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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:

#123: Why “Just Ask Questions” is Bad Coaching Advice (and What to Do Instead) Feb 09, 2025

Show notes

Are you ready to lead with real impact? In their new book, "Coaching Education Leaders," Michelle Jarney, Michael Kim, and Nancy Gutierrez get real about their Facilitative Competency-Based Coaching (FCB) approach—a method designed to push school leaders out of their comfort zones and into real transformation. Their message? If coaching isn’t making people uncomfortable, it’s not working.

They break down the power of precision questioning—not just to make people think, but to expose blind spots, shift mindsets, and drive real behavior change. They dig into the Tailor Your Approach chart and Clutterbuck’s Levels of Dialogue, giving coaches a framework to move leaders beyond surface-level conversations and into deep, systemic change.

The Hard Truths:

Coaching isn’t passive. If you’re just listening, you’re not coaching.
Stop coaching for comfort—create inescapable learning moments that force self-insight and behavior shifts.
Coaches must be adaptable. One-size-fits-all coaching doesn’t work.
Questioning is a strategy, not a checklist. Purposeful questions expose hidden barriers and unlock change.
Leaders need to be held accountable. Reflection is great, but action is everything.

[Catalyst Mindsets] Ep. #122: Why Growth Mindset Isn't Enough: The Five Mindsets You Need to Drive Change

Work with The Whole Educator! Check out our programs and offerings.

Check out our FREE RESOURCES here as well!

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#122: Why Growth Mindset Isn't Enough: The Five Mindsets You Need to Drive Change Feb 02, 2025

Show notes

Ready to diagnose the biggest mindset gap on your team? Take the free Catalyst Mindsets Quiz **HERE**!

Growth mindset? Oversold. It’s not the magic bullet schools think it is. Telling teachers and students to “just believe in improvement” without addressing what’s blocking them is like throwing seeds on dry, compacted soil and expecting a lush garden—without loosening the ground, adding nutrients, or ensuring there’s water, those seeds don’t stand a chance.

Becca reveals five Catalyst Mindsets™ —Value, Ownership, Belonging, Success, and Growth—that actually move people from burnout to engagement and from passive compliance to real action.

Value Mindset: If it doesn’t matter to me, I’m not investing energy. Connect initiatives to personal goals, or watch engagement stay surface-level.

Ownership Mindset: Stop waiting for someone else to fix it. Agency, accountability, and integrity drive real change.

Belonging Mindset: If I don’t feel like I belong, I’m not taking risks. Schools must create real psychological safety, not just “niceness.”

Success Mindset: If I don’t believe I can succeed, I won’t even try. Coaching must reinforce small wins and self-efficacy to build real confidence.

Growth Mindset: It’s a continuum, not a checkbox. Where someone falls on that continuum matters more than whether they “have” a growth mindset.

Coaches and Leaders: Your Challenge

Identify Resistance—Which mindset is missing?
Make Change Manageable—Break it down into small wins that build confidence.
Stop Asking About Growth Mindset—Ask where someone is on the continuum and coach them through the messy middle.

Growth mindset alone won’t move the needle. Change happens when we address the right mindsets, in the right way, at the right time.

Want more info? Check out these resources:

The Five Catalyst Mindsets™: Why Growth Mindset Isn’t Enough [BLOG]

Download the Catalyst Mindsets™ One Pager Here

Human Centered Academy

Ready to diagnose the biggest mindset gap on your team? Take the free Catalyst Mindsets Quiz **HERE**!

Let's Stay Connected!
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#121: Compliance Doesn't Create Commitment Jan 26, 2025

Show notes

Warren Buck, founder of Future Finders, transformed his life from a struggling student to a powerhouse principal. His journey proves that self-determination theory (SDT) isn't just theory—it's the fuel that drives real change. Competence, autonomy, and relatedness aren't optional; they're essential for thriving schools.

Power Moves for School Leaders
Buck delivers no-nonsense strategies that ignite teacher growth and motivation:

Unify with a School-Wide Rubric: Give teachers the power to own their growth within a clear, shared framework that aligns with school goals.
Cultivate a Thriving Culture: Lead with transparency, unshakable support, and relentless optimism to create an environment where everyone wins.
Coach for True Autonomy: Autonomy isn't chaos—it's the freedom to excel within a structure that supports success.

