Building Self-Awareness

We began our pilot program with one-on-one coaching and then added the Coaching Office. We later felt that we left out a key element that could have supported the coaching interactions.

We assessed that by developing and engaging teens in a “developmental process” first with experiential learning and discovery, youth would be better prepared for the process of coaching. They would then come to the coaching conversations with a clearer understanding and greater awareness of their choices, goals, plans, and dreams for their futures.

With that in mind, we created and provided a Small Group Curriculum based program to a cadre of teens at a youth supporting agency. At the end of the four-session program, their responses told us these two things:

  1. They had increased their engagement in the process and with each other.
  2. They expressed high levels of clarity and self-empowerment on their post-assessment interviews.

From this point, if they wished to “try out” coaching, either the 1:1 program or the Coaching Office could be available to them. The Coaching Office would allow them less commitment and greater flexibility.

These sessions were created around four elements of learning. They included plenty of experiential exercises and associated worksheets, opportunities for discovery and discussion, and homework in between sessions. As the sessions progressed, it was exciting to observe the teens shift towards self-empowerment, and engage and connect with their possibilities.

The four elements were:

  1. Who Am I?
  2. Who Am I With Others?
  3. How Can I BE and Stay ME?
  4. My Plan

Leading up to the sessions, we posed such questions as:

  1. How can what I believe in guide and empower me?
  2. What are my special gifts and talents?
  3. How do I create MY plan for MY success?
  4. How do I build a network of people who will be there for ME?

Be yourself. The world worships the original. — Ingrid Bergman

Two of the teens shared what they found helpful to them at the end of the program:

  1. “Now when I am stressed I have some tools to find solutions that will support me.”
  2. “What changed for me is that I can react to others differently and have real conversations.”

We asked, “What would you tell your friends if they said they were interested in signing up for this program.” One teen replied:

That this series will help them with finding out who they are.

Small Group Curriculum

Touch Point Connection’s desire to support adolescents – to build their futures – continues with our offer of the outline and complete curriculum below.

Small Group Coaching Outline

Session 1: Who I Am, Who I Can Be & Who I Can Become

Session 2: Stepping Into…..Who I am, Who I am with others

Session 3: Stepping Into Who I Am: Next Steps & Support Network

Session 4: Stepping Into…. Putting Concepts into Action

Coaching Teens… Building Futures

Students Say…

“My coach didn’t judge me and tell me I was throwing away my life.”
“Before my coaching I had no ideas of what to do after high school. Now I have ideas on how to reach my goals.”
“My coach and I worked on a graph so I could organize my time better. I was getting C’s and D’s on my progress report, now I am getting A’s and B’s on my report card.”
“Coaching was a moment where I could just talk about what I want.”
“At first we just talked, it felt good to talk to someone and really trust them.”
“When asked what makes an ideal coach, she responded: "Somebody who listens to my opinions and helps me get more ideas about what I want.”
“It felt good to have an adult in my life that I could trust and didn’t judge me.”
“Because of coaching, my life is better because I can actually meet my goals and reach for my future goals.   I'm stronger and more positive since having a coach.”
“Before coaching I was getting C's and D's. Now I am getting A's and B's on my report card.”
“Since I started working with a coach I'm way more confident and I don't care if people judge me.”
“I learned that I can be independent and don’t have to rely on others, but can get support when I feel I need it.”
“Before my coaching I had no idea of what to do after high school; now I have ideas on how to reach goals I didn’t know I had.”
“Talking with someone helped me to understand what was right and wrong.”
“Coaching has given me the strength to show the world what I've got and what I can do. I have learned to not limit my challenges but challenge my limits.”
“I had someone who just listened. When I had a question there was a combination of getting ideas from him, and figuring out myself.”
“I had somebody who would help me set up steps to reach my goals. It wasn't complicated, she made it simple. It was positive, and I had the ability to identify those steps.”
“I used to think of myself as lazy and a failure. Since I've had a coach, my perspective is different and now I can see myself being successful.”
“I know now that when I have a problem there are different ways to solve it other than violence.”
“Our relationship was more about a friendship. I have told him secrets - things about myself I have not told anyone else.”
“It was good. My coach helped me a lot with organizing my life.”
“I connected with my coach. I wasn’t afraid to tell her personal stuff. I could trust her because I wasn’t being judged.”
Top