Coaches, Stay Curious

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You can find My Coaches Couch, the podcast (with different content) in your favorite podcast app or at MyCoachesCouch.podbean.com.
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If someone asked me to name one coaching move that consistently leads to meaningful conversations, I wouldn’t choose a protocol, a planning tool, or even a favorite strategy.
 
I'd choose curiosity.
 
The more I coach, the more convinced I become that curiosity—not certainty—is one of our best coaching tools. Unfortunately, it’s also an easy habit to lose. Like any habit, curiosity grows stronger when we intentionally practice it – and we don't need to be in a school building to do that!  Summer is a time to recharge, but it's also a time to strengthen the habits we'll rely on throughout the school year.
 
Curiosity isn’t only for coaching conversations. The habits that make us better instructional coaches can be practiced in ordinary moments—while reading a book, talking with a neighbor, visiting a museum, or simply paying closer attention to the people around us.
 
During the school year, teachers bring us real challenges and we want to help. Our experience naturally leads us to possible solutions, and before we know it, we're sharing ideas before we've fully explored the teacher's thinking. To stem, that tide, we need to practice curiosity.
 
While there are certainly times when teachers need resources or suggestions, coaching with curiosity invites teachers to do the intellectual work of making meaning, considering possibilities, and deciding what comes next. Our questions open that door.
 
Questions Signal Exploration
 
Questions shift conversations away from finding the "right" answer and toward exploring possibilities.
 
During a coaching conversation with Ashley, a junior high instructional coach, I began by asking, “What have you been wondering about as you implement small-group math instruction?"
 
Ashley described how the sixth-grade team was experimenting with cross-classroom instruction, grouping students with the teacher whose strengths best matched their learning needs. As she reflected, Ashley shared several wonderings. She wondered whether introducing a new instructional structure in March—just weeks before state assessments—was asking too much of teachers. She wondered whether teachers saw the work as worthwhile despite everything else competing for their attention. She was also curious about whether the student data would eventually reflect the promise they were hoping to see.
 
What struck me was how rich the conversation became because we stayed with her curiosity instead of moving immediately to solutions. Rather than reassuring her or offering suggestions, I responded, "I'm curious about that first wondering. Are your teachers seeing these small groups as an intervention that supports students' readiness for the upcoming assessment?"
 
That question invited Ashley to continue making sense of what she was observing. It helped us consider the situation from multiple perspectives.
Productive coaching conversations leave room for wondering. So do engaging conversations with friends and family.
 
In a conversation with a friend who is considering changing jobs, you could practice curiosity. Instead of saying, “I wouldn’t leave your current job,” you could ask, “What kind of work gives you energy?” or “What are you hoping life will look like in a few years?” Questions like these encourage exploration and give us a chance to practice curiosity now.
 
Questions Create Agency
 
One reason curiosity matters so much is that questions shift the thinking to teachers. When coaches do all the thinking, teachers leave with our ideas. When teachers do the thinking, they leave with ownership – and that's an important distinction.
 
Questions like the following invite others into curiosity and agency:

·        What are you noticing?

·        What surprises you?

·        What if...?

·        What makes you curious here?

·        What could go right?

Questions like these encourage experimentation instead of perfection. They are an invitation to imagine alternatives, compare possibilities, and test ideas without feeling that everything has to work perfectly. That kind of curiosity builds confidence because it reinforces agency rather than dependence.
 
Curiosity Helps Us See What We Might Otherwise Miss
 
Another reason to practice curiosity (now and later, in your coaching) is that curiosity keeps us from making assumptions. As coaches, it can be easy to think we've seen a situation before, so our minds begin filling in the blanks. Curiosity interrupts that habit. There is almost always more beneath the surface than we initially see. Curiosity helps us stay open long enough to discover it.
 
Summer Is a Wonderful Time to Practice Curiosity
 
Even ordinary moments become opportunities to practice curiosity. The habits of curiosity we cultivate now can be carried into the school year. So as we enjoy the distinctive pace of summer, I invite you to practice curiosity. Notice and wonder. Ask another question. Assume less. Be surprised!
 
Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt once said, "We run this company on questions, not answers." That philosophy seemed to work!
 
Curiosity is a habit that makes every coaching conversation better, and it can be practiced almost anywhere—in conversations with friends, while traveling, during a morning walk, or through conversation with someone who sees the world differently. Those small moments quietly prepare us for the coaching conversations waiting in the fall.

This week, you might want to take a look at:

Coaching Lessons from Toy Story

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You can find My Coaches Couch, the podcast (with different content) in your favorite podcast app or at MyCoachesCouch.podbean.com.

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Today’s blog post is a summer cartoon break that considers what we can learn about coaching from one of Pixar’s most beloved movie series, Toy Story. This iconic series has recently celebrated its 30^th anniversary and launched the new film, Toy Story 5.  
 
On the surface, Toy Story is about toys that come to life when people aren't looking. But beneath the humor and adventure is a story about leadership, relationships, collaboration, and learning to let others shine. Those themes have surprising parallels to the work instructional coaches do every day.
 
Leadership That Brings People Together

The original Toy Story begins as the toys are anxiously awaiting Andy's birthday. They know new presents are coming, and they worry about what those new toys might mean for their place in Andy's room. In the middle of all the uncertainty, the toys look to their leader, Woody, to devise a plan for uncovering the identity of the newcomers and helping everyone navigate the situation.

There's an important coaching lesson here.

Groups naturally look to leaders during times of uncertainty. Whether a school is adopting a new curriculum, implementing new instructional practices, or responding to changing expectations, teachers often need someone who can help them make sense of what's happening. Coaches may not be the official leaders of a building, but they are often trusted leaders of learning.

The most effective coaching leaders don't solve every problem themselves. Instead, they help teachers organize their thinking, identify next steps, and pull together around a common goal. They create calm when others feel overwhelmed and provide enough structure that progress feels possible. Like Woody gathering the toys together, coaches help people move from uncertainty toward purposeful action.

Helping Teachers See Their Value

One of the strongest themes near the beginning of the original Toy Story is the desire to be needed and loved. Woody begins to feel like a second-class citizen once the flashy new Buzz Lightyear arrives. He wonders if he still matters. He longs for Andy to remember the history they share and the simple joys that come from a well-loved toy.
Teachers aren't so different.

Every teacher wants to know that their work matters and that their unique contributions are seen. One of the greatest privileges of coaching is that we spend time in classrooms observing teachers in action. That gives us opportunities to notice strengths that teachers themselves may overlook.

As coaches, we can intentionally highlight those strengths. We can name effective practices, celebrate growth, and affirm the expertise teachers already possess. In the GIR coaching model, affirmation and praise are important coaching moves as teachers gain confidence with instructional practices. Rather than continuing to provide heavy support, we acknowledge what teachers are doing well and reinforce their growing independence.

One way to spotlight a teacher's strengths is to invite another teacher to observe that classroom at the beginning of a coaching partnership. Seeing a colleague successfully implement a strategy often feels more attainable than watching an outside expert. Of course, this approach comes with two cautions. First, both teachers should be comfortable with the arrangement so that everyone has a positive experience. Second, avoid creating the impression that only a select few teachers have expertise worth sharing. If classroom visits become part of your coaching work, make sure many different teachers have opportunities to serve as models. Every teacher has strengths that can benefit someone else.

Woody's jealousy of Buzz reminds us how quickly comparison can become destructive. Coaching should never unintentionally create winners and losers. Instead, it should help every teacher recognize the valuable contributions they bring to the learning community.

