I still remember the first time I stepped into a classroom as an instructional coach. I had my notebook, my questions, and my curiosity, but I also had something I did not yet have language for: the sense that I was entering magical space. At the time, coaching was a role many didn’t fully understand. …
This week, as I sat in meetings and one-on-one conversations, I noticed something. There were moments where it felt like educators and leaders didn’t need another initiative or plan. They needed space…space to talk, to process, and to be heard. In my book The Leader Inside, I share that “the people who cross your path …
Note to readers: I often write about leading with a coaching mindset. This post focuses on one part of the observation process, the pre-observation. Each part of the process matters, but here I’m honing in on how the pre-observation conversation can set the stage for growth, reflection, and connection as I mentor a new administrator …
What do instructional coaches do? That’s a question I’ve heard a lot. Why? Because I’ve lived it. Over the course of my career, I’ve served as a classroom teacher, reading specialist, assistant principal, and now, district leader. Each role has shaped me, but stepping into the role of instructional coach allowed me to see beyond …
This post is one of my most shared and read blogs, and as I step into my 20th year in education, I find myself reflecting on why it still resonates. I first shared these ideas when I was an assistant principal, co-presenting with my former colleague and principal at a popular local conference on shifting …
Continue reading Observing Through a Coaching Lens: 8 Ideas That Continue to Transform Practice
In two decades as an educator, I’ve attended countless workshops, devoured professional books, articles and podcasts, and engaged in powerful learning experiences. But the learning that shaped me most? It came from coaching cycles, hallway conversations, and intervisitations where educators opened their doors, their hearts and minds, sharing what worked, wondering aloud, and learning alongside …
Continue reading Layered Coaching: A Lens on the Portrait of a Graduate
Some leaders manage. Others direct. But the ones who have left a lasting imprint on me are those who coach…not once, not only when asked, but as a way of leading in all they do. This year, I had the privilege of onboarding our new literacy coach. From the outside, her transition from classroom teacher …
“It’s easy for people to be critics or cheerleaders. It’s harder to get them to be coaches. A critic sees your weaknesses and attacks your worst self. A cheerleader sees your strengths and celebrates your best self. A coach sees your potential and helps you become a better version of yourself.”– Adam Grant, Hidden Potential …
In education, embodying a coaching mindset is understanding that growth isn’t about giving answers, it’s about creating space for discovery. A coaching mindset is grounded in the belief that educators hold the capacity to grow, and our role is to support that growth through trust, curiosity, and intentional presence. It’s about asking, not telling. Walking …
Every person deserves the opportunity to thrive in the learning ecosystems designed to meet their needs every day. These spaces should inspire and empower, creating opportunities for growth for every learner. But thriving isn’t just about the systems we design—it’s about the mindset we bring. What does it truly mean to thrive in our learning …
Empower. Collaborate. Connect. 