We don’t just teach, we Specialize in the APPLICATION of knowledge
Just as coaching is all about making deep and sustainable changes, so our learning method is about deep and life long learning. You will not find traditional lectures in our school, instead we use an online classroom to give you as much”knowledge” as we can upfront – then we work with you on applying that knowledge to your specific situation.
The Flipped Classroom Model
To get an idea of some of the thinking behind our program delivery, check out these great resources
When you train with us we will not waste valuable time going over material you have already read. It is expected that students come to class already having read the lecture notes for that module and the time is then spent discussing and deepening your understanding of the concepts
What We Think About Learning
1. Being a great coach is about who you are as well as what you do.
Coaching is more than a set of tools and techniques, it is a highly refined combination of advanced knowledge, technical skill, intuition, and “knowing”. A good coach is able to draw on their own experience and must be able to ‘walk the talk’. For this reason we structure our program so that students first apply a new skill or technical to themselves, then practice on peer coaching clients and finally apply to real coaching situations. By experiencing the coaching techniques first hand students have a deeper understanding of how to apply them to their clients.
2. Doing is critical to the learning process.
Coaching and being coached are critical to the learning process. Our Peer Coaching Program means you get coach the minute you enroll. You immediately begin learning and experiencing the role of the “client”. This is an often overlooked part of becoming a coach and is a great introduction to actually conducting coaching yourself.
3. The ‘drip feed’ vs the ‘fire-hose’ method of training
Anyone who has ever been to one of those 3 day (all day) training sessions knows that you only retain about 20% of what you learn. And there is often very little room for reflection. We believe reflection is a critical part of the learning process, without it your learning is in danger of staying at a superficial level only. However if you get the opportunity to learn, practice and reflect your learning will be deeper and more sustainable (in fact it’s not unlike coaching on that level)
So our training always allows for constant interaction between theory and practice and ample time for reflection. We deliberately structure our classes in a consistent “drip” (ongoing classes, daily, weekly, monthly) instead of a ‘fire-hose’ event (intensive all day, multiple day workshops)
4. Flexibility – “Just in Time Learning” (ie ongoing delivery of over 60 teleclasses a week)
It is now well accepted amongst learning professionals that students learn best when they want to learn and when their learning is relevant to their lives. So to use a simple example – if you were taught how to change a tire or how to bake a cake at a time decided by someone else your learning will not be nearly so deep as it would be if you learnt that skill at the time of need. This is is a really important point and deserves repeating. Your learning is going to be deeper, more sustainable and more relevant if you learn what you want to know when you want to know it.
We currently run over 60 classes a week across all 3 international timezones so students can flexibly attend classes.
5. No Single Theory. No Single Model
We believe coaching as a profession has been influenced by a number of areas of expertise and a number of other professions, theories and disciplines. Some of these are:
- Organizational Psychology
- Health and Wellness Counseling
- Mentoring
- Change Management
- Leadership and Development
- Neuro Linguistic Programming
- Solutions Focused psychology
- Emotions Intelligence
- Spirituality & Self Development
We believe coaching is an entirely new profession that draws on a range of disciplines and theories. Therefore we don’t teach one model, rather we encourage students to explore all models and learn all theories.
6. Individual coaches with unique niches, unique markets and unique clients.
Not surprisingly, there are as many coaching models as there are coaching schools. Following on from our no single theory policy we also advocate the development of unique coaching models for unique coaches and unique clients. So every student at ICA develops their own coaching model and process. And they do this by taking int o account their previous professional and personal history, their networks and contacts and their passion. (This process alone is worth the price of the tuition!)
