Something I've thought a lot about this week is coaching versus teaching (instructing). Most of my sports background comes from the equine world, though I do have other skills my strong skill has always been horses. I taught full time for many many years and trained others horses. But something I never thought about much until this week was what's the difference between a coach and a instructor?
Participating in the Tri Stars program sure has shown me the difference. In a nutshell, a instructor teaches something. Teaching isn't easy I've had the pleasure of many good and many bad instructors. Most of my riding instructors were stellar but I took the time to research them before signing on with them. Now in the bead making world I've had good and very bad classes. There isn't a teaching "certificate" program in the bead making world so it's hard to find out what someone's actual instructing background is. I've had classes with instructors who are giving and caring, and I've had classes with instructors who spend more time on their phone than teaching.
Back to coaching, for me the difference I never noticed before is a good coaches ability to give you the confidence to believe you can do it. While a instructor showed me the way a coach showed me they believed in me. Big difference. I can struggle over and over with the same problem if I never believe I can do it. But add a coach telling you they believe you can do it and slowly it all starts to come together.
I hope when I was teaching I was more of a coach. I'd like to think I made a difference in someone's life beyond just giving them skills.
Both instructors and coaches are talented and much needed, but I'd never really thought much about the difference. Something to ponder.
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