Educational coaching, a method to motivate in the classroom

By: Lorena Chacón – Communications Office

Coaching is a method focused on human development that allows individuals to define a future purpose and implement an action plan to achieve it. The person receiving the coaching is called the coachee, and the person leading the process is called the coach.

Coaching emerged to support processes at an individual level; in the case of adults, this is known as life coaching. At the business level, it is geared towards managers, workplace relationships, organizational climate, and increased productivity, and is called executive coaching. In the sports and health sectors, the terms sports coach or health coach are used. Likewise, a recent area of application for coaching is education, where teachers focus on developing students' human skills in the classroom, thereby shaping both professionals and better human beings.

Educational coaching applied to university teaching allows for a broader field of interaction between the teacher and the student, because communication is more open, effective, and assertive, generating trust in the classroom and increasing the motivation for the student to develop a taste for the profession they are studying and the subjects they are taking.

Therefore, to delve deeper into the topic of educational coaching, we spoke with Luz Deicy Flórez Espinal, a professor at UCundinamarca, a certified professional coach, and a researcher with the Dopys Group. She currently teaches the core courses in Research I, Research II, and General Sociology in the Business Administration and Public Accounting programs at UCundinamarca's Chía Extension. In addition, Professor Flórez Espinal founded her own initiative, Origen Nuevas Generaciones (Origin New Generations), as an innovative approach to fostering the human development of children, youth, and adolescents. She focuses on strengthening their soft skills in leadership, teamwork, and assertive communication, specializing in areas such as career guidance, life motivation, developing gifts and talents, interpersonal relationships, and family agreements.

UCundinamarca: How are educational coaching and the MEDIT Transmodern Digital Educational Model related?

Luz Deicy Flórez (LDF): The MEDIT program encourages teachers to become guides and facilitators of the thematic units. It suggests that teachers move away from traditional lectures and become more dynamic and innovative through more engaging, didactic, and varied academic activities in each class session. If teachers transform their class sessions into motivational encounters through educational coaching, they can fulfill the MEDIT guidelines with complete enjoyment and passion for their teaching profession.

UCundinamarca: How do you implement educational coaching?

LDF: First, I design a different lesson plan for each session, following the MEDIT guidelines, in the sense of preparing for each week an independent student activity, a class session activity, and an evaluative activity; second, I design the class activities in a dynamic, playful, and innovative way, using strategies such as good music, games, a good sense of humor, and moments to share technical concepts; third, I design simple evaluation activities for the students; our purpose is not for the student to fail the subjects, the purpose should be for the student to love each subject and become more committed and motivated with the professional career they are studying.

On the other hand, I also hold two gatherings each semester that I call "Sharing," where we bring food and games and create a sort of "picnic" atmosphere in the classroom. As the teacher, I prepare and serve sandwiches, which fosters greater trust and closeness with the students, creating a space to share and exchange anecdotes, experiences, dreams, and aspirations. This allows us to recognize ourselves as human beings with common purposes and goals, constantly learning and growing.

UCundinamarca: How do you design and prepare a class using educational coaching?

LDF: I design my classes as follows:

1. I prepare the technical topics specific to the syllabus. I try to share these topics in an agile way, giving them space to then delve deeper independently.

2. I encourage students to develop the technical concepts throughout the semester through a practical case study. Each class session I review their progress and suggest adjustments.

3. For me, it's essential to use music that the students enjoy in every class. I play music at the beginning or end of class, and I also do a stand-up comedy routine to promote a good sense of humor. In some cases, we dance to get our bodies and minds moving before or after each class.

4. In each class session, a randomly selected student presents a YouTube-style video introducing themselves to the class. This activity has allowed us to get to know each other better by sharing hobbies, talking about where we live, or discussing our goals.

5. In some class sessions, I project episodes of popular web series to capture students' attention. I select the episodes based on the class topic.

UCundinamarca: How does the dynamic of a traditional class change compared to a class where educational coaching is implemented?

LDF: Classrooms taught using an educational coaching methodology transform into fun and motivating spaces for students. New knowledge is not acquired by force, but rather as a challenge that young people are eager to take on because they are increasingly committed to their goals and life projects.

UCundinamarca: What has your experience been like with virtual classes?

LDF: Excellent. I really enjoyed the dynamic. We must learn to adapt and evolve with the new technologies that are so in demand by young people.

UCundinamarca: What are the difficulties that can arise with online teaching compared to face-to-face teaching?

LDF: The main difficulty is ensuring that students actually have the technology to participate in this type of online education. A good computer and internet connection are key. I've noticed that some students don't have all the necessary resources, but they are very eager to study at UCundinamarca.

UCundinamarca: What advice related to educational coaching do you send to the students of the Institution to make their learning process more effective?

LDF: Always keep the enthusiasm for learning alive. When you want to study and learn, there should be no limitations to prevent it. The main limitations are in the mind. The Netflix movie "The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind" can teach anyone that when you want to learn, there are no barriers.

UCundinamarca: What recommendations do professors offer for implementing teaching practices applied to education focused on being?

LDF: An invitation to love your profession and love what you do. As educators, we have the opportunity to shape the minds and consciences of thousands of young people who will build the future of a better nation. We can instill in them the right messages so they become a generation far superior to our own. We must constantly encourage them to be better human beings each day. It is not enough to award diplomas if human qualities have not been strengthened. And UCundinamarca understands this message clearly: "to educate more than just professionals, to educate well-rounded human beings." That is why the institution has been growing by leaps and bounds with great success.

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