Collaboration Is Stronger Than Competition

The destructive effects of jealousy and competition become obvious as Woody and Buzz compete for the position of Andy's favorite toy. Misunderstandings grow, relationships suffer, and everyone loses.
Only when Woody and Buzz begin working together do they accomplish what neither could have done alone.
Schools sometimes face similar temptations. Evaluation systems, performance measures, or informal comparisons can create the impression that teachers are competing with one another. Coaches have an opportunity to shift that narrative.
Rather than focusing on individual competition, we can intentionally cultivate collaboration and interdependence. We help teachers open classroom doors, learn from one another, solve problems together, and celebrate collective success. As colleagues collaborate, they gain new perspectives, expand their instructional repertoire, and strengthen the entire school community. When rivals become partners—as Woody and Buzz eventually do in the original Toy Story —the outcome is better for everyone involved, especially students.

Shifting Roles
 
Woody also learns another difficult lesson. He discovers that it's okay not to be the center of attention. Although he remains important, he realizes he is part of something much larger than himself. His value doesn't depend on always being the star.
That's an important lesson for coaches as well.
Our role changes throughout a coaching partnership. Early on, we may provide more modeling, guidance, or recommendations. As teachers become increasingly confident and capable, however, our responsibility is to step back. We shift from directing to partnering, gradually transferring responsibility so teachers become less dependent on us and more confident in their own decision making. Our goal isn't to create teachers who need us forever. Our goal is to build capacity. We do that in different ways, but we are always there to help and serve.

Be the Trusted Companion
 
One more character is worth mentioning, even though he doesn't get nearly as much screen time as Woody or Buzz. Bullseye, Woody's faithful horse, is an example of quiet loyalty. He doesn't seek the spotlight or try to take charge. Instead, he stays close, responds immediately when Woody calls with a whistle, and faithfully accompanies him wherever the adventure leads.
 
Like Bullseye, instructional coaches aren't there to take over someone else's classroom or ride in and save the day. Instead, we become trusted companions who walk alongside teachers. We show up when we're needed. We listen. We encourage. We offer support. Sometimes we're leading, but often we're simply present, helping teachers navigate challenges with the confidence that someone is beside them.
 
Bullseye trusts the relationship he and Woody have built. In the same way, the strongest coaching partnerships are built on trust over time. Teachers know they can reach out when they need a thinking partner, and they know the coach will respond with encouragement.
 
An overlooked lessons from Toy Story is that the most valuable companions aren't always the loudest or the most noticeable. Sometimes they are simply the ones who, like Bullseye, faithfully show up, stay alongside us, and help us keep moving forward.
 
Like Woody, Buzz, and Bullseye, we'll certainly encounter challenges and unexpected twists along the coaching journey. Sometimes we'll lead, sometimes we'll collaborate, and sometimes we'll simply walk faithfully beside a teacher who needs a trusted companion. Woody and his friends carried on because of the joy they could bring to Andy. Coaches and teachers carry on because they understand the lasting influence that great teaching can have on the life of a child. Sometimes the best coaching lessons come from unexpected places—even a room full of toys.

This week, you might want to take a look at:

How we can miss trauma:

https://blog.heinemann.com/trauma-responsive-pedagogy-how-we-can-miss-trauma

 

Deepen literary analysis with these visual thinking exercises:

https://www.edutopia.org/video/3-visual-thinking-exercises-to-try-in-english-class

Emergent reader booklist for thinkers:

https://choiceliteracy.com/article/little-levels-big-thinking/

Ways to make faculty feel welcome:

https://www.fastcompany.com/3039232/5-ways-to-welcome-your-new-employee-to-the-workplace

That’s it for this week. Happy Coaching!

Want more coaching tips? Check out my book, Differentiated Mentoring & Coaching in Education: From Preservice Teacher to Expert Practitioner, available from Teachers College Press!  I’m so excited to share it with you! You can use the code: JUN2026 for 15% off. Click  here  and I’ll email you the free Book Group Study Guide that includes questions, prompts, and activities you can use as you share the book with colleagues.  I hope you’ll love this book as much as I loved making it for you!

Coaching Questions for Problem-Solving

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You can find My Coaches Couch, the podcast (with different content) in your favorite podcast app or at MyCoachesCouch.podbean.com.

