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Coaching the Whole Educator — Education
Coaching the Whole Educator

Coaching the Whole Educator, hosted by education consultant and author Becca Silver, is a podcast on instructional coaching, teacher leadership, and school leadership for anyone who wants to strengthen their educators’ effectiveness and resilience, especially the ones who need it most. Each week, you’ll hear quick tips, proven coaching strategies, and coaching mindsets designed to keep you on top of your game.

This show is rooted in a human-centered coaching approach, where we get things done through people’s humanity, not around it. Whether you’re new to instructional coaching or a seasoned coach or leader looking for fresh perspective, you’ll learn how to focus on the mindsets and motivations driving unproductive behaviors. By getting to the root of teacher resistance, using the Catalyst Mindsets framework from Becca Silver’s book, The Resistance Solution, you’ll discover how to build stronger relationships, lead with clarity, and create lasting impact in your school.

You can reach Becca Silver at info@thewholeeducator.com.

Copyright: © 2024 Coaching the Whole Educator

Latest Episodes:

#183: A Debate: Is Setting Team Norms Effective? Apr 05, 2026

Show notes

Have you gotten your copy of the RESISTANCE PLAYBOOK yet? Get it for only $7 HERE.
In this episode, Becca is joined by her friend and colleague Mia Pumo for an unscripted, honest debate about norms and whether they actually work.

Rather than offering a tidy answer, this conversation lives in the gray. Becca and Mia explore why norms are so commonly used in schools, why they often fail to change behavior, and under what conditions they can support trust, psychological safety, and productive collaboration.

The discussion challenges traditional, compliance-driven approaches to norms and asks deeper questions about what sits underneath behaviors like disengagement, side conversations, and surface-level agreement. Together, they examine the difference between norms rooted in control versus those grounded in connection, shared values, and ownership.

You’ll hear practical examples of when norms fall flat, when they work, and how leaders unintentionally undermine them by treating norms as static rules instead of living agreements. The episode also introduces a provocative reframe: using the Catalyst Mindsets™ to think about norms as a way to proactively address unmet needs and resistance rather than policing behavior.

This episode is for coaches and leaders who are ready to question long-standing practices, sit with ambiguity, and design learning spaces that prioritize trust, belonging, and meaningful engagement over compliance.

You can connect with Mia through her website!

[FREE RESOURCE] Resistance Diagnostic Assessment: Identify the root cause(s) of the resistance you are navigating (previously called The Resistance Audit)

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#182: [Resistance Chronicles] Success Mindset Mar 29, 2026

Show notes

What if resistance isn’t defiance… but doubt?

In Part 3 of The Resistance Chronicles, Becca Silver unpacks the Success Mindset and the powerful role of self-efficacy. When educators aren’t sure they can succeed, resistance shows up , not as rebellion, but as hesitation:

•“I’m not sure that will work.”
• “That’s not really my strength.”
• “I’ve tried that before.”

This episode reframes resistance as a signal of low confidence, not low commitment. Becca shares how leaders and coaches can build belief through evidence, small wins, and targeted support, instead of pressure.

You’ll learn:

What resistance sounds like when self-efficacy is low
Why doubt is often misread as pushback
How to build confidence that leads to action

Resources

[FREE] Catalyst Mindset Overview Graphic [Printable]

[FREE RESOURCE] Resistance Diagnostic Assessment: Identify the root cause(s) of the resistance you are navigating (previously called The Resistance Audit)

Next up: what resistance looks like when people don’t feel safe to grow.

Let's Stay Connected!
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#181: Stop Calling It Collaboration When It’s Just Compliance: How Leaders Can Tell the Difference Between Real and Fake Collaboration Mar 22, 2026

Show notes

Be sure to grab your copy of the RESISTANCE PLAYBOOK is now available! It's only $7 HERE.

In this episode of Coaching the Whole Educator, Becca Silver sits down with Kurtis Hewson, co founder of Jigsaw Learning, to break down what truly drives authentic collaboration in schools. Kurtis explains why many teams think they are “collaborating” when they are actually stuck in compliance based routines that drain energy and limit impact. He shares how real collaboration begins with co created clarity. Teams need a shared understanding of why they meet, how they meet, and what success looks like.

Kurtis introduces the Collaborative Response Framework, a research informed, four layer model that helps schools organize people, strengthen problem solving, and respond to student needs with intention. He describes how leaders can shift from “set it and forget it” structures to predictable, purposeful collaboration that continues even when the leader leaves the room. The conversation highlights practical strategies for building norms, addressing dominant voices, creating psychological safety, and preventing teams from falling into the agreement pit.

This episode is filled with actionable insights for instructional coaches, school leaders, and educators who want to move beyond surface level collaboration and build teams that think together, problem solve together, and take ownership together. Listeners will walk away with clear steps to strengthen team culture, increase collective efficacy, and support meaningful change in their schools.

