Why is getting good coaching so important for teachers? The answer is simple. Finding the right coach can make your journey out of teaching much easier. When I wanted to quit teaching, it felt nearly impossible. I didn’t know where to start or how to go about it. I didn’t know a single teacher who had successfully left teaching. It took me years to find the right career and exit plan. I can only imagine how much quicker my transition would have been if I had found the right coach for me. So without further ado, here are some of the great tips on getting good coaching to expedite your own journey.
Before we start, there are a few things to consider when looking for a coach or mentor.
- Has this person done what you want to do? This isn’t always a prerequisite but working with someone that knows at least some of your unique struggles and has overcome those struggles themselves can be incredibly helpful and empowering.
- Is this person living the kind of life you want to? If you want to have a great marriage, but the person that’s your mentor doesn’t, the advice you get might not be geared towards someone with your goals.
- Does this person practice what they preach? If you’re looking for a mentor that’s going to help you get out of teaching by being balanced in life, but isn’t balanced themselves, they might not be the best coach for you.
- Is this person already giving you value? If they’re already giving you value and you haven’t started coaching with them yet, chances are the value you’ll get when you are paying them is going to be well worth your time, energy, and money.
1. Coaching by proximity
This is a great option when you’re starting your journey and don’t have a mentor or coach yet. Coaching by proximity is one of the most cost efficient options, though it takes longer than the rest.
So how can you get coaching by proximity? Books, audiobooks, and information on the internet.
When I was just starting out and didn’t have the money to even buy the books myself, I used my library card to check out personal development books. Authors like Brian Tracy, Jack Canfield, Darren Hardy, and Tony Robbins became the voice in my head through books and audiobooks. I felt like I knew them because I was consuming so much of their information.
I also followed as many as possible on social media. It gave me a chance to get nuggets of their wisdom even when I couldn’t pay for a course.
Other than using your library card to check out audiobooks and written books, you can also use (if your library participates in it) the app Overdrive to check out audiobooks straight to your phone!
Another route is through Kindle Unlimited or Audible. We still pay $14.99 a month for Audible and it’s probably the best 14.99 I spend each month because it’s easy-access training while I’m doing the dishes or taking some personal development time.
This takes longer, but it’s a start. It takes longer because it’s generic advice and not specific to you. But it’s still solid, proven advice that you can use.
2. Coaching through a course
Gaining coaching through a course is good for a few reasons.
- First, you’re getting access to the information from the course creator.
- You’re closer to the course creator and in a lot of situations with online courses, you can ask them questions and you’ll hear back from the course creator themselves — the person you see as your coach or mentor.
- Third, you’re networking with others who also are willing to invest in themselves.
- Fourth, you now have connections with the course creator and the people they have connections with if you play your cards right. Here’s what I mean: the course creators I’ve worked with need to hire someone occasionally. They’re going to search for that person first in their group or course (if applicable) because they know that person is already a fan of them. And if you, the taker of the course, has worked hard and been successful, they’re going to want to feature you as a success story. Truly your success is their success and it opens doors for you that wouldn’t otherwise be there.
Gaining coaching through taking someone’s course has a lot of advantages.
Some disadvantages, though, is that the course creator is not always active and so while you have access to others that are doing what you want to do, you may not have access to the course creator.
Currently, we offer the mini-course Next Step Roadmap for anyone who wants to leave teaching but they’re not sure what to do next. By the end of the 45 days, you’ll have created a plan that’s specific to you and know what your next step is and how to take it. This is a comprehensive mini-course that we don’t plan to offer at this price again.
3. Group coaching
This gives you even more access to your coach or mentor without the hefty price tag that often comes with individual coaching.
Group coaching has a lot of the same advantages that coaching through a course has. You have access to the coach’s knowledge, but this time, it’s more real-time knowledge and not from a course that they may have created recently or not.
In a group coaching situation, if you’re able and willing to speak up, chances are you’ll not only get great advice that is pretty specific to you (“pretty specific” because there is usually a limited amount of time with group coaching since there are multiple people), you’ll also get noticed by the coach.
Getting noticed by the coach brings about the pros from the coaching through a course — your success is their success and they’ll be more willing to hire you (if applicable) or suggest you to someone that might be able to.
You can get group coaching from Life After Teaching for a great price.
4. One-on-one coaching
One-on-one coaching is the highest investment level, but also the highest value level because at this level, you should be getting advice that can be directly applied to you and your situation. It’s no longer a one-size fits all (like coaching from proximity) or a limited amount of time to a smaller audience (group coaching). With one-on-one coaching, you get the attention you need to skyrocket your business, life, or whatever you’re getting coaching on.
Finding the right coach for you in one-on-one coaching is similar to the tips at the beginning of this post. I’d also add that your coach should…
- Be more concerned about being honest with you than being your friend. A coach is sometimes going to have to tell you things that frustrate you or that you feel resistance towards. But that’s why you hired them. Because they have an objective view of what’s going on
- Advocate for you — not just your money. If you’re in a difficult situation and your coach is pushing you to re-up with them even though things are really tight for you or your family… chances are they care about your money more than you. If they’re willing to work with you to come up with a plan, give you ideas on how to find or earn the money, and have helped you earn more in the past, then it might be worth a second look. But someone that is just pushing for your money isn’t your person.
You’re seeing results with them. Before I go on, I want to make it clear that your results are your business — and no one can do it for you. However, if you’re noticing that you’re not finding any results, chances are it might not be a good fit or they might not be able to help you in the way you need help.
5. Text/audio coaching
This is the most modern way to get coaching and usually the least expensive (other than coaching by proximity). This is best for people that have found the coach they want to hire but aren’t ready yet to make the investment into group coaching or a course, but do want tips, help, and encouragement from the coach of their choice.
At Life After Teaching, we created Lunch Break Coaching for that very reason. The text and/or audio goes straight to your phone — no new apps to buy or download. If you can get text messages, you can get Lunch Break Coaching.These messages are typically 2-5 minutes long and gives you encouragement for a rough day in the classroom, tips on how to get out (from someone that actually did it!) and practical advice to make it through the day so you can find your dream career.
You can find out more about Lunch Break Coaching here.
Our Take
Lunch Break Coaching is the easiest, most modern way to get the coaching you want and it’s a steal for only $17 a month. Consider it the Netflix of coaching for teachers who want to quit. 🙂 There’s nothing else like this out there and you’re getting multiple messages a week from someone who has done what you want to do — successfully transitioned out of teaching.
If you want more attention to your specific needs and to create a plan specific to you, check out group coaching.
Your Turn
Which kind of coaching is best for you and the stage you’re at right now? Comment and let us know, or if you have questions, email Brittany@lifeafterteaching.com.
