Coaching and professional development are essential tools for improving employee engagement, trust, retention, and relationships in the workplace. Hiring a professional development coach may seem like an unnecessary expense, but it can be a great investment in the long run. The Institute's trainers provide training for directors, executive directors, educational directors, family workers, teachers, assistant teachers, and assistants. Coaching is a unique form of professional development that is individualized, continuous, and actively supports the translation of newly acquired knowledge into practice.
The New York State Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS) now awards professional development credits for training conducted by a T-TAP accredited coach. The coach's approach is collaborative and based on strengths; they work with the coach through a non-linear process of goal setting, implementation, and reflection. Coaching is a process based on relationships and is effective as a result of the trust that is built between coach and coach over time. The Institute's coaching team serves dozens of teachers and principals in the five boroughs, averaging 35 hours of training per person. Goals are what motivate a person and a coach will help achieve them by asking the right questions, providing feedback, and suggesting new perspectives. The training team also produces training videos that can be used individually or in groups to describe and analyze the training process.
A good coach also follows the SMART goal technique which stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Timely. Professional development coaching is described as a series of guided conversations that allow the “coachee” to discover and implement professional and personal solutions to advance their goals. Coaching is a relationship-based process designed to develop the capacity to adopt specific professional provisions, skills, and behaviors.
