Coaching the Question behind the Question

When someone asks a question, there’s usually at least one unspoken question hiding underneath it. Developing the ability to listen for those underlying questions—and probing and responding to them—is a valuable coaching skill. When you do this, you create an opportunity for the asker to connect more deeply with their own wisdom and self-awareness.
 
For example, if a teacher says, “I’m wondering about how to mix up my lessons a bit.” You might reply, “I’m curious if you can say more about where that question is coming from?” When I had this conversation with Zane, a first-year high-school algebra teacher, he told me some students were engaged, but others, particularly those in the older grade levels, sometimes had their heads on their desks during class. Zane’s underlying question was, “How do I keep students engaged?” This led to a discussion about “thinking classrooms,” where students work, standing in small groups, to solve problems at the whiteboard. No one could have their head on the desk in that scenario! Zane had read about the practice in teacher preparation classes but hadn’t put it into practice yet. Our conversation nudged him in that direction.
 
Elise, a third-year middle-school English teacher asked the question, “Do you think I should give students choice about their argumentative writing topic?” I asked what she’d done in the past. She told me even though she loved the idea of teaching the argumentative writing unit because it had always been her favorite as a student, she hadn’t yet taught it. Then she told me she worried that students would pick topics that their parents would complain about. The question-under-the-question was, “How do I avoid parent complaints about students’ writing topics.” Because Elise had mentioned that they had an English department meeting coming up, I suggested she ask colleagues about whether there had been trouble in the past. We also talked about other steps she could take to offer choice and assure that parents understood the purpose and the process.
 
As teachers unpack their own thinking, we might respond by paraphrasing or summarizing: “I think I’m hearing…and I’m also hearing…” and then asking, “Do you want to say more about either of those?”
 
Conversations like these, that probe for underlying questions, can deepen knowledge for the teacher as well as the coach. These conversations encourage critical thinking and support insight. The coach’s follow-up can explore opinions, ask for predictions, investigate processes, make connections, uncover patterns, and encourage the teacher to look ahead. As we surface new questions, we uncover concerns, provide perspective, and sometimes challenge assumptions. Don’t stop with the first teacher question. Stay with the question. Recognizing the deeper questions beneath the conversation, actively exploring them, and responding thoughtfully is a fruitful coaching skill.
 
This week, you might want to take a look at:

Reframing turns a problem into an opportunity for impact:
 
https://www.middleweb.com/51881/energize-your-teaching-by-reframing-perspective/
 
 
This podcast is about PLC conversations that increase collective responsibility:
 
https://barkleypd.com/blog/creating-plc-converstions-that-increase-collective-responsibility/
 
 
Using mentor texts (and their authors) to teach the writing process:
 
https://choiceliteracy.com/article/mentors-for-process-and-habits/
 
 
What are trauma-informed practices?
 
https://www.turnaroundusa.org/video/edutopia-presents-how-learning-happens-getting-started-with-trauma-informed-practices/
 
 
Fostering reading identity:
 
https://ccira.blog/2025/03/18/reading-identity-matters-a-broad-view-of-foundational-skills/
 
 
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: MAR2025 for 20% 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!