Coaching Awareness is a key competency for you to begin to expand during the RBPD course.
According to Colorado’s Competencies for Early Childhood Coaches, coaching awareness is facilitated when “The coach and coach partner engage in reflection so that each may become increasingly aware of their individual outlook and its potential impact on themselves and others. Using their growing awareness and continuing to reflect, they increase their ability to self-regulate.”
This looks like both partners:
Being empowered to slow down and take the time to be present;
Focusing on the needs of the partnership and the individual;
Maintaining a warm, relaxed, present stance; and
Facilitating awareness of emotions and reactions.
As part of every RBPD module, the Arriving Together activity is when you are invited to participate in a wide range of reflective activities including prompts to think reflectively, as well as sense-based prompts.
Reflective thinking is the activity most of us are most familiar with; however, research shows that especially at higher levels of experience, thinking reflection may confirm biases.
Sense- or body-based reflection is associated with research confirming psych-physical changes like relaxation, presence, awe, and self-awareness. Physical changes include greater heart and breath rate variability, decreases in stress hormones, and increases of “cuddle chemicals” which improves immune system function, increased oxygenation of the blood and brain, and brain wave states associated with creativity, productivity, and flow.
When you participate in Arriving Together in RBPD you will be able to work each session on these learning objectives:
Evaluate reflective practices and regularly practice those that are self-regulating. Facilitate reflective practices that will support coach partners’ self-regulation.
Describe their individual outlook and its potential impact to themselves and others.
Reflect on the role of their own cultural identity, perspectives, and bias in coaching interactions.
Apply insights from ongoing reflective practices to increase both coaching partners' ability to co-regulate.
Manage their non-verbal cues and verbal and non-verbal communication during coaching interactions.
Simple Stress and Anxiety Buster (4.5 minutes)
Mindful Listening for Focus (3:05 minutes)
The Only Place You Need to Be is Here (3:32 minutes)
Reflective Journaling (8 minutes)
This is a helpful strategy to prepare for reflection by writing down tasks that are filling your mind. It can be helpful to model best practice in beginning a coaching session with a recentering activity that fits the needs of the coaching partner.
Give three minutes to write down every task that comes to mind. Now, take the list and physically and mentally set it aside. This practice makes space, both to honor the things that are on your mind and need tending to, but also honor the choice you’ve made to attend to something else—yourself and your coaching practice.
Next, set an intention. Reflect for the next five minutes on what living this intention might look like, how it could impact your experiences, your relationships and how others experience you.
Please visit the Coaching Resources Website to see more Self-Aware Practice Resources.