Teacher Preparation Blog

The Art of Coaching Teachers

Elena Aguilar, an experienced K-12 educator, trains individuals and teams to build resilient, just communities. She is the author of The Art of Coaching (2013), The Art of Coaching Teams (2016), and Onward: Cultivating Emotional Resilience in Educators (2018). She is also the founder of Bright Morning Consulting (brightmorningteam.com) and is active on social media. This blog is no longer being updated.

Education Opinion Why Your Coaching Program Is Failing
In Elena's final blog, she shares why coaching programs fail and what leaders can do to prevent failure and create effective coaching programs.
Elena Aguilar, August 28, 2019
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5 min read
Education Opinion How to Build Resilient Teams
Resilient teams are built when they are provided time, space, and structure and when the leader is supremely aware that their emotions are contagious.
Elena Aguilar, July 30, 2019
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5 min read
Education Opinion 5 Ways to Do Equity Work Daily
When it comes to owning our learning around diversity, equity, and inclusiveness many of us rely too heavily on the experts to do the heavy lifting.
Elena Aguilar, July 17, 2019
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5 min read
My family and I in the Familia Sagrada in Barcelona.
My family and I in the Familia Sagrada in Barcelona.
Photo taken by Elena Aguilar
Professional Development Opinion How a Vacation Improves Your Coaching
Turning away from your professional life allows you to become a more compassionate, curious person—and a more effective coach.
Elena Aguilar, July 4, 2019
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3 min read
Education Opinion How to Coach a Teacher Out
I recently got an email from a teacher I coached 10 years ago. The first sentence was, "I can't thank you enough for convincing me to quit."
Elena Aguilar, May 28, 2019
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4 min read
Education Opinion Why We Need Transformative Learning Experiences
Two things are true as I sort through my reflections on transformative learning experiences: We need intensive, immersive opportunities for learning (such as a trip to Kenya) and we also need to build in mini-opportunities for transformative learning every day.
Elena Aguilar, April 23, 2019
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6 min read
Education Opinion How to Coach the 'Delusional' Teacher
Coaching a teacher who appears "delusional" requires you to slow down and get curious.
Elena Aguilar, March 20, 2019
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7 min read
Education Opinion How to Coach the Perfectionist Teacher: The Coach's Emotions (Part 3)
Katie was one of the most challenging teachers for me to coach because of the emotions that arose in me. I often felt frustrated with her, because I felt like her perfectionism was getting in the way of her being a good teacher, and I felt impatient with her.
Elena Aguilar, March 5, 2019
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4 min read
Education Opinion How to Coach the Perfectionist Teacher: Strategies that Work (Part 2)
Coaching a perfectionist teacher requires an expansive set of tools--they are a complicated type to coach. What follows are eleven strategies that I've found are useful with most perfectionists.
Elena Aguilar, February 28, 2019
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8 min read
Illustration of calm woman working at desk
Getty
Teaching Profession Opinion How to Coach the Perfectionist Teacher: Understanding Perfectionism (Part 1)
At the heart of perfectionism is a belief that, in order to be loved and accepted, we must strive to act and be the best all the time.
Elena Aguilar, February 27, 2019
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2 min read
Image of an exhausted teacher sitting at the bottom of a battery showing low charge.
DigitalVision Vectors
Professional Development Opinion How to Coach the Overwhelmed Teacher
Often when I ask educators how they're feeling, the most common phrases I hear are, "I'm overwhelmed" and "I'm so stressed."
Elena Aguilar, February 14, 2019
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4 min read
Education Opinion How to Coach a Cranky Teacher
Five strategies for coaching a cranky teacher that start with getting humble and empathetic.
Elena Aguilar, January 23, 2019
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4 min read
Education Opinion Three Reasons Your Coachees' Emotions Matter
Teachers commonly express strong emotions in coaching sessions. Here are a few ways to help them process those.
Elena Aguilar, December 18, 2018
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3 min read
Professional Development Opinion Why Teachers Might Benefit From Transformational Coaching
Transformational coaching is an approach that explores a teacher's behaviors, beliefs, and ways of being, and that uses a systems thinking perspective to solve for common instructional challenges.
Elena Aguilar, December 5, 2018
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3 min read
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