I define coaching as a mentoring-like process that provides holistic support during an interpreter's development as a professional. When I am coaching, the goal is to address the interpreter's knowledge and skill, as well as explore the ways their mindset, emotions, cognitive capacity, and confidence impact their successes and/or barriers.
Coaching requires an interpreter to be open to introspection and reflective, deliberate practice by engaging in activities, dialogue, assessments, and encouragement. Throughout the coaching journey, I commit to holding a brave space where both the interpreter being coached and I can be vulnerable, honest, and authentic to the process. This way, the interpreter can face the challenges required to experience growth and to advance their professional abilities.
Like mentoring, coaching is individual sessions, held on a regular basis, over a period of time. The length of time is dependent on the interpreter's desired outcome. The best way to get started is to set up a consultation meeting with me to discuss the coaching framework, your goals, establish expectations, and determine the right coaching program to fit your needs.
All interpreters, interpreter educators, and mentors can benefit from coaching! Imagine having one-on-one attention to debrief, explore, and reflect on your practice. What benefits would you experience to have dedicated time spent focused on how to improve your practice? What could you achieve if you had some new tools and strategies? If you are curious, fill out the form below and we can discuss what coaching can do for you!
Mentoring and coaching are powerful ways to connect with interpreters who seek to improve their skill set and there is a need for more interpreter coaches in our field. With my experience with an action research project with Wisconsin Educational Services Programs for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (WESP-DHH) Outreach Team, I have developed an approach for training interpreters and mentors to become "Interpreter Coaches". If you are interested in coaching and learning more about training opportunities, contact Jen for more information.