My Coaches’ Couch

Coaching light, or “random acts of coaching,” can get a bad rap. In this episode I talk with an experienced coach about how coaching light laid a solid foundation for future work. -------------------------------------- Get 15% off my book, Differentiated Mentoring & Coaching in Education, on the Teachers College Press website by using code FDNF25 at checkout. Get more coaching tips at MyCoachesCouch.blogspot.com. To request a digital poster with a reminder of some powerful coaching questions, submit this form and you’ll receive A Dozen Questions for Coaching.

This episode describes a stance that deepens relationships, invites openness, and creates space for new insights to emerge. -------------------------------------- Get 15% off my book, Differentiated Mentoring & Coaching in Education, on the Teachers College Press website by using code FDNF25 at checkout. Get more coaching tips at MyCoachesCouch.blogspot.com. To request a digital poster with a reminder of some powerful coaching questions, submit this form and you’ll receive A Dozen Questions for Coaching.

Today, we'll talk about a practice that helps us slow down, tune in, and engage more fully with moments and people that matter. -------------------------------------- Get 15% off my book, Differentiated Mentoring & Coaching in Education, on the Teachers College Press website by using code FDNF25 at checkout. Get more coaching tips at MyCoachesCouch.blogspot.com. To request a digital poster with a reminder of some powerful coaching questions, submit this form and you’ll receive A Dozen Questions for Coaching.

As we head into summer, this episode offers a simple coaching question that works in a classroom, a coaching cycle, or your kitchen. -------------------------------------- Get 15% off my book, Differentiated Mentoring & Coaching in Education, on the Teachers College Press website by using code FDNF25 at checkout. Get more coaching tips at MyCoachesCouch.blogspot.com. To request a digital poster with a reminder of some powerful coaching questions, submit this form and you’ll receive A Dozen Questions for Coaching.

This is a coach-the-coach call, sharing and considering an authentic call during which I coached Amber, a middle-school instructional coach. During this call, we focused on creating a plan for an upcoming team meeting that would start and stay positive without pushing challenges aside. -------------------------------------- Get 15% off my book, Differentiated Mentoring & Coaching in Education, on the Teachers College Press website by using code FDNF25 at checkout. Get more coaching tips at MyCoachesCouch.blogspot.com. To request a digital poster with a reminder of some powerful coaching questions, submit this form and you’ll receive A Dozen Questions for Coaching.

This episode offers a simple coaching question that centers the teacher’s voice and creates a thoughtful pause before moving forward. -------------------------------------- Get 15% off my book, Differentiated Mentoring & Coaching in Education, on the Teachers College Press website by using code FDNF25 at checkout. Get more coaching tips at MyCoachesCouch.blogspot.com. To request a digital poster with a reminder of some powerful coaching questions, submit this form and you’ll receive A Dozen Questions for Coaching.

This episode reveals a continuum of agency offered to teachers during coaching and how that continuum influences instructional improvement. -------------------------------------- Get 15% off my book, Differentiated Mentoring & Coaching in Education, on the Teachers College Press website by using code FDNF25 at checkout. Get more coaching tips at MyCoachesCouch.blogspot.com. To request a digital poster with a reminder of some powerful coaching questions, submit this form and you’ll receive A Dozen Questions for Coaching.

This episode offers a practice that strengthens relationships, increases motivation and reflection, and reduces stress.   -------------------------------------- Get 15% off my book, Differentiated Mentoring & Coaching in Education, on the Teachers College Press website by using code FDNF25 at checkout. Get more coaching tips at MyCoachesCouch.blogspot.com. To request a digital poster with a reminder of some powerful coaching questions, submit this form and you’ll receive A Dozen Questions for Coaching.

This is a coach-the-coach call, sharing and considering an authentic call during which I coached Amber, a middle-school instructional coach. During this call, we focused on elevating teacher voice. -------------------------------------- Get 15% off my book, Differentiated Mentoring & Coaching in Education, on the Teachers College Press website by using code FDNF25 at checkout. Get more coaching tips at MyCoachesCouch.blogspot.com. To request a digital poster with a reminder of some powerful coaching questions, submit this form and you’ll receive A Dozen Questions for Coaching.