[FREE RESOURCE] Resistance Diagnostic Assessment: Identify the root cause(s) of the resistance you are navigating (previously called The Resistance Audit)

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#180: [Resistance Chronicles] Belonging Mindset Mar 15, 2026

Show notes

Resistance Chronicles, Part 2: Belonging Mindset™

In this episode, I explore belonging as one of the most overlooked drivers of resistance in schools. Resistance does not always show up as pushback. It often appears as silence, surface-level agreement, avoidance, or polite compliance.

These behaviors frequently signal uncertainty about relational safety. When educators are not sure they will still be respected, supported, or valued if they disagree or struggle, they protect themselves by staying quiet.

This episode covers:

• What resistance looks and sounds like when belonging feels uncertain
• Why compliance should not be mistaken for connection or buy-in
• How “nice” cultures can still suppress honesty and risk-taking
• The leadership moments that either strengthen or weaken trust
• Practical language leaders and coaches can use to lower threat and invite real dialogue

The core idea: resistance tied to belonging is rarely loud. It is quiet, protective, and easy to misread without a relational lens.

Resources Mentioned

Both available at 👉 thewholeeducator.com

Next up: what resistance sounds like when people aren’t sure they can succeed.

Let's Stay Connected!
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#179: When Your Questions Have an Agenda: Unpacking the Subtle Ways Control Sneaks into Coaching Mar 08, 2026

Show notes

The RESISTANCE PLAYBOOK is now available! Grab it for only $7 HERE.

In this episode of Coaching the Whole Educator, Becca Silver talks with instructional leader and writer Lauren Kaufman about how authentic questioning and a true coaching mindset drive meaningful growth for educators. With twenty years of experience across teaching, coaching, and district leadership, Lauren explains why effective coaching begins with curiosity, psychological safety, and open dialogue rather than hidden agendas or fix-it strategies.

Lauren breaks down the difference between authentic questions and leading or agenda-driven questions, sharing the three simple questions she uses to build trust, uncover real needs, and support teacher reflection. She and Becca also explore how judgment shows up in coaching conversations, how to recognize it in the moment, and how to reset back into curiosity when a conversation starts to feel rushed or directed.

This episode is a must-listen for instructional coaches, school leaders, teacher leaders, and professional learning facilitators who want to strengthen relationships, foster teacher agency, and use questioning as a powerful tool for growth.

Find out more about Lauren's resources on her website.
[FREE RESOURCE] The Teacher Growth Mindset Workbook

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#178: [Resistance Chronicles] Value Mindset Mar 01, 2026

Show notes

In this first episode of The Resistance Chronicles, Becca Silver challenges one of the most common leadership mistakes we make: treating resistance as a compliance problem instead of a diagnostic opportunity.
She reframes resistance as a signal, not defiance, but an unmet need.
Becca introduces five core Catalyst Mindsets that often sit underneath resistance: value, ownership, belonging, success, and growth

In this episode, she focuses specifically on the value mindset, unpacking what’s really happening when someone says, “This just feels like more work.”

Instead of pushing harder for buy-in, she walks leaders and coaches through how to pause, diagnose, and connect the work to what actually matters to the person in front of them. Because resistance decreases when value increases.

This episode is practical, mindset-shifting, and immediately usable, especially for instructional coaches, teacher leaders, and school administrators navigating change fatigue.
Becca also shares two resources designed to help you respond to resistance in real time:

The $7 Resistance Playbook for quick, in-the-moment diagnosis
The $27 Resistance Starter Bundle, which includes a Resistance Audit, action toolkit, and mini-course

If you’ve ever felt stuck pushing an initiative that people aren’t buying into, this episode will help you stop fighting resistance, and start understanding it.
Next up in the series: The Belonging Mindset.

Let's Stay Connected!
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#177: How to Read a Room and Adjust PD in Real Time Feb 22, 2026

Show notes

The RESISTANCE PLAYBOOK was just released! Grab it for only $7 HERE.

In this episode of Coaching the Whole Educator, Becca sits down with Lindsay Deacon, veteran instructional coach and author of The EduCoach Survival Guide. Lindsay brings more than a decade of experience supporting teachers, coaches, and leaders across districts, and she joins the show to unpack one of the most essential skills in coaching and professional learning: how to read a room and adjust in real time.

Together, Becca and Lindsay explore practical strategies for recognizing disengagement, understanding group dynamics, and creating meaningful connection that leads to true adult learning. Lindsay shares actionable tools instructional coaches can use to scan the room, interpret body language, identify root causes of disengagement, and build psychological safety. She also explains how to respond when a single participant is checked out versus when an entire group loses energy, and she offers insight into managing resistance, emotional states, and value mindset during PD sessions.

