The Coaching Relationship with Elena Aguilar

The Assistant Principal Podcast

Show Title: The Coaching Relationship with Elena Aguilar

Power Quote: “We are social beings.”

Description:

In 2013 Elena Aguilar wrote The Art of Coaching. I came across the book soon after and it has shaped the way I view and do coaching. Today’s show is part 1 of my discussion with Elena in which we focus defining coaching and identifying the foundations of coaching. There are some great pieces of wisdom in today’s show, so please pay close attention.

Guest Bio:

Elena Aguilar is a writer, leader, teacher, coach and podcaster. She is the author of eight highly acclaimed books: The Art of Coaching (2013), The Art of Coaching Teams (2016), Onward: Cultivating Emotional Resilience in Educators (2018), The Onward Workbook (2018), Coaching or Equity (2020), The Art of Coaching Workbook (2020), The PD Book: 7 Habits that Transform Professional Development (2022), and the forthcoming Arise: The Art of Transformational Coaching (August 2024). She has also been a frequent contributor to Edutopia, ASCD’s Educational Leadership, and EdWeek Teacher. Elena is the founder and CEO of Bright Morning Consulting, an organization committed tohelping individuals and organizations create the conditions for transformation. She has taughttens of thousands of folks how to have conversations that build a more just and equitable world. Elena can be heard demonstrating these conversations on The Bright Morning Podcast.

Warmup questions:

● We always like to start with a celebration. What are you celebrating today?

● Is there a story that will help listeners understand why you are doing what you do?

Part 1: Coaching 101 for school leaders

● “It’s all about relationships.” Is this true for coaching? What is the foundation of a coaching relationship?

● Can we define what constitutes coaching? What is coaching and what isn’t?

● Your framework includes different models of coaching (directive/instructive, facilitative, transformational). This framework has been foundational in helping me to better understand coaching and the coaching relationship. For leaders who are trying to grow their coaching skills, is there a specific model, or specific techniques they should focus on?

● "Fast-food" coaching for administrators who have very little time, is it possible? What is most essential?

● Many administrators feel the need - and have been specifically taught - to provide feedback to teachers outside of a coaching relationship. I am not a fan, unless the teacher has asked for the feedback. Can we talk about the value or harm that comes from unsolicited and unsupported feedback? (Maybe my view on this needs to be reconsidered?)

Closing questions:

● What part of your own leadership are you still trying to get better at?

● If listeners could take just one thing away from today’s podcast, what would it be?

● Before we go, is there anything else that you’d like to share with our listeners?

● Where can people learn more about you and your work…

Closing points:

· Foundations of coaching are trust, listening, and asking

· Coaching is building, not fixing

· Let go of “a grow and a glow” – It doesn’t work.

· We can help teachers grow more by emphasizing what they are doing well

· We’ll be back next week with part 2 in which we look at transformative coaching and discuss a culture of coaching.

Close

● Leadership is a journey and thank you for choosing to walk some of this magical path with me.

● You can find links to all sorts of stuff in the show notes, including my website https://www.frederickbuskey.com/

● I love hearing from you so consider email me at [e-mail] or connecting with me on LinkedIn.

● My new book, A School Leader’s Guide to Reclaiming Purpose, is now available on Amazon. You can find links to it, as well as free book study materials on my website at https://www.frederickbuskey.com/reclaiming-purpose.html

● Please remember to subscribe, rate, and review the podcast.

● Have a great rest of the week, be present for others and, more importantly, take time to reflect and recover so you can continue to live and lead better.

● Cheers!

Sponsorship:

I want to thank IXL for sponsoring this podcast…

Everyone talks about the power of data-driven instruction. But what does that actually look like? Look no further than IXL, the ultimate online learning and teaching platform for K to 12. IXL gives you meaningful insights that drive real progress, and research can prove it. Studies across 45 states show that schools who use IXL outperform other schools on state tests. Educators who use IXL love that they can easily see how their school is performing in real-time to make better instructional decisions.

And IXL doesn’t stop at just data. IXL also brings an entire ecosystem of resources for your teachers, with a complete curriculum, personalized learning plans, and so much more.

It’s no wonder that IXL is used in 95 of the top 100 school districts. Ready to join them? Visit http://ixl.com/assistant to get started.

Elena’s links:

Elena’s new book: Arise: The Art of Transformational Coaching

Specials for listeners: Pre-Order Bonuses

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elena_aguilar_writer/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elena-aguilar/

Book Shop: https://bookshop.org/lists/books-by-elena-aguilar/

Bright Morning: https://www.brightmorningteam.com/

The Bright Morning Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-bright-morning-podcast-with-elena-aguilar/id1517537206

Newsletter: https://www.brightmorningteam.com/resources/newsletter

Frederick’s Links:

Email: frederick@frede...