incorporate with an educational leader to ensure regular follow-up, so they might reflect on what worked, what could have worked better, and proposed changes?

Part 2. Skill Demonstration Product with Self-Analysis

A 10-15 minutes video of you coaching an educational leader that captures the essential outcomes for Reflective Leadership Coaching. The video should allow the assessor to see both you and the individual you are coaching so that both verbal and non-verbal language is audible and visible. The video should allow the assessor to evaluate demonstration of all essential outcomes and details.

Part 3. Reflection and Application

Submit in writing a summary of your experience of Reflective Leadership Coaching; (500-word minimum); highlight and provide specific examples of how you specifically applied the four components of Reflective Leadership Coaching. This could include topics covered and how you supported the school leader and worked collaboratively to develop a plan to reflect on their leadership practices and improve. Include a reflection about the impact of this skill on your professional practice and how you will continue to apply it in the future.