Listeners will learn how to warm up a room, increase relevance, shift the energy of disengaged groups, and stay grounded in authenticity while leading professional development. This episode is packed with tips instructional coaches can use immediately to strengthen facilitation skills, boost engagement in workshops, and make coaching conversations more effective.

If you are an instructional coach, school leader, or anyone responsible for leading adult learning, this conversation will help you read the room with confidence, support your participants with intention, and keep your sessions human centered and impactful.

Learn more about The Educoach Survival Guide on Lindsay's website!
The RESISTANCE PLAYBOOK was just released! Grab it for only $7 HERE.

Let's Stay Connected!
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#176: When Consistency Backfires: The Leadership Tension No One Talks About Feb 15, 2026

Show notes

The RESISTANCE PLAYBOOK was just released! Grab it for only $7 HERE.

Here’s a leadership question that sounds simple…but isn’t:
How consistent is consistent enough?
And when does it start getting in the way?

Chris and I dig into one of leadership’s quieter paradoxes: the pull to be steady and responsive at the same time. We talk about why consistency matters: trust, clarity, accountability all depend on it. And we name the shadow side too: when consistency turns into rigid sameness, it can actually work against the very people we’re trying to support.

Chris makes a compelling case for predictability, especially in complex systems where people need clear expectations to do good work. I come at it from a coaching lens: values should be consistent, yes, but approaches often need to flex. That flexibility can reduce decision fatigue and help leaders meet teachers where they actually are, not where we wish they’d be.

We also take a hard look at coaching protocols and structures.
When do they support growth?
And when do they quietly replace thinking, judgment, and real connection?

The invitation in this episode is simple but not easy: use tools wisely, stay anchored in your values, and don’t outsource your leadership to a checklist.

If you’ve ever wrestled with how to lead with both decisiveness and responsiveness, this conversation will meet you right in the middle.

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The RESISTANCE PLAYBOOK was just released! Grab it for only $7 HERE.

Let's Stay Connected!
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#175: If One More Person Says “Self-Care,” I Might Scream: Why Educators Are Burning Out Feb 08, 2026

Show notes

In this powerful episode of Coaching the Whole Educator, Becca Silver sits down with Dr. Naomi Hall, former educator, burnout expert, and co-founder of the Thrive Conference, to unpack why burnout is skyrocketing in schools and what leaders can actually do to support overwhelmed teachers.

Dr. Hall brings nearly two decades of experience as a teacher and administrator, along with her real-world journey through burnout and recovery. Together, Becca and Naomi break down the root causes of educator burnout, including lack of boundaries, toxic school cultures, and the system-wide habit of focusing on curriculum over human beings. They discuss why traditional “self care” advice often backfires, what required care really looks like, and how teachers can build sustainable habits using science-backed strategies.

Listeners will learn:

The most common causes of burnout in schools
Why surface-level self-care doesn’t work—and what does
How leaders can model boundaries and create healthier staff cultures
Mindset shifts that immediately reduce stress and rewire burnout patterns
Practical tools such as habit stacking, nervous-system resets, and fact-vs-story reframes
Concrete examples from real schools transforming culture and supporting educators

This episode is a must-listen for instructional coaches, school leaders, and anyone committed to supporting teacher wellbeing, improving school culture, and fostering human-centered leadership.

For more on Dr. Naomi Hall and the free Thrive Conference, visit NRHDynamic.com or follow her at @naomihallfiteducator.

Download the FFIRE Your Complaints Framework, here!

Let's Stay Connected!
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#174: Is a Little Resistance Actually Healthy? Feb 01, 2026

Show notes

🚨Don’t forget to register for the VATLL Power of Coaching Conference, February 3–4, 2026! 🚨

Let’s start with a question we don’t ask often enough:
What if resistance isn’t the problem?

Chris and I push on a pretty common assumption in education; that resistance is something to manage, fix, or eliminate. I offer a reframe that’s shaped a lot of my own leadership: resistance is often a signal.
Engagement.
Unmet needs.
Something important trying to get our attention.

Chris takes it deeper, looking at what pushback usually points to beneath the surface, missing clarity, insufficient support, a lack of trust, or not enough voice. And together we name a few uncomfortable truths: compliance isn’t the goal, “shoulds” shut people down, and curiosity beats control every time.

Here’s the shift we’re inviting: instead of bracing against resistance, what if we listened to it?

Because resistance can be a compass. It can point leaders toward more responsive, more human, and ultimately more effective ways of working.

If you’ve ever felt stuck, frustrated, or worn down by pushback, this episode might change how you see it, and how you respond next time.

🚨Don’t forget to register for the VATLL Power of Coaching Conference, February 3–4, 2026! 🚨

Let's Stay Connected!
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