This month’s focus on The Coaching Podcast is A Place for Everyone! We’ve been learning about different coaching positions. So far, we chatted with a math and technology coach. Today, we’re talking about SEL coaching with Maria Austin.
Maria is an instructional coach for effective needs programs in Colorado. She works with special education programs to support students’ emotional and behavioral needs. During the episode, we talk about her journey to become a social-emotional learning coach and how every coach can be an SEL coach.
We discuss what an SEL does, how you can prepare to become one, and what it looks like in practice. Listen to learn how to define your role as an SEL coach and ways to incorporate social-emotional learning in the classroom.
I really enjoyed our conversation because Maria's work is so interesting. She gave us great information about SEL coaching and how to build relationships with teachers. If you want to learn more about what an SEL coach does and how you can become one, listen to the entire episode.
Topics and Questions Discussed in Episode 107 - How Every Coach Can Be an SEL Coach with Maria Austin
- What is an SEL Coach and what do they do
- How to embed SEL into core academics
- Coaching teachers, paraprofessionals, and long-term substitutes in effective needs programs
- Working as an itinerant SEL coach on different campuses
- Why coaches need to support all teachers, not only the struggling ones
- Differentiating coaching support based on needs
- Tracking social and behavioral goals
- Collaborating with BCBAs, school psychologists, counselors, and special education admin
- Improving teachers’ confidence
- Ideas for creating a community among teachers not working in the same school building
- Defining your role and sharing it with teachers and staff
- How to navigate awkward conversations and communicate effectively
- Planning instruction that supports student behaviors and social-emotional learning
- Developing a common language to talk about SEL
- How to encourage a teacher who may not be excited to start a new SEL curriculum
- Ideas for building relationships with all stakeholders
- How Maria builds trust and advocates for the people she supports
- Setting goals and finding your why
- Maria’s unique education and experience
- Tools to track your effectiveness as a coach, including the Transformational Coaching Rubric
- Her biggest challenges as a first-year SEL coach
- How to fail forward
- The importance of regulating your emotions, self-care, and reflection as a coach
- How to transition to an SEL coaching role
In the episode, I mention a couple of resources for coaches that I think you’ll love.
- If you're looking to build relationships and set a strong foundation for your coaching work, I have a free startup email course for you. There are videos and articles to help new and seasoned coaches get started coaching on the right foot. Scroll to the bottom of the page and sign up by entering your email address.
- I also have a resource for you in my TPT store, all about SEL for teachers. It’s called SEL Tools for Instructional Coaches & Admin to Use with Teachers. This product includes activities, check-ins, surveys, and discussion slides that will help you support teachers through SEL in the way that they need to be supported by their coach.
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Podcast produced by Fernie Ceniceros of Crowd & Town Creative