Listen in to learn very specific strategies Warren used to shift away from compliance and grow a deep level of commitment within his school.
Upcoming Coaching Conferences:
VASCD Power of Coaching Conference
Simply Coaching Summit (*DATE CHANGE* March 10-11)

Let's Stay Connected!
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#120: Protocols: Helpful or Holding You Back? Jan 19, 2025

Show notes

In this episode, Becca Silver and Dr. Chris Jones shake up the coaching conversation by tackling a common trap: over-reliance on protocols. While structure and frameworks can be helpful, they break down why rigid scripts won’t make you a great coach—and might even hold you back.

Chris and Becca debate:
The Pros & Cons of Protocols – When they’re useful and when they become a crutch.
Coaching Beyond the Checklist – Why developing deep skills in listening and questioning matters more than following a script.
The Complexity of Coaching – Coaching isn’t about running a formula—it’s about adapting to real humans.
Intentional Conversations – The key to powerful coaching isn’t in a protocol, it’s in knowing where you're headed and how to guide the conversation there.

If you’ve ever wondered whether you’re relying too much on protocols—or if you need a better way to guide coaching conversations—this episode will challenge your thinking in the best way. Tune in for real talk, real laughs, and real coaching wisdom.

Want to request a topic for Becca and Chris to discuss? Share it HERE!
Upcoming Coaching Conferences:
VASCD Power of Coaching Conference
Simply Coaching Summit (*DATE CHANGE* March 10-11)

Let's Stay Connected!
Website | Instagram | Twitter | Linkedin | Facebook | Contact Us

#119: What Professional Development SHOULD Be Jan 13, 2025

Show notes

***Watch the full, unedited YouTube version here.***
What if your go-to PD moves are secretly keeping your teachers stuck? Dr. Julie Slayton takes a bold stand against the outdated, ineffective professional development (PD) systems that dominate schools today. She calls out the traditional "one-size-fits-all" approach for what it is—a waste of time and money—and demands a paradigm shift.

Slayton exposes the systemic barriers holding educators back. She dares us to disrupt the status quo, arguing that only by addressing these deep-rooted issues can we empower teachers to grow and thrive. With transformative frameworks like Levels of Readiness and Feedback Stages, she challenges leaders to rethink how we support teachers' growth, meeting them where they are and guiding them toward adaptive, lasting change.

Upcoming Coaching Conferences:
VASCD Power of Coaching Conference
Simply Coaching Summit (*DATE CHANGE* March 10-11)

Let's Stay Connected!
Website | Instagram | Twitter | Linkedin | Facebook | Contact Us

#118: Why Being 'Naturally Gifted' Can Backfire as a Coach Jan 02, 2025

Show notes

***Watch the full, unedited YouTube version here.***
Becca and Dr. Chris Jones co-host another episode where they discuss the challenges that come when instructional coaches and school leaders are "naturally gifted" in certain areas. Here are the highlights:
The Ladder of Conscious Competence

Four stages: Conscious/Unconscious Competence & Incompetence.
This can explain why there’s a lack of knowledge transfer at your school
Why having unconscious competence makes skills hard to teach.

The Peter Principle in Education

People are promoted beyond their skillset (shifting from teaching children to teaching adults).
Success in one role doesn’t guarantee success in another.
Effective leadership requires a balance of three key skill sets: technical, conceptual, and human

Coaching Missteps to Avoid

Avoid coaching people to mimic your personality or style (Focus on enhancing the coachee’s unique strengths.)
Avoid sharing personal success stories excessively ("When I was a teacher, I...").
Ignoring the critical need for developing adult-learning skills.

