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Dedicated to empowering educators through personalized coaching and professional development, Sonja Pullen (BEd ‘11) is shaping a brighter future for students – from Australia to Ethiopia and now, Canada and the United States. With a strategic eye for enhancing teaching practices and improving student outcomes, the certified coach and facilitator founded a business and, most recently, joined a renowned Nebraska-based instructional coaching group.

Meanwhile, Sonja—founder of SP Coaching—has dedicated two years of extraordinary volunteer service to the OISE Mentorship Program and its Senior Mentor Coach initiative in Toronto.

Below, Sonja shares how OISE has shaped her global education journey and the steps it took to enter a rewarding career in professional program design and coaching.

As an accredited coach and education entrepreneur, how do you help teachers unlock their potential?

I walk alongside teachers and school leaders on their professional journey, cheering them on and empowering them to achieve their goals and serve their students better through personalized one-on-one coaching conversations.

I coached a teacher who was feeling overwhelmed and tired by the increasing demands of their job. This teacher needed a champion – someone who believed in them and their ability to succeed. Each session, we began by focusing on a moment of joy, reminding them of what was going well. I created a safe, non-judgmental space where they could be themselves, reflect and learn. I identified and articulated their strengths, acknowledged their struggles, and regularly provided affirmation and encouragement. Week by week, we would discuss the best strategy toward small, actionable steps for improvement with their wellness at the centre. Ultimately, I received this heart-warming message: “You are a blessing and a strength in my teaching career”. 

Moments like these reaffirm my entrepreneurial path and show the power of coaching.

Coaching creates space for reflection, clarity, and immediate action through small, meaningful steps, often leading to surprising breakthroughs. It’s about uncovering strengths, reframing challenges, and realizing what’s possible in unexpected ways.

I’ve witnessed your ability to create safe spaces and articulate the 'big picture' as a coach to mentors in the OISE Mentorship Program. Where did your interest and aptitude in education stem?

My passion for education was confirmed during my time as a summer camp counsellor with Youth Unlimited in Toronto’s Jane-Finch area, working with vulnerable children. As part of an introduction activity, I asked a camper, “If there was one thing you could change, what would it be?” His response: “My colour”. 

This was a moment that broke my heart. 

It exposed the deep struggles many children face in so many areas of life. But throughout that summer, I saw how love, care, and encouragement transformed him. By the end of camp, he had grown his confidence and emerged as a leader among his peers. Seeing this transformation solidified my desire to become a teacher, so I could positively impact even more students. I didn’t see teaching as a job, but rather as a calling with purpose and meaning. 

Years later, teaching in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, further deepened my awareness of the stark inequalities in access to resources and quality education worldwide. These experiences shaped my commitment to creating environments where every child, teacher, and school leader feels valued and supported. 

As a coach and facilitator in the OISE Mentorship Program, I've come full circle. I enjoy meeting with fellow alumni who are just learning to mentor grad students or who are seasoned mentors tackling specific issues or areas of improvement. The OISE community is a diverse network of talent, and I am honoured to serve. 

Teaching in Toronto, Addis Ababa, and later Melbourne, how did your OISE degree impact this (literal) flight path?

I was part of the Doncrest teaching cohort at OISE, led by inspiring educators and leaders Barrie Bennett, Charmain Brown, and the late Marion Ahrens. Their enthusiasm for teaching and learning was infectious, and I deeply admired their expertise and ability to support me.

Shortly after graduating, I moved to Melbourne, Australia and began teaching in the classroom. My colleagues often asked where I learned certain teaching strategies that were effective in my practice or demonstrated such depth of knowledge as a new graduate. I credited this to the rich learning experience I received at OISE. My school principal at the time said "Canadian teachers are highly valued." Under John Hurley’s leadership, the school sponsored my work visa, which eventually paved the way for my Australian citizenship – a gift for which I will always be grateful. Living and teaching in Melbourne was a highlight of my career. Melbourne’s vibrant culture, stunning beauty, and welcoming community enriched my experience (though there were more than a few traumatic experiences with spiders)!

Not only did I bring knowledge from OISE to Australia, but I also brought a teaching tool I created during my program. My final assignment at OISE was to create a concept map summarizing my entire year of studies, which I titled Effective Teaching: An Art Informed by Science. It included key themes around learning, curriculum, instruction, assessment, and professionalism. As I mentored graduate teachers, I used the map in professional development sessions, which inspired those teachers to create their own maps to consolidate and apply their learning.
 

You went from classroom teacher to coach for teachers to running your own business. With mentorship in mind, do you have any transformative takeaways for current graduate students?

If you’d told me 13 years ago when I graduated from OISE that I’d have my own business, I would’ve laughed in disbelief. 

My biggest takeaways? Take. Surround. Acknowledge.

1. Take the risk! Jump high, leap far, and be ready to fail over and over again.
2. Surround – Surround yourself with at least one person who believes in you and is committed to your dream.
3. Acknowledge – Acknowledge the limitations, the tough emotions, and the hardships of being in the deep end. Then ask yourself – “What can I learn from this?”

What is the biggest challenge vs reward in your line of work? What’s next for you in terms of aspirations?

The biggest challenge was leaving a secure and fulfilling formal teaching role to step into the unknown. Building a business from the ground up has been a humbling and transformative journey, marked by isolation, financial instability, setbacks, and the discomfort of starting over after 11 years away from Canada.

The reward? It’s twofold.

First, the personal growth. Learning to be a coach has increased my self-awareness and empathy, making me a better listener and deepening my appreciation for diverse perspectives. It has helped me approach difficult situations with less judgment, creating spaces where people feel valued and heard while equipping me with tools to engage in meaningful and impactful conversations, and building deeper relationships in my personal and professional life. Second, the impact I witness in the educators I coach. Seeing them celebrating their wins, learning from challenges, gaining clarity, and taking action towards their goals has been incredibly rewarding. 

Over a year ago, I coached an experienced educator with over two decades of teaching and leadership experience who was ready for a career change but felt stuck and uncertain about their next steps. Last month, she shared that she is running a business to inspire educators through keynote speeches and talks, training and mentoring teachers and organizing engaging in-school activities for students. She described feeling excited about her new role and looking forward to 2025. Coaching played an important part in her journey of making a significant career shift from school leader to entrepreneur.

Despite the challenges, I see my work as an educational entrepreneur as an honour and a privilege. Just as teaching was a calling for me, so is supporting educators through coaching and professional development. Looking ahead, I’m passionate about advancing coaching in education globally, especially in regions with limited access to services. My goal is to improve access to personalized and effective professional learning.

"With OISE I can ensure students, teachers and school leaders everywhere have the support they need to flourish!"