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Asking questions is a powerful coaching move, and it’s one that you can use not only
during the school year, but also this summer with friends and family. One important role that questions play is to support problem solving.

When a knowledgeable teacher comes to you with a problem, asking questions encourages the teacher to generate her own solutions. Similarly, when a friend or family member comes to you with a problem, asking questions can be a “just right” move that leaves ownership for the solution with them.
 
This week, a family friend asked my husband for advice about his next job move. My husband asked questions and offered some thoughts, but he steered away from making a recommendation Mostly, he didn’t want this young friend telling his parents, “Mr. Collet thinks I should…” or “Mr. Collet agrees with me.” 😊 Regardless of his motives, my husband’s questions were a problem-solving support.
 
When a friend or colleague comes to you with a problem, you could say, “That’s a great question! I’ve got some ideas, which I’ll share with you. But before I do, what are your first thoughts?” After a surprised pause, the person may throw out a fledgling idea and then wait for your response.  That’s your cue for the next question (a powerful one!): “What else could you do?” After the next idea and subsequent pause, prompt again: “And what else?” After generating several possibilities, you can encourage the friend to consider which of these ideas seem worth trying first. When you ask teachers this simple sequence of questions, you have promoted DIY coaching: the teacher generates options and chooses the best course. And all it takes is a few good questions from you!
 
I used this approach several years ago when working with teachers in Haiti. A large room held 40 teachers seated at eight tables, representing eight nearby orphanage schools. With the assistance of a translator, I asked each table group to make a chart, listing persistent problems they were experiencing. Then I asked them to put a star by one problem that they really wanted a solution for.
After doing so, the teachers looked to me expectantly. I had already noticed how these teachers turned respectfully to me for answers, but at this moment, I knew that was not my role. So, I told them: talk with your group and make a list of possible solutions to the problem you chose. 
 
They looked at me with shocked surprise. “We don’t know how to solve these problems,” they said. “We have already tried.”
 
I was the educational expert from the States. I was the one standing at the front of the room. I was the one who had come to offer support. Surely I would give them a solution!
 
But I knew I didn’t have the real answers to their persistent problems. They knew their students and their situation in a way I never could. Besides that, I would be leaving in a few days and taking my answers with me. They needed confidence that they could find their own answers. 
 
I moved from table to table, asking a few questions about the problem they had identified and encouraging them to make a long list of possibilities before deciding how to move forward.  Although one table (led by a vocal, experienced teacher) claimed they had already tried everything and there were no new ideas to list, teachers at the other seven tables brainstormed and then determined a course of action. There was energy in the room and fierce determination. These teachers felt empowered to solve their own problems.
 
Although these Haitian teachers initially felt reliant on me for solutions, when my questions encouraged thoughtfulness and persistence, their efficacy increased and they crafted their own potential solutions. The same can be true for friends and family who come to you for advice this summer, and later for the teachers you work with when school is back in session. Ask:
 
“What are your first thoughts about that?”
“What else could you do?”
“And what else?”
Then “Which of these ideas seem worth trying first?”
 
Questions like these build problem-solving skills that friends, family members, and teachers can continue using in the future as new challenges arise.
 
This week, you might want to take a look at:

This podcast episode about what it’s like to be an instructional coach:
 
https://www.cultofpedagogy.com/instructional-coach/
 
 
Integrated phonics instruction works better (great article, even with the ad at the end):
 
https://www.heinemann.com/blog/why-early-reading-skills-should-be-taught-together-not-in-isolation
 
Using theater games to inspire writing:
https://www.edutopia.org/article/games-encourage-students-write
 
 
A getting-to-know-you activity: Students create their ideal bookshelf:
 
https://choiceliteracy.com/article/my-ideal-bookshelf-books-that-educate-us/
 
 
This video with 5 key roles of an instructional coach:
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mtlVavxZBrk&t=196s
 
 
That’s it for this week.  Happy Coaching!
 
