In this forum we want to develop your understanding of the key concept of Mentoring and Coaching and the difference between them. A diagram of mentoring, specialist coaching and collaborative (co-) coaching can be downloaded here.
The Evidence People
Mentoring and coaching concepts - a helpful tree diagram
I have been working with the Effective Mentoring and Coaching materials now for 18 months and regularly work with schools in taster sessions and full development programmes. One of the first things that people like to get straight "is what is coaching" and "what is mentoring"? For some time we found our selves drawing in the air the broad canopy of support which is mentoring, helping people who have moved into new job roles to cope with the wide challenges that touch many parts of their work and environment; and then gesticulating below this the narrower, but deeper truck of support, that is specialist coaching. Then my picture in the air would broaden again to show the wider and more sustaining root system that is co-coaching which feeds and stabilises the whole structure.
All this drawing in the air made us think that we should really have a beautiful tree image that we could use and which would help people to remember. So for a while we would artistically create a hand drawn tree on a flip chart. Then, in November, Philippa Cordingley and I were invited out to Florence to speak with an Italian governmental agency to help them understand the progress being made in English schools on coaching and we found this wonderful ornate tile which we have been using since to illustrate the mentoring and coaching concepts. We have annotated it here to help you with the explanation and I hope that it will be of some use to you in working in your schools. Do let us know if this is helpful and your experiences or reflections on using it.
Alison Halford Assistant Director - CUREE