Student coaches: student leadership at Camperdown College

Student leaders

Developing people is one of the core elements of leadership (Leithwood et al., 2007). What better way to show leadership is there than for students to coach teachers. This intriguing approach to student leadership is being embedded among the year 9 students at Camperdown College.

We so often hear of the issues and difficulties surrounding year 9 students. Many schools have established their own unique approaches to providing additional challenges and opportunities for these students. Leadership schools, camps, alternative settings, special programs are but some of them.

Camperdown College is no exception. Our year 9 students have their SWAT program – Students Working As a Team. A unique component of this program is role reversal: the students coach the teacher.

• ‘Weird’
• ‘Strange but you get used to it’
• ‘Good way to talk to teachers that you normally wouldn’t be able to do’.

These were some of the comments made by the student coaches who have come to terms with the role reversal.

The coaching program

The teacher, Suzanne, is an experienced physical education/health practitioner who chose to take on the year 9 program in 2008. She wanted students to have input into the development and implementation of the unique one-day per week program. She wanted the students to provide her with direct, personal feedback on her performance in three areas:

• her approach to student discipline
• her consistency
• her approach to student rewards.

Suzanne read an article in the staff newsletter about the benefits of coaching and, after reflecting on the article and on her interest in receiving student feedback, the concept of student coaching was born; or, in her terminology ‘coordinator coaches’ came into being.

After introducing the idea to the year 9 students, Suzanne reached agreement with the group on the process of electing coaches. Student coaches are nominated by their peers or self-nominated each term. Three to four coaches are elected to provide feedback to Suzanne for a term. Ideally, there is a cross-section of students represented – boys/girls, various friendship groups and a mix of abilities and interests. Fairly clear guidelines were established for the coaches, however the parameters tend to be fluid depending on the interests of the students and the feedback required.

The outcomes

After initial wariness, the students have taken to the coaching program with enthusiasm. Some felt that it wasn’t ‘right’ to ‘criticise’ the teacher, hence were cautious at the outset. Suzanne allayed these concerns by talking about the difference between being critical and providing useful, positive feedback. Once this distinction was clarified, the student coaches leapt into the role.

There have been many positive outcomes from the student coaches program. The students were able to quickly identify a significant change made to the SWAT program as a result of student coaching. A number of disengaged boys, the coaches informed Suzanne, wanted to work on computers – they wanted to build and rebuild computer hardware. After having this raised by the student coaches, Suzanne consulted with the SWAT group and they decided to introduce a computer hardware group. This was a significant step, as funding had to be sourced for the change. It was the input of the coaches which brought about the change.

A change introduced by the teacher following a meeting with her student coaches was in seating arrangements. Suzanne had been persevering with friendship seating during SWAT sessions. Her coaches told her she was being ‘too soft’ with the friendships and insisted that she change the seating arrangements. Now a wide range of seating approaches (for example, birthday groupings, colours, and so on) is used and is happily accepted by all. SM indicated: ‘The coaches gave me the confidence to change and it was for the betterment of the class.’

Some other changes introduced as a direct result of student coaching have been:

• more positive comments in student diaries by Suzanne and other teachers
• use of a talking stick for whole-class discussion
• deciding on a fair decision-making process for whole-class decisions.

Too often, schools seek the advice of students then fail to act upon it. Suzanne has responded to many of the suggestions offered by her coaches.

The benefits

The benefits for students and the teacher have been considerable. The students feel more connected and involved in the planning and running of the SWAT program. They feel empowered as their input to the program and their advice to the teacher has been acted upon and has brought immediate changes. They feel as though their advice has been accepted and they feel as though they are making a difference. They are developing a better relationship with the teacher. Student coaching has increased student engagement, not only for the coaches involved in the program, but for the whole group. The student voice is being heard and they are being given another opportunity to lead quietly.

From the teacher’s perspective, the student coaches have been a positive step for her. They confirmed her approach to SWAT, they enabled her to make important changes to the program, they helped her to be consistent and fair to all students and they were ‘honest and constructive’ in their feedback. ‘Yes, they have helped me improve my performance as a teacher’, Suzanne openly admitted.

And the dangers

All conceded that there could be problems when students coach teachers but, as Suzanne pointed out, the students ‘accepted the responsibility and the opportunity’ and, if student coaching is implemented for the right reasons and with the right intent, the issues can be resolved.

Where to next?

From the students’ point of view, they would like to see all teachers have student coaches. From the teacher’s point of view, Suzanne will use student coaches again next year and will talk to other staff in an attempt to encourage others to receive ‘honest and constructive’ feedback from student leaders. There is no doubt that the introduction of student coaching by Suzanne has been highly successful and, using the now school-wide practice of continuous improvement, there is little doubt that it will continue into 2009 with improvements. This coaching program allows students to develop their skills, it enables them to learn about providing feedback and it enables them to take the lead and to develop their leadership skills in a unique and exciting way.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Dr Graeme Holmes is Principal of Camperdown College, in Camperdown, Victoria, Australia.

 

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