This episode offers a coaching question that is simple, flexible, and productive and gets a conversation off to a positive start. -------------------------------------- Get 15% off my book, Differentiated Mentoring & Coaching in Education, on the Teachers College Press website by using code FDNF25 at checkout. Get more coaching tips at MyCoachesCouch.blogspot.com. To request a digital poster with a reminder of some powerful coaching questions, submit this form and you’ll receive A Dozen Questions for Coaching.

This episode offers a coaching practice that is quick, practical, and surprisingly powerful. It’s something many of us have probably done at times, but this episode will help you do it more intentionally. -------------------------------------- Get 15% off my book, Differentiated Mentoring & Coaching in Education, on the Teachers College Press website by using code FDNF25 at checkout. Get more coaching tips at MyCoachesCouch.blogspot.com. To request a digital poster with a reminder of some powerful coaching questions, submit this form and you’ll receive A Dozen Questions for Coaching.  

Today’s episode busts a coaching myth and replaces it with a coaching move that builds relationships, launches coaching conversations, and makes our collaborative work more powerful. -------------------------------------- Get 15% off my book, Differentiated Mentoring & Coaching in Education, on the Teachers College Press website by using code FDNF25 at checkout. Get more coaching tips at MyCoachesCouch.blogspot.com. To request a digital poster with a reminder of some powerful coaching questions, submit this form and you’ll receive A Dozen Questions for Coaching.

This episode offers a simple coaching tip that can help us respond more intentionally, position teachers as partners in their growth, and increase the likelihood that our support will take root. -------------------------------------- Get 15% off my book, Differentiated Mentoring & Coaching in Education, on the Teachers College Press website by using code FDNF25 at checkout. Get more coaching tips at MyCoachesCouch.blogspot.com. To request a digital poster with a reminder of some powerful coaching questions, submit this form and you’ll receive A Dozen Questions for Coaching.

Cultivating curiosity improves coaching. This episode offers steps for developing a curious stance in your coaching work. -------------------------------------- Get 15% off my book, Differentiated Mentoring & Coaching in Education, on the Teachers College Press website by using code FDNF25 at checkout. Get more coaching tips at MyCoachesCouch.blogspot.com. To request a digital poster with a reminder of some powerful coaching questions, submit this form and you’ll receive A Dozen Questions for Coaching.

This episode offers a simple coaching question that can anchor observation, center student learning, and fuel meaningful coaching conversations. -------------------------------------- Get 15% off my book, Differentiated Mentoring & Coaching in Education, on the Teachers College Press website by using code FDNF25 at checkout. Get more coaching tips at MyCoachesCouch.blogspot.com. To request a digital poster with a reminder of some powerful coaching questions, submit this form and you’ll receive A Dozen Questions for Coaching.

This episode offers a framework for thinking about coaching as a powerful convergence that builds momentum with teachers to amplify your impact. -------------------------------------- Get 15% off my book, Differentiated Mentoring & Coaching in Education, on the Teachers College Press website by using code FDNF25 at checkout. Get more coaching tips at MyCoachesCouch.blogspot.com. To request a digital poster with a reminder of some powerful coaching questions, submit this form and you’ll receive A Dozen Questions for Coaching.

This episode offers a simple coaching question that can strengthen metacognition, increase clarity, and promote ownership. -------------------------------------- Get 15% off my book, Differentiated Mentoring & Coaching in Education, on the Teachers College Press website by using code FDNF25 at checkout. Get more coaching tips at MyCoachesCouch.blogspot.com. To request a digital poster with a reminder of some powerful coaching questions, submit this form and you’ll receive A Dozen Questions for Coaching.

This episode includes a conversation with middle school instructional coach Jean Hill, as she talks about -------------------------------------- Get 15% off my book, Differentiated Mentoring & Coaching in Education, on the Teachers College Press website by using code FDNF25 at checkout. Get more coaching tips at MyCoachesCouch.blogspot.com. To request a digital poster with a reminder of some powerful coaching questions, submit this form and you’ll receive A Dozen Questions for Coaching.

This episode offers a simple coaching prompt that shapes how we listen and invites the teacher into deeper thinking.   -------------------------------------- Get 15% off my book, Differentiated Mentoring & Coaching in Education, on the Teachers College Press website by using code FDNF25 at checkout. Get more coaching tips at MyCoachesCouch.blogspot.com. To request a digital poster with a reminder of some powerful coaching questions, submit this form and you’ll receive A Dozen Questions for Coaching.