The Whole Educator PD:
The Whole Educator Academy
Breaking Through Resistance and Building Buy In PD
All Professional Developments
Learn more about Dr. Chris Jones and VATLL (previously VASCD)

Let's Stay Connected!
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#117: Defining a Coach's Role: The Four "Hats" a Coach Wears Dec 14, 2024

Show notes

***Watch the full, unedited YouTube version here.***
Are you struggling to make coaching more impactful in your school? In this engaging conversation, we welcome Jacy and Rita, two experts in coaching and school improvement, to explore how supporting coaches can lead to meaningful changes in education. They discuss the evolving role of coaching, emphasizing that it’s not just a formal title but a dynamic set of activities that can empower teachers and drive systemic change. These activities include adopting four key coaching mindsets, understanding school culture, and recognizing the impact of human capital versus social capital—all essential elements for driving real impact in your school. The four coaching mindsets they advocate include: Change Agent, Facilitator, Designer, and Advocate. Each mindset highlights a different way coaches can engage with teachers and leaders to improve teaching and learning.

To schedule your Reducing Resistance Roadmap call, contact us at becca@thewholeeducator.com or fill out this form.
Learn more about The Whole Educator HERE!

Let's Stay Connected!
Website | Instagram | Twitter | Linkedin | Facebook | Contact Us

#116: Is Growth Mindset Actually Good? Dec 08, 2024

Show notes

***Watch the full, unedited YouTube version here.***
This is the very first episode Dr. Chris Jones (Executive Director of VASCD) and Becca are co-hosting informal, unplanned conversations where they share their experiences and, sometimes differing, opinions and challenge each other about all things instructional leadership and coaching. These co-hosted episodes aim to disrupt the idea that there’s one right way to do things in education and support best practices from many different points of view.

Here are the topics covered:

Disrupting the norm
The need for multiple mindsets
Whether growth/fixed mindsets are good and bad (or simply neutral)
The role of beliefs and actions (which come first?)
Using mindsets as a diagnostic tool
Creating common ground in coaching
The most important skills in coaching

To schedule your Reducing Resistance Roadmap call, contact us at becca@thewholeeducator.com or fill out this form.
Learn more about The Whole Educator HERE!

Let's Stay Connected!
Website | Instagram | Twitter | Linkedin | Facebook | Contact Us

#115: Increase Your Level of Joy on the Job with Working Genius Dec 02, 2024

Show notes

***Watch the full, unedited YouTube version here.***
Do you feel drained and uninspired at work? Wish you and your team could tap into that feeling of energized accomplishment?

This episode explores the Working Genius framework, a tool that reveals your natural strengths and what energizes you. Tami Shaw and I delve into my personal Working Genius profile, highlighting my strengths in Wonder and Discernment, and...well, let's just say Tenacity and Invention present some interesting challenges. It's eye-opening to see how these strengths (and weaknesses) play out in real life.

But here's the best part: Working Genius identifies different strengths for each phase of a project. Understanding yours can completely transform how you approach work. We'll show you how to apply this framework to your projects, ensuring every phase is covered. By embracing the power of Working Genius, school leaders can understand their own work and inspire their teams to thrive!
Tami Shaw's Info:
LinkedIn | Website

Podcast Sponsor:
Bullseye Education
Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | LinkedIn

The Whole Educator PD:
The Academy
Breaking Through Resistance and Building Buy In PD
All Professional Developments

Let's Stay Connected!
Website | Instagram | Twitter | Linkedin | Facebook | Contact Us

#114: Why Feedback Can Feel Threatening (And What To Do About It) Nov 24, 2024

Show notes

***Watch the full, unedited YouTube version here.***
Ever feel like your best-intentioned feedback falls flat? Or that some difficult conversations seem to escalate? It's time to rethink our approach. In this episode, we dig into the neuroscience of communication with the incredible Marcia Reynolds. She reveals how our brains respond to difficult conversations and how a coaching approach can shift your conversations into breakthroughs. We will shed some light on stress responses, powerful strategies and how to authentically connect with your staff.
Remember, it's not about being perfect; it's about being present. By shifting our focus from delivering information to fostering self-discovery, we can transform difficult conversations into opportunities for growth and breakthrough.
Podcast Sponsor:
Bullseye Education
Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | LinkedIn

The Whole Educator PD:
The Academy
Breaking Through Resistance and Building Buy In PD
All Professional Developments

Let's Stay Connected!
Website | Instagram | Twitter | Linkedin | Facebook | Contact Us

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