“Education is not the learning of facts, but the training of the mind to think” – Albert Einstein.
Educational coaching offers a fresh perspective on teaching, allowing educators, trainers, and teachers to approach their roles in ways that promote their Continuous Professional Development (CPD). As we move into a post-COVID era, global data shows that CPD is essential for upskilling, reskilling, and training within educational settings. An effective CPD framework enables school owners to equip their teams with the skills, knowledge, and understanding needed to excel in their roles.
In Greece, however, there is a paradox: while hundreds of students graduate from English Departments annually, official data shows that new teachers often abstain from training seminars, forums, and live events essential for continuous development.
In some cases, there seems to be an assumption that working in an educational setting means one’s teaching skills have already been evaluated through the hiring process. Alongside this, the perception of a consistently declining student performance profile does not appear to motivate further training, at least according to data from educational forums.
Meanwhile, international programs evaluating teacher-student performance show that reflection is central to effective CPD. Without purposeful reflection on our professional practices, improvement is unlikely. When we take ownership of our CPD through active reflection, evaluation, and practice adjustments, both our confidence and performance increase dramatically.
School owners play a vital role in the CPD process. Ongoing teacher upskilling and educational coaching significantly improve lesson quality and student performance, enhancing self-awareness and potential for everyone involved. Above all, these strategies can increase school enrollment and revenue.
