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Originally Posted by Zalophus  any tips on how to be a good coach? |
Another suggestion: work with other coaches in your area.
Seriously, while I've learned quite a bit from reading and discussions online, it's really helpful to work with other coaches in person. That way, you can
- watch another coach teach a class
- watch another coach give a lesson
- take a lesson from another coach
- give a lesson to another coach
That way, you can discuss "why this way, and not that way?" You can discuss ideas for teaching a specific skill to students. Or how to help students with a specific problem.
I find that much of the coaching discussion online is just a reminder of something that you've hopefully seen in person. It's either a reminder about the fundamentals that would be tedious to explain, or it's something really subtle that it's impossible to communicate online. If you've seen it before, you get it; if not, you can be left scratching your head. In these cases, if you cannot meet with the author, you can at least experiment with the material with a fellow coach to try to figure it out.
Even having another coach at your own level can help you get an outside perspective on your coaching. Of course, it's better if the other coach really knows what they're doing.
That way, you may actually have a mentor. Then again, if you're just starting out as a coach, it may be difficult to tell which coaches really know what they're doing.
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