Want more coaching tips? Check out my book, Differentiated Mentoring & Coaching in Education: From Preservice Teacher to Expert Practitioner, available from Teachers College Press!  I’m so excited to share it with you! You can use the code: JUN2026 for 15% off. Click  here  and I’ll email you the free Book Group Study Guide that includes questions, prompts, and activities you can use as you share the book with colleagues.  I hope you’ll love this book as much as I loved making it for you!

Lead by Listening

Your role as an instructional coach is a unique kind of leadership. You are not an administrator, supervisor, or evaluator. You are a colleague who lifts and supports. One of the most beneficial ways you can exercise this role is to lead by listening. Even though it’s summer, you can keep practicing this important attribute. It will serve you well in the relationships that matter. The same habits that strengthen coaching conversations can deepen dinner conversations now and make your leadership more effective when school starts again.
 
Listening Builds Trust
When teachers feel like someone is genuinely interested in their thinking rather than simply waiting to offer advice, they're more willing to be vulnerable, take risks, and reflect honestly. The same is true outside of school. Think about the people you enjoy talking with most. They're probably the ones who ask thoughtful questions and stay curious instead of turning the conversation back to themselves.
 
Listening communicates something powerful: You matter, and your thinking matters. Trust grows from that simple message.
 
Understand Before Responding
Coaches can feel the urge respond quickly: to offer a strategy, share a resource, or tell a story from our own experience. But leadership begins with understanding before responding.
 
Instead of immediately recommending, you might ask:
 
*What's making this situation especially challenging?
*What have you considered so far?
*What options feel realistic to you?
 
Those questions invite thinking instead of dependence. They communicate confidence in the other person's ability to find a way forward and your support for helping them move in that direction.
 
Listening Creates Collaboration
When leaders do most of the talking, people wait for the next direction or recommendation. They become compliant. When leaders do more listening, people become collaborators.
 
When coaches lead by listening, teachers begin connecting ideas and generating their own solutions because the conversation belongs to them. Our role as coaches is to support this thinking by asking more questions – questions to help the teacher focus and clarify. We can also offer our own insights, but only after first listening deeply.
 
Listening Reveals Strengths
When leaders listen carefully, they hear values, successes, effort, and expertise—not just problems. This connects naturally to asset-based coaching.
 
You might hear a commitment to student relationships, creativity, rigor, or confidence. Naming those strengths helps teachers recognize what they're already doing in their practice.
 
The same habit changes personal relationships. When we listen for strengths instead of shortcomings, conversations become more encouraging and more hopeful.
 
Listening Can Be Uncomfortable
Real listening requires patience. Silence, emotion, or ambiguity may tempt leaders to take over the conversation. But leadership means staying present instead of immediately steering.
 
There may be silence while someone gathers their thoughts. There may be emotion that needs to be expressed, but not solved. There may be uncertainty that feels messy.
 
Those moments often tempt us to jump in with recommendations or redirect the conversation toward action. There’s a time for recommendations and action, but don’t go there too quickly.
 
A thoughtful pause gives people permission to keep thinking aloud, and often the most important insights emerge after the silence.
 
Practice “Lead by Listening” Moves
This summer – and later, in the new school year – here are a few intentional listening habits to practice:
 
* Pause before responding.
* Listen for emotion, not just content.
* Reflect back what you're hearing.
* Ask one more question before offering a recommendation.
* Resist turning the conversation to your own story.
*Listen for quieter voices in group conversations.
* Validate before problem-solving.
 
None of these practices require special training – just special effort and intention. Summer gives us dozens of opportunities to practice: vacations, neighborhood conversations, and ordinary moments with family and friends.
 
And when August arrives, you'll return to your coaching role more ready to lead by listening.
 
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You can find My Coaches Couch, the podcast (with different content) in your favorite podcast app or at MyCoachesCouch.podbean.com.
 
