Ahead of our upcoming free webinar, Rediscovering Your Purpose Within Education, we spoke to our Director of Training and Development, Nick Woolley, about his journey from teaching to coaching, what he learned along the way, and why coaching skills can be so valuable within education.
If you would rather listen to the full interview, you can go to our YouTube channel:
What first drew you to education?
I’ve always loved supporting people and working with young people.
Maths was a subject that didn’t always come naturally to me, so I spent a lot of time finding strategies that helped me learn and succeed. I realised those same approaches could help others, and there was something really rewarding about seeing someone’s confidence grow when they finally understood something they had been struggling with.
That desire to help people develop and achieve things they didn’t think were possible was what first drew me into teaching.
Looking back, what were the moments that made you feel most fulfilled as a teacher?
Some of my most rewarding experiences were with students who were often labelled as “challenging”. Building trust, understanding what was really going on for them, and seeing them engage in a different way was incredibly fulfilling.
For me, teaching was always about people first. The strongest memories aren’t of lessons or results, but of the connections and relationships built along the way.
Was there a point where you realised something needed to change, either in your role or in the way you were supporting people?
I absolutely loved the school I was teaching in, but there was a feeling that something wasn’t quite right.
At the time, I couldn’t fully put my finger on it. I knew I needed a change, so I decided to move abroad and teach internationally, which gave me the opportunity to work within the International Baccalaureate curriculum.
It was a fantastic experience and one I really enjoyed, but the feeling didn’t go away. Gradually, I realised it wasn’t the school or the curriculum. Teaching simply wasn’t the right fit for me anymore, and I wanted to explore different ways of supporting people.
What first introduced you to coaching, and what surprised you most about it?
I’d heard about coaching during my teaching career, but I didn’t really understand what it was.
Then, during a leadership programme, we spent a couple of hours learning about coaching as part of a three-day course. Even in that short amount of time, I was blown away by the impact it could have.
I remember being coached by someone who had only received a few hours of training themselves, and the conversation had a huge impact on me. I instantly knew there was something powerful about it.
Within a couple of months, I had researched accredited coaching programmes through the International Coaching Federation and enrolled on my own training, all while continuing to teach full-time.
Many education professionals still care deeply about helping people but often feel pulled away from the parts of the role they enjoy most. Does that resonate with your experience?
Absolutely.
One of the biggest frustrations in education can be the feeling of being pulled away from the very reason you entered the profession in the first place.
For many people, that’s supporting students, building relationships and helping young people grow. Yet often, those are the things we have the least time for.
That was certainly a significant factor in my decision to leave teaching.
What’s interesting, though, is that I often wonder whether things might have been different if I had discovered coaching earlier. If I had understood what I know now, and if more people around me had been using coaching approaches, I genuinely wonder whether I’d still be teaching today.
What is one coaching skill or mindset that you think every education professional could benefit from, regardless of whether they want to become a coach?
At its simplest, coaching is built around three key principles: creating a safe space, asking open and curious questions, and listening actively.
Teachers are often naturally strong at building rapport and asking good questions. They do it every day.
The biggest shift for many people is active listening.
When we’re busy, it’s easy to listen while already thinking about what we’re going to say next, what advice we’ll give, or how we’ll solve the problem.
Coaching taught me how to listen differently. To pay attention not only to what someone is saying, but also what sits underneath it.
That skill can transform conversations with students, colleagues and teams. Sometimes people don’t need an answer straight away. They need space to think, reflect and feel heard.
For someone who loves supporting people but is feeling stuck, overwhelmed, or curious about what’s next, what would you say to them?
I’d encourage them to take some time to reflect on what’s important to them and reconnect with their purpose and passion.
That’s often easier said than done, especially when life and work are busy, but it’s incredibly valuable.
Learning coaching skills can help you become even more effective in your current role, but it can also open your eyes to possibilities you may never have considered before.
One of the things I love most about coaching training is that it isn’t just about learning how to support other people. It’s also a journey of personal development. You learn a huge amount about yourself along the way.
I can honestly say that I’m a very different person from the one who started that journey, and entirely for the better. That’s the power of coaching. It doesn’t just change how you work with others. It changes how you understand yourself.
For someone who loves supporting people but is feeling stuck, overwhelmed, or curious about what’s next, what would you say to them?
I’d encourage them to take some time to reflect on what’s important to them and reconnect with their purpose and passion.
That’s often easier said than done, especially when life and work are busy, but it’s incredibly valuable.
Learning coaching skills can help you become even more effective in your current role, but it can also open your eyes to possibilities you may never have considered before.
One of the things I love most about coaching training is that it isn’t just about learning how to support other people. It’s also a journey of personal development. You learn a huge amount about yourself along the way.
I can honestly say that I’m a very different person from the one who started that journey, and entirely for the better. That’s the power of coaching. It doesn’t just change how you work with others. It changes how you understand yourself.
If Nick’s story resonates with you, join us for our free, upcoming webinar,
Rediscovering Your Purpose Within Education,
on July 3rd, where we’ll explore some of these themes in more depth and share practical coaching tools that can be applied across a wide range of educational settings.
