A Coaching Mindset

Coaching others is a facet of leadership. We can lead from anywhere, the top, the middle or the bottom. In fact, you don’t even have to have the title of leader in order to lead. The same is true of coaching. Coaching is a way of engaging with a fellow educator or colleague. When done with intention coaching is job embedded professional learning. Time is a precious commodity in schools in fact there never seems to be enough of it to go around. In our hustle and bustle culture, this urgency can limit  set aside opportunities for educators to learn about their profession such as conferences and workshops. This is where leadership grounded in coaching enters the stage.  Administrators, Instructional coaches, instructional specialists, teacher leaders and other supportive staff can all lead and coach from where they are. John Maxwell describes the position myth in his book The 360 Degree leader. “You don’t need to possess a position at the top of your group, department, division or organization in order to lead. If you think you do then you have bought into the position myth.” If you can lead from any position then you can coach from any position. 

Coaching is creating a space for someone else to reflect. Reflection leads to improvement. Coaching is such an effective method of leading and learning because it centers partnership, dialogue and reflection. These three elements are key to change. The change cycle reminds us that change begins with contemplation. Contemplation and reflection are interchangeable in this line of thinking and coaching conversations can foster the remaining steps in the change cycle: preparation, action and maintenance. 

Coaching conversations can take place between teachers during lesson planning, between a  specialist and teacher as they discuss the unique needs of a student or between a principal and specialist as they plan for next steps. Coaching conversations are opportunities for thinking together. They are solution oriented dialogues between colleagues characterized by curiosity. Open ended questions, paraphrasing and pauses are signature features of these moments. Humans are social learners, we often learn through talking, working and playing together. This is the reason why we “bounce ideas” off of each other. It helps to talk things through with others in order to solidify our own understanding. Coaching conversations are opportunities to think together toward a solution that enhances teaching practices and learning outcomes. 

Coaching can change our approach to conversations and challenges and develop into a coaching mindset. This mindset can propel us to listen more than we speak, to ask questions that encourage reflection and to connect more than we correct. A coaching mindset reframes the way we engage, teach and lead.