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This week, you might want to take a look at:

Replace general praise with something specific:
 
https://www.cultofpedagogy.com/edutips/edutip11/
 
As a coach, it helps to be likeable.  J  Here are 13 habits of likeable people (maybe we can work on these over the summer!):
 
https://www.forbes.com/sites/travisbradberry/2015/01/27/13-habits-of-exceptionally-likeable-people/
 
The cognitive benefits of writing by hand:
https://www.edutopia.org/visual-essay/why-writing-by-hand-beats-typing-in-6-charts
 
Navigating tricky conversations with young children:
 
https://choiceliteracy.com/article/navigating-complex-conversations-with-young-children/
 
 
What principals do differently at schools where teachers stay:
 
https://www.cultofpedagogy.com/teachers-leaving/
 
That’s it for this week.  Happy Coaching!
 
Want more coaching tips? Check out my book, Differentiated Mentoring & Coaching in Education: From Preservice Teacher to Expert Practitioner, available from Teachers College Press!  I’m so excited to share it with you! You can use the code: JUN2026 for 15% off. Click  here  and I’ll email you the free Book Group Study Guide that includes questions, prompts, and activities you can use as you share the book with colleagues.  I hope you’ll love this book as much as I loved making it for you!
 

5 C’s of Motivation: Not Just for Students

Whether we're thinking about students, teachers, coaching, or even ourselves during the summer months, 5 factors make a difference when it comes to motivation: control, choice, challenge, connection, and construction of meaning.
 
Control
Control is the feeling that our actions matter, that we can have an influence on what happens. Control is the belief that our effort, decisions, and actions have an impact on the outcome.
 
This summer, you can recognize the impact of control in the tasks you do and those you see others do. There’s a difference between spending a day completing obligations chosen by someone else versus doing a project you've decided to tackle yourself. Whether it's learning a new skill, tackling a home improvement project, or organizing a neglected space, control fuels persistence.
 
In classrooms, control might look like students deciding how to approach a task, setting goals, monitoring their progress, or reflecting on their learning. Even when everyone is working toward the same learning target, students are more motivated when they feel ownership over the process.
 
This same principle applies to coaching. Teachers are more invested when they help identify the focus of coaching conversations, determine next steps, and evaluate their own progress. When coaching becomes something done with teachers rather than to teachers, motivation increases.
 
When motivation seems low, we can consider: Is there an opportunity for meaningful influence over the process?
 
Choice
Choice means having options. At home, choice may be one reason summer feels refreshing. We can choose which book to read, which hobby to pursue, or how to spend a free afternoon.
 
For teachers, choice might look like offering students a choice between two books, selecting a project topic, or deciding whether to make an oral presentation, a video, or a written product. For coaches, choice might mean offering teachers different ways to engage in professional learning.
 
Having choices allows learners to align tasks with their interests and preferences, which makes learning more inviting and personal. To consider how choice is influencing motivation, we can ask: Do the choices offered feel meaningful and create opportunities for ownership?
 
Challenge
Having the right level of challenge influences motivation: too easy, and we’re not motivated; too hard, and we’re not motivated. The sweet spot offers just the right level of difficulty – we can accomplish it, but it’s a stretch. Effort and thinking are required, but it still feel attainable. Productive difficulty means there’s a bit of a struggle, but not discouragement. Are you stretching yourself this summer, tackling a task that you really have to reach for?
 
Teachers’ motivation might be high when they take on a goal that pushes them beyond their current comfort zone. Students can feel motivation to tackle a complex problem or persevere through a difficult concept with support. As a coach, you’ve probably found yourself looking for this “just right” tension. With novice teachers, I’m often considering which of the things I’ve noticed will be most beneficial to bring up – what is an instructional aspect that is almost within reach?
 
Motivation increases when success is not guaranteed, but growth feels possible. To check on this characteristic, we can ask: Is the work stretching without overwhelming?
 
Connection
When we see how the new thing we are doing connects with past learning and experiences, we feel more motivated. Learning matters when we see connections to other people, real purposes, our own community, or our identity.
 
