Several years ago, I explored a question that still surfaces frequently in conversations with instructional coaches: Should coaches describe their role as helping teachers? Does the phrase, “How can I help you?” fit in coaching conversations? At first glance, the answer feels obvious. Of course, coaches help. Supporting teachers is central to the work. But […]

“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 […]

Walk into a school with a high Emotional Intelligence (EQ) culture and you notice it quickly by how people respond, especially when things don’t go as planned. Conversations feel purposeful rather than rushed. When concerns surface, they’re acknowledged instead of deflected. Disagreement doesn’t immediately trigger defensiveness, and emotion isn’t treated as something to manage away […]

Mattering is the feeling that we are valued and have value to add to the world. When we build a mattering ecosystem that helps adults feel valued and significant, we’re creating the conditions for children to feel they matter. What are coaching actions that signal mattering to their coachees and help build an ecosystem of […]

Dr. Mark Williams, an Australian cognitive neuroscientist and author of, “The Connected Species: How the Evolution of the Human Brain Can Save the World,” frames connection as a fundamental social and neural bond that shapes how we perceive, think, and learn. Connection changes how we hear and see others. People whom we feel connected to […]

I recently read Jonathan Haidt’s, “The Happiness Hypothesis” and pondered several times how elements from his work apply to coaching teachers. When might increased teacher happiness lead to increased student learning? What role can coaching play in that connection? Haidt presents a metaphor that can be helpful in a coaching approach: the elephant and the […]