WHY USE COACHING?

Most lecturers have been mentored at some point in their career whether as a
PGCE/DTLLS/Cert Ed student, a newly qualified lecturer or after a promotion. However, not
many of us can say we have been "coached".

Mentoring is a supportive, longterm relationship between an

experienced mentor and their
less experienced mentee. The
idea is that the more senior
mentor passes on knowledge
and guidance as the mentee

So, what is the difference between

mentoring and coaching and how
do they differ in teaching practice?
In a nutshell, mentoring is a way of
managing career transition
whereas coaching is used
whenever an individual feels the
need to evaluate their professional
capabilities, allowing for genuine
continuous professional
development (CPD).

Coaching, on the other hand,

consists of peer-to-peer discussions
that provide the person being
coached with objective feedback on
their strengths and weaknesses in
areas chosen by them. While
discussion is led by the coach, they
ask questions that allow the
professional seeking advice to
reflect on their practice and set
their own goals for improvement.
This is the opposite of mentoring as
the coach does not evaluate, judge
or set targets, and the person being
coached is in full control of the
discussion. Unlike mentoring,
coaching also gives the recipient
more say on the direction of their
professional development and

Why use coaching?

It gives you the freedom to

discuss your needs and wants
openly;
You can assess your own
strengths and areas for
improvement and have a chance
to properly think about the
direction you want you to go
with your teaching.
Allows an open and confidential
warts-and-all discussion.

Although mentoring remains an essential

component of career development,
especially when moving onto a new role
or when assessing performance
management, coaching can be a useful