Outside of work, connection is often what draws us into activities in the first place. We volunteer because we care about a cause. We spend time with family because relationships matter. We learn new skills because they align with our interests or identity.
 
In classrooms, connection might involve linking content to previous learning and experiences or helping students see how learning applies beyond school. In coaching, connection often begins with relationships and grows when coaching conversations focus on goals that matter to the teacher and the students they serve.

 
When motivation is lacking, it can be helpful to ask: “How does this connect with what I know and have experienced? Why does this matter to me, to others, or to the world?”
 
Construction of Meaning
We construct meaning when we are actively making sense of ideas rather than simply receiving information. Instead of memorizing, we interpret, apply, question, and create. Knowledge isn’t delivered, it is built. What new knowledge will you build this summer?
 
Coaching creates space for this sense-making process. Rather than providing all the answers, coaches ask questions that help teachers notice, interpret, and draw conclusions for themselves.
 
Learning feels more motivating when we construct understanding rather than passively consuming information. To check on construction of meaning, we can ask, “Are people making sense of ideas for themselves, or are they simply completing tasks and following directions?”
 
Reflecting on the 5 C’s
For students, teachers, and (really!) anyone trying to do anything, motivation is influenced by the conditions that are created. When there is control, choice, challenge, connection, and construction of meaning, motivation is more likely. Maybe that's one reason we look forward to summer: it might offer more of the conditions that help motivation thrive.
 
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You can find My Coaches Couch, the podcast (with different content) in your favorite podcast app or at MyCoachesCouch.podbean.com.
 
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This week, you might want to take a look at:

Why use humor in the classroom? Here are many reasons:
 
http://www.middleweb.com/5053/humor-in-the-classroom/
 
 
AI research skills for middle-schoolers:
 
https://www.edutopia.org/article/teaching-annotated-bibliography-middle-school
 
 
Making data review more personal:
 
https://choiceliteracy.com/article/making-data-review-more-personal/
 
 
The Big List of Class Discussion Strategies (podcast or text):
 
http://www.cultofpedagogy.com/speaking-listening-techniques/
 
 
You’ll think of lots of uses for this book, 10-Minute Inservice:
 
https://books.google.com/books/about/The_Ten_Minute_Inservice.html?id=fHTCBwAAQBAJ
 
That’s it for this week.  Happy Coaching!
 
Want more coaching tips? Check out my book, Differentiated Mentoring & Coaching in Education: From Preservice Teacher to Expert Practitioner, available from Teachers College Press!  I’m so excited to share it with you! You can use the code: MAY2026 for 15% off. Click  here  and I’ll email you the free Book Group Study Guide that includes questions, prompts, and activities you can use as you share the book with colleagues.  I hope you’ll love this book as much as I loved making it for you!

Pause and Ponder: What Stands Out from Your Coaching This Year?

The districts in my area wrapped up the school year this week, and Sandi took the time to pause with me and reflect on her third year as a coach. We talked of her proud accomplishments and also how she wanted to come back when August rolls around. Sandi is proud of the way she laid a uniform foundation by meeting throughout the year with every team in her school, discussing schoolwide goals. She is proud of how she has moved from putting out fires to a more systemic coaching approach. And she has thoughts about how to take the coaching deeper next year by providing PD, helping teachers select their own related goals, and creating an authentic coaching rhythm that supports teachers in achieving those goals.  
 
If you are no longer moving at full speed with end-of-year meetings, post-conversations, celebrations, classroom cleaning and a long list of things that need attention before summer officially begins, I invite you to pause and ponder; What has this year of coaching meant to you and the teachers you work with? What will you take with you into next year, and what will you leave behind? Coaches spend so much of the year helping teachers reflect that it can be easy to skip reflection for ourselves. Let’s make a space to stop and notice.
 
