Kate Greaves - Coaching within education

What has led you to coaching?

As a teacher, the norm is to support your students through ‘putting in’ – knowledge, skills, experience etc. Of course, there is massive value in doing all those things but I came to realise that what a lot of students need, and don’t often get, is someone empowering them to ‘draw out’ their strengths, their ambitions, their passions.

This is what got me curious about the power of coaching.

"One of the attractions of the Life Coaching Diploma qualification for me was the flexibility it created."

How has coaching benefited your own life?

Coaching has given me the opportunity to grow. From feeling rather ‘stuck’ in my career, I have empowered myself to learn and prioritised my own personal development.

I now listen to podcasts, read books and engage in social media discussions that encourage me to think and question myself and the world around me. I have been able to put the spotlight on so many long-held beliefs about myself, doing this has enabled me to move forward in creating my business.

I believe that coaching has also been of massive benefit in the relationships I have with my children. The way I interact with them has changed dramatically, a particular ‘lightbulb’ moment came when I completed my DISC accreditation and realised this held the key to building stronger relationships with them and truly understanding their needs.

How did the qualification slot into your life?

One of the attractions of the Life Coaching Course qualification for me was the flexibility it created. I could take it as quickly or slowly as a wanted and could do most of the training around my work and family commitments.

I did three of my accelerator days pre-pandemic and really valued the relationships that I formed with the people I met on those days, it gave me the confidence to really step up and out of my comfort zone.

What is the most rewarding part?

For me, the most rewarding part is the impact you can create in a coaching conversation.

The ability to support people and offer solutions to their problems that isn’t about telling them what to do but holding the space for them in a way that, for many people, could be a rare occurrence is amazing.

"The issues of staff burnout and wellbeing within the Education sector are huge right now and I feel like I can serve these people well."

How are you using your coaching skills?

I am building my own business, Kate Greaves Coaching. It’s a steep learning curve, coming from a public sector background, the concepts of marketing, being visible on social media, networking and ‘selling’ the benefits of coaching were not something I had ever focussed on.

Apart from my business though, coaching has made me a better teacher too! I remember asking my students what skills and strengths they have developed through their lockdown experience, the response was remarkable as what has been a very difficult time for them was reframed.

The biggest area you are curious about and why?

I would say that I am currently staying open and curious and feeling my way to my niche. My career experience has led me to coach teachers and leaders in Education and this is an area I have enjoyed focussing on for the last 18 months.

The issues of staff burnout and wellbeing within the Education sector are huge right now and I feel like I can serve these people well. I am passionate about empowering women’s lives and I have noticed that it tends to be women who feel stressed and overwhelmed in their professional and personal lives that I attract! They want balance, they want true fulfilment and they want to step up and out of their comfort zone feeling confident and unstoppable.

I used to get very hung up over my niche! – I have learnt to stay aligned with my values and focus on attracting the right clients.

Advice and resources?

I would say don’t try to do it all too fast. When I first started I wanted to complete within 9 months and although this was ‘doable’, I took a conscious decision about halfway through to slow down, absorb and reflect more.

I believe that through doing this I not only became a better coach but I was also able to protect myself from feeling overwhelmed and ultimately perhaps not enjoying the course as much as I could.

I have now embraced the notion of ‘slowing down to speed up' and it’s proved an incredible mantra for me.

Do you wish to empower and help others? 

Would you like to make a positive and lasting difference to others, just like Kate does?

Would you like to have a coaching business you can run from the comfort of your own home?  The free Introduction to Life Coaching training sessions are available for you to join. They are interactive, informative and designed to help you understand if training to be a life coach is for you.

Take positive action, project forward and plan for a year to remember for all the right reasons. Choose from available dates here.