Educational Studies

The Promise and Potential Coaches Program

What is the Coaches Program?

Research tells us that the involvement of caring adult can make a significant difference in the lives of young people. This fact is the inspiration for the Coaches mentor program. Coaches are IWU student mentors matched with pairs of BJHS students during school hours for tutoring and mentoring activities, under the supervision of BJHS teachers.

What are the Goals of the Coaches Program?

  • To support the long term social, emotional and academic development of BJHS students.
  • To improve students' chances of success in school.
  • To help students realize their promise.

Who are the BJHS students Coaches will work with?

  • Bloomington Junior High School enrolls 1300 sixth through eighth grade students with diverse abilities and backgrounds.  Counselors and teachers have identified students with histories of poor school attendance, discipline problems, academic failure, and/or low self-esteem.

What do Coaches do?

  • Each Promise and Potential Coach is matched with one or two BJHS students. The coach meets with them together for 45 minutes, twice a week, during the school day.
  • Coaches spend additional time in their students' classrooms during the school day (one or two hours a week).
  • Coaches serve as the teacher's echo, providing students classroom-based coaching in successful school behaviors.

Do Coaches work alone?

  • Coaches work in a BJHS classroom with other Coaches and BJHS students.
  • BJHS Teachers are present to supervise and support Coaches.

Who can be a Coach?

  • All Educational Studies 225 and 255 students coach to meet their field requirements.
  • Coaches can have any academic major or minor.
  • Experience is not required, but a willingness to learn is.
  • If you can sustain a commitment to the BJHS students to whom you are assigned, you can be a coach.

What time commitment does coaching require?

  • About 2-3 hours a week
  • 2 days at BJHS during one of the following times:
  • M/W 9-9:45am, 9:45-10:30, or 2-2:45
  • T/TH 9-9:45am, 9:45-10:30, or 2-2:45
  • One additional hour of classroom "Shadowing"

How will I know what to do?

  • Expectations, procedures, and protocols can be found on the Coach Resources page.
  • Additional resources in regards to working with BJHS students are also located on the Coach Resources page.
  • Coaches attend orientation at BJHS to familiarize themselves with the school.

What are the Coaches responsibilities?

  • Refer to field requirements for detailed expectations.
  • Follow BJHS school policy and procedures.
  • Communicate with families of BJHS students.
  • Participate in Promise & Potential parent nights and field trips.

How do I get academic credit for coaching?

  • One year of coaching earns one unit of internship credit. You can take your unit of credit by "volunteering" one semester, and the following semester register for internship credit.

What do I do if I am seeking academic credit or work study compensation?

  • Individual goals are outlined on the internship learning contract.
  • Write a portrait of the BJHS student.
  • Engage in focused study on an issue concerning students at risk of school failure.

How am I graded?

  • You can take an internship credit/no credit (pass/fail).
  • Students coaching for credit have related assignments to complete.

Do I have to coach for credit?

  • No, we'd love to have you as a volunteer coach!!
  • Volunteers are asked to make the same time commitment as "for-credit" or work-study coaches, but do not have the same "homework" assignments.

How do I apply to be a coach?

Download and complete these forms

          
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