What’s Worth Celebrating?
Our brains are wired to see the negative – an approach that could serve us well if we were being chased by a predator, but isn’t as useful for our everyday lives (thankfully!). When you pause to think back on this school year, push negative thoughts aside for a moment and consider:
 
*What’s something you’re proud of?
*What was a strong decision you made?
* What effective practices did you see teachers start using?
* Where did you create momentum?
 
Honor the work that you’ve done, noticing what went well. Reflection can help us notice what we might otherwise overlook. It’s worth slowing down long enough to note the impact you’ve had. Growth often shows up in quiet ways.
 
What Stands Out?
As you look back on the year, what stands out? What feels most memorable? What moments do you hope will stay with you? Recognizing significant moments helps us make meaning from our experiences rather than simply moving through them. It helps us reconnect with our purpose. Whether we are noticing the impact of our work or the places where we fell short, revisiting significant moments elevates the lessons learned. We can recognize what we now know about relationships, decision-making, communication, or practice. We see not just what happened, but what mattered.
 
What Was Learned?
As you sit with the year for a moment, looking back on highlights and hard moments, notice the threads that connected your work. Maybe you learned some principles, like slowing down instead of solving problems, distributing the work, or prioritizing relationships. Or maybe it was skills that improved – practical things like how to ask better questions or how to protect your time. Reflection helps experience evolve into wisdom.
 
What Stops?
A fruitful end-of-year question is:
 
*What do you want to leave behind?
 
Framing it this way makes a shift in practice feel like a lighter load. Are there things that didn’t work that you don’t want to repeat? Are there things that were just too much – too much time, too much effort, too much of you doing the problem-solving? Did you overcommit? Strive for unattainable perfectionism? Feel pressured to have all the answers? If you carried something this year that has become too heavy, put it down. Reflection can help you disrupt unproductive patterns.
 
How Do You Want To Come Back?
The things you celebrated might be things to step back into when the new school year starts. Name them. List them. Then you’ll remember them without having that uncomfortable feeling of holding it all somewhere in your brain over the summer.
 
You might also have ideas about stepping in with something new. What’s the next iteration? What do you want to do? What do you want to be? Do you want to be:
 
*More curious?
*More present?
*More focused?
*More courageous?
*More balanced?
 
When I met with Sandi today, the words depth and authentic kept coming to her mind, creating a vision for how she wants to come back.
 
Give Yourself a Gift
Before you step away from this school year, give yourself the gift that you so often give to others: the opportunity to reflect, notice growth, and think forward with hope. Pause and celebrate. Ponder what stands out, what was learned, what stops, and what will start when the new year gets underway. Reflection can remind you why coaching matters.
 
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You can find My Coaches Couch, the podcast (with different content) in your favorite podcast app or at MyCoachesCouch.podbean.com.
 
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This week, you might want to take a look at:

Finding the middle ground – Teaching the pros and cons of AI in ELA:
 
https://www.the74million.org/article/why-the-middle-path-of-ai-literacy-may-be-the-future-of-english-class/
 
 
Teaching morphology in early elementary:
 
https://www.edutopia.org/article/teaching-morphology-elementary-school
 
 
Using drawing meaningfully in ELA:
 
https://choiceliteracy.com/article/three-meaningful-ways-to-incorporate-drawing-in-english-class/
 
The importance of the first 5-years for brain development (brought to you by in this TED talk by a 7-year-old):
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aISXCw0Pi94
 
 
How to increase the chances that your feedback gets heard:
 
https://www.ascd.org/el/articles/creating-a-culture-of-feedback
 
That’s it for this week.  Happy Coaching!
 
Want more coaching tips? Check out my book, Differentiated Mentoring & Coaching in Education: From Preservice Teacher to Expert Practitioner, available from Teachers College Press!  I’m so excited to share it with you! You can use the code: MAY2026 for 15% off. Click  here  and I’ll email you the free Book Group Study Guide that includes questions, prompts, and activities you can use as you share the book with colleagues.  I hope you’ll love this book as much as I loved making it for you!
 

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