Academic coaching can be defined as a coaching method whose goal is to motivate the student, the college or high school student. This coaching is personalized and tailor-made. Unlike academic support, academic coaching aims at the intellectual development of the apprentice. Thus, it is a complement to a student's school course, private lessons or academic assistance.
WHEN SHOULD YOU CALL UPON A SCHOOL COACH?
The areas of intervention of school coaching are numerous, but most of the time we call upon this kind of services when :
- A worrying deterioration in the grades of the high school or college student has been noticed by the parents or the school establishment
- Unjustified and repetitive absences from class caused by, among other things, a loss of motivation or a family event such as the parents' divorce.
- Difficulties in learning or retaining classroom lessons.
- Seeking guidance for future student directions
- Difficulty adapting to a new school for a high school or college student
HOW IS SCHOOL COACHING GOING?
In order to succeed in his mission, the school coach must first determine the objectives to be achieved within a given time frame. It should be noted that each coaching is unique and depends on the situation and the personality of the person to be coached. One of the learning strategies to be implemented is the memorization system, for example a visual one. It is also necessary to think about oral expression in an interactive way for a better assimilation of the lessons and exercises. If the child presents organizational problems, the coach must transmit his know-how and give tips for the success of the studies of the child he coaches in a given time. For the first session, the presence of the parents is important to allow the student to express his problems without constraint or pressure from a foreign person, moreover this first contact will involve the parents.
WHAT ARE THE QUALITIES OF A GOOD EDUCATIONAL COACH?
To make a good coach in education, both professional and personal qualities are important. Therefore, in order for a person to become an educational coach, training and experience in significant pedagogy are important, in addition to knowledge in psychology and pedagogy are indispensable. In order to facilitate his work, the coach must have communication skills, especially with children or teenagers. He must also master several subjects taught in middle school or high school, i.e. be a multidisciplinary person. As far as personality is concerned, the intervention within the framework of coaching in education requires to be an open-minded person and ready to adapt to the often difficult personalities of the coachees. Finally, availability is also an important criterion to exercise the profession of educational coach.