Job Discussion Forums

[nomad soul]

What’s the difference: training, coaching, teaching, mentoring?
By Ryan B. Hale, Leadertainment | 28 Feb 2012
Source: https://leadertainment.com/

Subtle differences between the interactions of training, coaching, teaching, and mentoring can produce drastically different outcomes. Just as it is important to have a variety of leadership styles available to help you lead effectively in different situations, you must also be comfortable switching between development styles as appropriate.

Training: to help a person master a specific skill in a direct (or “hands on”) interaction, use Training. Let’s imagine you want to help your daughter (or son, spouse, or roommate, depending on your situation) learn to make her own breakfast. The Training style involves getting the ingredients and recipe out, and working next to her at the stove to make an omelet together. After a few attempts, she will do more and more of the task herself until she is independently proficient.

Coaching: for a specific skill, but now in an indirect (or “hands off”) interaction, use Coaching. For the omelet example, this means talking to your daughter before (and/or after) breakfast for a conversation. Ask questions to reinforce knowledge and help her anticipate setbacks before they occur. Give tips and tricks that have helped you succeed at the same task. Great coaches also help to boost confidence and reduce anxiety to improve performance.

Teaching: increase capability in a general suite of skills through direct interactions with Teaching. You can help your daughter master a number of breakfast recipes from crepes to congee, over a series of lessons in the kitchen. A wise teacher in this case will also include effective dish washing in the curriculum! Teachers help build skills in a number of tasks, plus help to generalize the approach they teach to enable success in related (but not identical) situations.

Mentoring: the most abstract development method, Mentoring builds capability in general skills through indirect interactions. Mentoring your daughter in this analogy would include conversations to explore why independence and proficiency in meal preparation is important, what she enjoys most and least about what she’s learning, etc. Great mentors fill in blind spots, clarify motivations, and remove mental obstacles to success over longer-term interactions.

(End of article)

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- What's your "style" as an EFL teacher? Or do you wear many hats?
- Also, if you're looking to eventually transition from TEFL into a similar/related field, which role do you see as a match for your transferable skills?
- Lastly, do you agree with the descriptions and contexts of the above styles?
.

[fluffytwo]

(What with my teaching a language, and communicatively) I try to be conversational.

To that end, I find it helps if I am conversant with at least the general shape and linguistic norms of conversation (but not all teachers believe any of that to be necessary, unfortunately!).

Such an approach is obviously useful, and transferable.

[nomad soul]

[fluffytwo]

No comment.

[spiral78]

Hamsters generally tend to be monologists, I hear.

[fluffytwo]

I think we all tend to be a bit one-track at times (some records sound less stuck than others, mind).

[JoThomas]

All of the above as I wear many hats when need be. Wonderful article, Nomad.

[MuscatGary]

My style varies depending on what the student needs to achieve.

[ChrisHenry15]