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CO Coach Community of Practice: Creating Connections

Coaching & Outdoor Nature-Based Programs

Professional Development for Coaches, by Coaches

Tuesday, June 11, 2024

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Welcome Leaders!

Sign-into our meeting today by following the link in the chat or with the QR code below!

*You MUST sign in today using this form to receive PD hours!*

You will receive 1.5 hours of PD for participating in our meeting today.

Struggling with Zoom?

You’re not alone. Scan the QR Code or copy/paste the link in the chat for support.

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What’s next for the CoP?/updates

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Community of Practice Agenda

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Exploring Coaching with ONBs

Outdoor Nature Based Program overview

Welcome, Norms, Competencies & Intros

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Arriving Together: Picture Your Place

Full group dialogue and reflection

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Our values and norms inform our work.

Connection and collaboration
Passion, vision, and accountability
New learning
Welcoming, responsive, and reflective space
Safe and non-judgemental

Being present

Practicing mindfulness, using video

Respect each other’s time

Start and end on time

Practice active listening
Non-judgement of self and others
Respect for different perspectives
Confidentiality
Safe space to share ideas freely
Safe to be vulnerable and learn
Provide time and space to reflect

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Colorado Competencies for Early Childhood Coaches

Today we’ll focus on:

Systems

Inquiry

Communication

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Signed June 6, 2024!

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Colleen Wilcox

Introductions

Abi Cano Perez

Colleen Wilcox is an early childhood educator in transition - she began the journey into coaching this past school year and, now that the school year is over, has just completed the initial training to become a qualified Forest School Practitioner. She has been an aide and, later, a lead teacher in preschools around Durango since 2021; prior to that she was a toddler teacher in Northeast Texas, while her son Jackson was a toddler. Her teaching career began in Colorado,

where she taught fifth grade in Cortez and, the next year, third grade in Glenwood Springs - the year her son was born. However, teaching is her third career: she was a journalist in Connecticut for almost a decade; after pursuing a graduate degree at the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, she began an wetlands restoration nonprofit in post-Katrina New Orleans that worked with volunteers and local students to grow grasses and

trees for planting projects. As that career came to a close, she met her husband and devised her plan to live in the mountains and become a mom, teacher and naturalist.

Abi Cano Perez is the Education and Engagement Coordinator for the National Wildlife Federation's Early Childhood Health Outdoors (ECHO) initiative. In this role, she helps build community partnerships as well as create outreach materials for early education professionals. She attended the University of Idaho and received a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science and GIS. She has previously worked for STEM-based youth education programs, environmental non-profit organizations and state agencies, as well as a dual-language school as a project advisor and early childhood educator. Abi is passionate about addressing issues of accessibility and equitable opportunities, specifically for historically underrepresented communities. She is based in Denver, but has lived, worked, and played in Idaho, Washington, Wyoming, and throughout Colorado!

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Arriving Together

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Outdoor Nature-Based Programs

Background

UK and Europe - 30+ years
US popping up past 20 years

camps, wilderness therapy
homeschool enrichment

Leaders - many self-taught

learn from other practitioners, by doing
CCNBEE - Colorado Collective for Nature Based Early Education

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What makes them special?

Connect kids to the natural environment

important for their development
Richard Louv, Last Child in the Woods

Focus = child-centered play

relaxed, little/no use of time
Flow State - where learning happens

Practitioners are NOT teachers

Guide, safety, helper, support
Invitations to participate in experiences

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Similarities and differences with other programs

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Curricula - in research phase

CCNBEE - curriculum committee gathering
Most ONBs beg & borrow - find outdoor activities
Lots of practitioners let nature lead
Forest School - play, tools, fire, furniture

Connecting with coaching

Like kids, meet them where they are
Understand challenges:

logistical
goals
kids’ (special) needs
struggles

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My story

how I got interested
challenges

MY GOALS:

Coaching
Forest After School
2 days/week full day
June 2025 deadline

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Transition to Lennae

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Stretch break!

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Small Group Activity: ONB scenarios

Scenario 1: A teacher needs guidance on logistics - having all the right materials and equipment - for getting kids out of the school and onto a nature hike. What does s/he need to bring? Consider a plan for if a kid runs away or gets hurt.

Scenario 2: How to help a teacher incorporate more natural materials: a classroom wants to become more nature based, and looks to the coach for help. What kinds of natural materials are good for kids - inside and outside? Brainstorm how a coach might answer.

Scenario 3: Thinking like a Forest School practitioner - how to step back, observe and take ‘no’ out of vocabulary. Teacher wants to support helping kids communicate and negotiate. How might you approach this together?

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Protocol

Review each of the scenarios.
Pick one that resonates most with you and your group.
Choose a role - practitioner/provider, coach, or observer.
Provide some context - take a few minutes to talk about the situation and ‘set the stage’ from your perspective.
Role play - If time allows, practice perspective taking and approaching the coaching conversation.
Key points - Bring a key takeaway from your dialogue to share in the full group.

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Large Group Share out

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www.nwf.org/echo

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See link in Agenda for recording of this session if you are interested!

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Coaching Resource Website

This is a Coaching Resource Website with coaching-related resources, materials, and slides from all the CoP meetings.

Click the link in the agenda or scan this QR code!

It is all of the same information from the folders but easier to access.

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What’s Next for the Coaching Community of Practice: Creating Connections 2024

(1st Tuesday of each month 1:00 - 2:30pm)

July 2: *No session due to holiday*

August 6: Workforce Retention

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Colorado Coaching Chronicle

Follow this QR code or the link in the agenda to sign up to receive our quarterly newsletter!

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Coaching Office Hours every Thursday, 1:00-2:00pm

Video call link: https://meet.google.com/unh-fbrw-vne

Important Dates and Reminders

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CIG Listening Sessions

The Coaching Implementation Guide (CiG) is a resource guide currently being created for coaches as they begin their journey as a coach.

Join this listening session to hear about the current status of the project!

May 29, 2024 12:00 - 10:45 am

Google Meet Link: meet.google.com/grj-zbfq-hcp

You can also contact the Project Managers for more information:

Dusti Stanton: dusti.stanton@state.co.us

Stacey Speck: stacey.speck@state.co.us

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Reminders:

In order to get PD hours your PDIS account must be active and you must sign-in using the Google Form.
Both CoP’s can be located in PDIS by searching “Community of Practice” or “CO Coach”
Please fill out the feedback survey with the QR code here or the link in agenda.

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Questions?