On today’s episode, you’ll learn some ways of paraphrasing without parroting, so that you and the teacher you are coaching both reach more clarity. Listen in. -------------------------------------- Get 15% off my book, Differentiated Mentoring & Coaching in Education, on the Teachers College Press website by using code FDNF25 at checkout. Get more coaching tips at MyCoachesCouch.blogspot.com. To request a digital poster with a reminder of some powerful coaching questions, submit this form and you’ll receive A Dozen Questions for Coaching.

This episode offers a simple coaching question that can be practiced in all of our relationships to open meaningful conversation. -------------------------------------- Get 15% off my book, Differentiated Mentoring & Coaching in Education, on the Teachers College Press website by using code FDNF25 at checkout. Get more coaching tips at MyCoachesCouch.blogspot.com. To request a digital poster with a reminder of some powerful coaching questions, submit this form and you’ll receive A Dozen Questions for Coaching.

This episode is an authentic coaching conversation with Aubrey, a novice middle-school teacher, as she thinks about an upcoming writing unit. Though questions that prompt her to reflect on past successes, Aubrey has some aha’s about how to move forward. -------------------------------------- Get 15% off my book, Differentiated Mentoring & Coaching in Education, on the Teachers College Press website by using code FDNF25 at checkout. Get more coaching tips at MyCoachesCouch.blogspot.com. To request a digital poster with a reminder of some powerful coaching questions, submit this form and you’ll receive A Dozen Questions for Coaching.

This episode offers a simple coaching question that can create curiosity, challenge assumptions, and lead to sense-making. -------------------------------------- Get 15% off my book, Differentiated Mentoring & Coaching in Education, on the Teachers College Press website by using code FDNF25 at checkout. Get more coaching tips at MyCoachesCouch.blogspot.com. To request a digital poster with a reminder of some powerful coaching questions, submit this form and you’ll receive A Dozen Questions for Coaching.

Feedback is meant to be offered as a gift, but it is not always received that way. In this episode, we’ll think about how to receive feedback in ways that steady and support. -------------------------------------- Get 15% off my book, Differentiated Mentoring & Coaching in Education, on the Teachers College Press website by using code FDNF25 at checkout. Get more coaching tips at MyCoachesCouch.blogspot.com. To request a digital poster with a reminder of some powerful coaching questions, submit this form and you’ll receive A Dozen Questions for Coaching.

This episode offers a simple coaching practice that can boost energy for teachers and coaches. Let’s celebrate! -------------------------------------- Get 15% off my book, Differentiated Mentoring & Coaching in Education, on the Teachers College Press website by using code FDNF25 at checkout. Get more coaching tips at MyCoachesCouch.blogspot.com. To request a digital poster with a reminder of some powerful coaching questions, submit this form and you’ll receive A Dozen Questions for Coaching.

This episode offers a simple coaching question that can invite presence, communicate care, and influence how people remember their day. -------------------------------------- Get 15% off my book, Differentiated Mentoring & Coaching in Education, on the Teachers College Press website by using code FDNF25 at checkout. Get more coaching tips at MyCoachesCouch.blogspot.com. To request a digital poster with a reminder of some powerful coaching questions, submit this form and you’ll receive A Dozen Questions for Coaching.

This episode includes a conversation with middle school instructional coach Jean Hill, as she talks about the value of being open and approachable. -------------------------------------- Get 15% off my book, Differentiated Mentoring & Coaching in Education, on the Teachers College Press website by using code FDNF25 at checkout. Get more coaching tips at MyCoachesCouch.blogspot.com. To request a digital poster with a reminder of some powerful coaching questions, submit this form and you’ll receive A Dozen Questions for Coaching.

This episode offers a simple coaching question that can amplify strengths, elevate agency, and create momentum for next steps. -------------------------------------- Get 15% off my book, Differentiated Mentoring & Coaching in Education, on the Teachers College Press website by using code FDNF25 at checkout. Get more coaching tips at MyCoachesCouch.blogspot.com. To request a digital poster with a reminder of some powerful coaching questions, submit this form and you’ll receive A Dozen Questions for Coaching.

In this episode, we’ll explore how coaches can use focusing questions to support exploration and problem-solving, rather than asking funneling questions, which lead teachers to a coach’s pre-determined response. -------------------------------------- Get 15% off my book, Differentiated Mentoring & Coaching in Education, on the Teachers College Press website by using code FDNF25 at checkout. Get more coaching tips at MyCoachesCouch.blogspot.com. To request a digital poster with a reminder of some powerful coaching questions, submit this form and you’ll receive A Dozen Questions for Coaching.    

