Coach Like a Yoga Instructor

This week, as I learned a little more about yoga, I thought about how instructional coaches are like yoga instructors. For both, growth is personal, nonlinear, and guided through observation. Coaches and yoga instructors both give gentle nudgings and ask questions rather than giving directive demands.
 
During a yoga routine, you might be stretching into a new pose. You’re not sure whether you’ve got it right. The instructor comes near, offers a light push on your shoulder, and asks, “How does that feel?” It’s not a correction, but an invitation to notice. That’s a lot like instructional coaching.
 
When an instructional coach makes a recommendation, she can similarly ask, “How does that feel?” When I told Emma about the “Take a Stand”* activity for learning about counterclaims in argumentative writing, I asked, “How does that feel?” and found that some classroom management concerns arose for her. The question prompted productive conversation about both risk-taking and holding clear expectations. Instructional coaches support gentle adjustments.
 
In yoga, the participant is expected to tune into their own experience. During a yoga routine, we settle into our bodies and notice what is going on. That guides us as we move toward our goals for flexibility and well-being.
 
It’s a maxim that teaching requires flexibility. As we face unprecedented teacher burnout, the importance of attending to well-being is amplified. Asking, “How does that feel?” helps a teacher check in and notice whether something suggested or tried aligns with current needs – their own as well as their students’.
 
A yoga instructor might suggest, “Notice where you’re holding tension.” An instructional coach similarly encourages reflection. She might ask, “Which part of that lesson felt just right?” “Which parts felt less fluid?” and “What do you think worked well in that moment?”
 
Like yoga instructors, coaches tailor their support to the teacher’s context, experience, and comfort. We think about pushes and pulls and help the teacher to adjust. To grow and change, we have to be willing to stretch and wobble. Like yoga instructors, coaches work to create safe space where teachers can take the kinds of risks that lead to growth.
 
*In “Take a Stand,” students first write briefly about their opinion on a topic, then stand against one wall or the other to de
monstrate their side. A debate ensues between the sides, with claims and counterclaims. Finally, students are invited to switch sides if they’ve been persuaded.
 

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

It’s May! Ideas for wrapping up the school year:
 
https://www.middleweb.com/34768/keep-students-engaged-until-summer-begins/
 
 
This video about encouraging students:
 
https://www.teachingchannel.com/free-videos/
 
 
Writing fantasy to satisfy standards and foster creativity and engagement:
 
https://ccira.blog/2025/03/31/respond-to-the-creativity-crisis-by-teaching-fantasy-writing/
 
 
Ideas to energize learning:
 
https://choiceliteracy.com/article/renewing-energy-in-the-classroom/
 
 
How to stay optimistic (a retro musical message!):
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3qEhj-rQSAU
 
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: FDNS25 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!