How often has this happened to you? You’re listening to a teacher describe her frustration with a group of students. Halfway through, you recognize the situation. You’ve seen it before. You solved it when you were teaching. You know what will help. Even if you don’t interrupt, you’re no longer fully listening — you’re thinking […]

“Resistance isn’t refusal. It’s a signal of unmet needs.”  Becca Silver, the founder of The Whole Educator and the designer of the Resistance Remedy, shares how to diagnosis common unmet needs. Coaches questioning and listening emerges as key to change and commitment. Visit The Whole Educator website and get in touch with Becca here. Subscribe […]

In an earlier blog, Big Ears for Soulful Listening, I explored Greg Thomas’ concept of Soulful Listening. It’s a jazz-inspired idea where listening is generative – a way of listening that creates space for emergence and transformation.   Soulful listening is the “next step” after foundational practices like active and empathic listening. One of the practices of […]

Reading the blog, “The Art of Soulful Listening” by Greg Thomas, introduced me to a musical concept that immediately resonated—what jazz musicians call Big Ears. Thomas describes his deepening appreciation of jazz through immersive listening… “The more I listened, the more I recognized patterns and devices of the music. The more I listened, the more […]

In coaching—whether you’re supporting a teacher, leading a professional learning team, or working with a school leader—listening is foundational. And yet, in the name of productivity, efficiency, or simply staying on schedule, we can too easily slip into haste. “We nod instead of reflect. We respond instead of inquire. We react instead of understand.” A […]

In the December Insights from Growth Coaching International, Dr. Robert Biswas-Diener and Christian Van Nieuwerburgh shared the need for stepping beyond active listening to radical listening. They described how active listening, as presented by Carl Rogers in the 70s may be insufficient for coaches today in a world of digital distractions and a sense of […]