Coaching Conversations

I recommend the book Coaching conversations: Transforming your school one conversation at a time by Cheliotes and Reilly as a good, quick read for anyone currently in a leadership role or wanting to enter a leadership role.  They bring up the idea that leaders are not meant to have all the answers (something I have worried about). Instead, leaders are meant to coach peers to examine their practice and improve. “Leaders who are coach-like leave others feeling confident in themselves and appreciative of the support of their team” (p.15). This model overcomes many of the difficulties in coaching including teachers protecting their own autonomy, ageism, and feelings of special treatment or rights.  Coaching allows growth and improvement to be the focus without so many of the difficulties of the boss-employee dynamic. Coaching strives for true change occurring in schools, where change can be difficult.