Find Your Coaching Superpower: Blending Passion and Profession to Enhance Your Coaching Identity

by Torie Mollett

In education, we are often forced, or gently encouraged, to leave our in-the-wild alter-egos, our authentic selves, at the door and assume the persona of a more polished, professional, and classroom-appropriate version of us. 

Clark Kent has entered the chat.

Generally, this makes sense and is likely for the best. In the wild, we can more boldly display and utilize the skills and persona associated with our authentic passions.  With this in mind, is it possible we are silencing the most fun and engaging parts of ourselves in the name of professionalism? Does this mean that we are unprofessional at our very core due to the nature of our extracurricular interests? 

To that, I say…perhaps. 

But - instead of seeing these dueling personalities as foes, is there a chance that elements of both can be combined to create maximum impact and engagement in our coaching lives – a personal/professional superpower symbiosis?  I, Torie, think so. 

As a teacher and coach, I have noticed that I engage (and have since the beginning of my career) in this daily ritual of hyping myself up before work. A transformative ritual, if you will.  You know, playing out unlikely scenarios in my head, replaying scenarios and inserting what I should’ve said or done, critiquing my approach, my knowledge, and most importantly, my outfit. (Honey, where’s my supersuit?) Anything that might give me a greater sense of control when I feel like I might not have the greatest influence over a given situation. 

Slowly but surely, every morning I found myself securing the closures of my white button-down, sliding on my thick-rimmed glasses, and covering up my cape, ready to take on the day from the perspective of my polished, Kent-esque persona. 

Transformation Complete. 

If I am so committed to blending into the professional landscape, why, then, do I feel myself asking the same question every time I begin the de-transformation process back into the real me? 

When do I feel like I have the most appropriate influence, involvement, and control over a situation, especially professionally? 

When I’m being my most authentic self, of course. 

Or at the very least, when utilizing the unique powers I wield outside my 9-5 (or 7-3, right, educators?) in any given context – they are transferable skills!  Now, this doesn’t mean I can, or should, start throwing out some of my ridiculous riff-inducing one-liners in the middle of a staff meeting. Well, perhaps it depends on the staff. But I believe it certainly begs the question of what happens when we blend some of our strongest and most authentic qualities, such as our interests and talents, with our professional persona. What happens when we truly find our superpowers? 

Well, dear reader, let me talk to you about my colleague, DJ Queen Celine. 

Celine is one of our coaches here in the office. By day, she’s serving as a technology integration leader in one of our local districts. By night, she’s serving major queen energy, unleashing her DJ powers, and engaging with crowds ready to blow off some steam and get lost in the music.   

Recently, these two realities met somewhere in the middle and became a bumping PD experience for the staff she serves.

Folks, we’re talking glow lights, glow sticks, a top-tier speaker (and I’m not just talking about Celine), and techno energy (get it?). She went all out to give her staff a PD they aren’t likely to forget anytime soon. Packed with information and guidance central to the mission of her district, Celine used her coaching skills to build relevant content. ready to present while simultaneously dropping her Clark Kent mask to show how her DJ skill set has a place in her primary professional role. Celine unleashed her powers. 

Celine’s vulnerability in showing her authentic self in a new context created a space for genuine engagement and vulnerability in return from her audience. 

Now, this all sounds great but realistically, where does one get started? First and foremost, start small. It’s not a race, it’s a journey. Once you’ve come to terms with that part, consider the following:

1. Self-Reflection and Identification:
1. Personal Inventory: Take time to identify your passions, hobbies, and interests. Consider activities you enjoy outside of work. (If you’re a part-time bank robber, consider omitting that.) Take time to reflect in your notebook of choice, jot down some ideas in the notes app on your phone, record an audio note, or throw some ideas into Google Keep. 
2. Skill Alignment: Determine how these interests align with your professional role. For example, if you enjoy writing, you might start a blog about educational topics. This could develop into a podcast or a series of videos on a social media app. The possibilities waterfall into one another. Have y’all heard of @FarmerFaubs? If not, give her a follow and you’ll see what I mean. She and her fellow Edu Guardians are leading the charge when it comes to combining in-and-out-of-the-workplace skills turned superpowers. 
2. Professional Development and Networking:
1. Seek Out Opportunities: Look for workshops, conferences, or online courses that align with your interests.  Check local coffee shops and bookstores for writing clubs, cruise your local neighborhood market for live bands and entertainment, or even immerse yourself in your local comedy scene. You truly have no idea how often these personal interests cross over into the professional realm.
2. Build Relationships: Connect with other educators who share your passions. Join professional organizations or online communities to network and collaborate. Lean on social media and find connections virtually – these can turn into life-long friendships that revolutionize your personal and professional practice.
3. Practical Application:
1. Small Steps: Start by incorporating your interests into your practice in small ways. If you love art, you could create visual aids for presentations or encourage your audience to express themselves creatively. Podcast or YouTube video lover like myself? Turn those tips, tricks, and guidance into video posts or quick sound-bite podcasts. Heck, make them accessible by QR code scans in your regular PD on the Potty (t)issues. 
2. Experiment and Iterate: Don't be afraid to try new things and learn from your experiences. If something doesn't work, adjust your approach and try again, the same way we would advise the students we teach or the teachers we coach. Returns to the drawing board are crucial to authentic growth.  Be patient, be brave, be authentic, and remember this is part of the journey. Superpowers aren’t mastered overnight. They don’t even sugar-coat that in the movies. 

While work is, well, work, it would certainly be a lot more engaging to fuse who we are as professionals with what we love. That type of engagement, the kind we have with our own craft, has quite an expansive reach. That is the true nature of wielding outstanding and versatile superpowers.

By being vulnerable, taking chances, and meshing different parts of ourselves for a unique and authentic experience, we can encourage others to do the same and strive to find joy in our everyday routine…and even our careers. 

The blog is looking for guest submissions! Are you an experienced coach with wisdom to share? We’d love to hear how you encourage collaboration, work with veteran teachers, or plan for engaging PD.

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