This episode offers a simple coaching question that can connect you quickly to what matters, helping you begin right where the teacher is. -------------------------------------- Get 15% off my book, Differentiated Mentoring & Coaching in Education, on the Teachers College Press website by using code FDNF25 at checkout. Get more coaching tips at MyCoachesCouch.blogspot.com. To request a digital poster with a reminder of some powerful coaching questions, submit this form and you’ll receive A Dozen Questions for Coaching.  

This episode includes a conversation with Michael Manderino as he talks about taking an inquiry stance in coaching, especially when working with teachers from disciplines other than your own. -------------------------------------- Get 15% off my book, Differentiated Mentoring & Coaching in Education, on the Teachers College Press website by using code FDNF25 at checkout. Get more coaching tips at MyCoachesCouch.blogspot.com. To request a digital poster with a reminder of some powerful coaching questions, submit this form and you’ll receive A Dozen Questions for Coaching. -------------------------------------- Michael Manderino is an Associate Professor of Curriculum and Instruction at Northern Illinois University. Michael studies the intersections of digital literacies for disciplinary learning. He is an incoming co-editor of the Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy. Professor Manderino is incoming vice-president of the Association of Literacy Educators and Researchers. Michael has published in the Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy, Literacy Research & Instruction, and other journals. Among other recognitions, Michael received the Literati Award from Emerald Publishing, the Outstanding Dissertation Award from the Association of Literacy Educators and Researchers, and the Dean's Merit Award at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Connect with Michael on LinkedIn (linkedin.com/in/michael-manderino-65428085) or by email at [email protected].

This episode offers a magic question that balances affirmation and analysis, helping teachers anchor reflection in strengths and opening the door for refinement and deep learning. -------------------------------------- Get 15% off my book, Differentiated Mentoring & Coaching in Education, on the Teachers College Press website by using code FDNF25 at checkout. Get more coaching tips at MyCoachesCouch.blogspot.com. To request a digital poster with a reminder of some powerful coaching questions, submit this form and you’ll receive A Dozen Questions for Coaching.

Wondering how to prepare for a tricky instructional coaching conversation? Instead of telling the teacher what you saw or making suggestions for strategies they should use, shift attention to a third point that does the hard talking for you or with you.  -------------------------------------- Get 15% off my book, Differentiated Mentoring & Coaching in Education, on the Teachers College Press website by using code FDNF25 at checkout. Get more coaching tips at MyCoachesCouch.blogspot.com. To request a digital poster with a reminder of some powerful coaching questions, submit this form and you’ll receive A Dozen Questions for Coaching.

This episode offers a magic question for coaching that sparks joy and spotlights teachers’ successes. -------------------------------------- Get 15% off my book, Differentiated Mentoring & Coaching in Education, on the Teachers College Press website by using code FDNF25 at checkout. Get more coaching tips at MyCoachesCouch.blogspot.com. To request a digital poster with a reminder of some powerful coaching questions, submit this form and you’ll receive A Dozen Questions for Coaching.

This episode describes how to make sure that any coaching recommendations you make are responsive to teachers’ needs. -------------------------------------- Get 15% off my book, Differentiated Mentoring & Coaching in Education, on the Teachers College Press website by using code FDNF25 at checkout. Get more coaching tips at MyCoachesCouch.blogspot.com. To request a digital poster with a reminder of some powerful coaching questions, submit this form and you’ll receive A Dozen Questions for Coaching.

This episode describes an opening question that gets coaching conversations productively rolling along.  -------------------------------------- Get 15% off my book, Differentiated Mentoring & Coaching in Education, on the Teachers College Press website by using code FDNF25 at checkout. Get more coaching tips at MyCoachesCouch.blogspot.com. To request a digital poster with a reminder of some powerful coaching questions, submit this form and you’ll receive A Dozen Questions for Coaching.  

In honor of the season, this episode gives ideas for how to coach Pumpkin Patch teachers – those teachers who are desperately hanging on to old ways of doing things.   -------------------------------------- Get 15% off my book, Differentiated Mentoring & Coaching in Education, on the Teachers College Press website by using code FDNF25 at checkout. Get more coaching tips at MyCoachesCouch.blogspot.com. To request a digital poster with a reminder of some powerful coaching questions, submit this form and you’ll receive A Dozen Questions for Coaching.