1610466028
Coaching the Whole Educator

Advertise on podcast: Coaching the Whole Educator

Rating
★★★★★
5
from
24 reviews
This podcast has
212 episodes
Language
English
Publisher
Becca Silver
Explicit
No
Date created
2022/02/17
Latest episode
2026/10/18
Average duration
27 min.
Release period
10 days

Description

Coaching the Whole Educator is a podcast for instructional coaches, teacher leaders, and school leaders who want to strengthen their educators’ effectiveness and resilience, especially the ones who need it most. Each week, you’ll hear quick tips, proven strategies, and coaching mindsets designed to keep you on top of your coaching game. This show is rooted in a human-centered approach, where we get things done through people’s humanity, not around it. Whether you’re new to instructional coaching or a seasoned instructional 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 resistance, you’ll discover how to build stronger relationships, lead with clarity, and create lasting impact in your school.

Unlock Coaching the Whole Educator podcast Email contact info,
Listeners & Audience details

Email contact information

Direct podcast contact details

Listeners

Audience numbers & engagement insights

Audience details

Podcast Insights

Podcast episodes

Check latest episodes from Coaching the Whole Educator podcast


#206: Why Do Innovative Teachers Go Back to Traditional Instruction? Bob Lenz on PBL and the Systems That Pull Them Back
2026/10/18
Episode Summary What if the scripted curriculum we hand new teachers is the very thing burning them out? In this episode of Coaching the Whole Educator, Becca Silver talks with Bob Lenz, CEO of PBLWorks, about how project-based learning (PBL) helps early career teachers thrive instead of just surviving, and why school systems built for consistency keep pulling innovative teachers back into compliance. Bob shares findings from a randomized controlled trial of the Knowledge in Action AP curriculum, where PBL students outscored peers on AP exams by 8% in year one and 10% in year two, across all demographics. He explains why teachers trained in student-centered schools often revert to traditional instruction within three years of moving to a traditional school, and why giving new teachers high-quality PBL curriculum acts as a “floor,” not a script. Becca connects the conversation to her resistance work, naming the compliance culture that shapes how we treat both students and adults. In this episode, you’ll learn: Why the portrait of a graduate works as a “Trojan horse” for deeper learning and PBL adoptionThe biggest gap between teacher prep programs and day one in the classroomHow PBL partner districts improved chronic absenteeism (one middle school went from 66% to 96% attendance)The four areas leaders need to address for systemwide PBL: vision, conditions, professional learning, and measurementWhy “two projects a year” is a realistic starting point for reluctant departmentsHow making expert thinking visible builds new teacher agency and confidenceWhy PBL is an equity issue, and why it may be less “innovation” than overdue updatingWho this episode is for: instructional coaches, principals, district leaders, and teacher leaders supporting new teachers, implementing project-based learning, or working to reduce teacher burnout and turnover. Frequently asked questions Does project-based learning improve test scores? According to Bob, a randomized controlled study validated by USC found PBL students scored 8 to 10% higher on AP exams than students in traditional classes, with strong gains in critical thinking and communication. How can schools support new teachers with PBL? Pair high-quality, student-centered curriculum with embedded professional learning and coaching, so new teachers start from a strong floor instead of designing units from scratch on Sunday night. Why do innovative teaching practices fade? When school policies, pacing, and observation practices conflict with student-centered goals, teachers drift back to compliance-based instruction. Leaders have to surface those conflicts and build a coherent system. Timestamps 00:00 Welcome and introduction to Bob Lenz00:58 What PBLWorks does and why agency matters01:50 Portrait of a graduate as a path to PBL05:10 Helping new teachers thrive, not survive06:40 The AP study results10:10 Curriculum as a floor and giving Sundays back to teachers12:55 The gap between teacher prep and day one15:00 Compliance curriculum, burnout, and attendance gains16:20 Compliance culture and resistance17:00 Schools built for consistency, not innovation19:30 Moving the whole system: what leaders need in place24:00 Agency, professional judgment, and making thinking visible27:30 Innovation or overdue update?29:20 PBL as an equity floor30:20 Bob’s new book and resourcesResources mentioned PBLWorks: pblworks.orgPBL for All: A Leader’s Guide by Bob Lenz and Lisa MoralesPBL World coaching academy (June, Napa Valley)Keep going Get The Resistance Solution: https://amzn.to/4pRCaa5Lead your team through it with Book Study Facilitator Training: https://www.thewholeeducator.com/book-study-facilitator-trainingLet's Stay Connected! Website  |  Instagram |  Twitter |  Linkedin |  Facebook |  Contact Us
#205: A Skill Gap Is Not the Same as a Will Gap [Resistance Solution Mini-Session]
2026/10/15
You've modeled it, co-planned it, and practiced it side by side, and it's still not showing up in the classroom. In this Resistance Solution Mini-Session, Becca Silver reads from Chapter 2 of The Resistance Solution on why more PD and more modeling often miss the mark. Coaches and school leaders get one question to ask before their next coaching move. In this episode: Why resistance often looks like a skill problem on the surfaceThe quiet calculation teachers run before trying something new: Is this worth it? What if it doesn't work? Can I pull this off?Why a fourth round of modeling rarely fixes a will gapThis week's challenge: pick the coaching conversation that keeps looping and ask yourself, "Is this a gap in skill, or a gap in will?" If it's will, swap your next model for a question. Take the free quiz, What Is Resistance Costing You?: https://www.thewholeeducator.com/resistance-quiz Get The Resistance Solution: https://amzn.to/4pRCaa5 Free reader tools: thewholeeducator.com/book-resources Let's Stay Connected! Website  |  Instagram |  Twitter |  Linkedin |  Facebook |  Contact Us
#204: Nobody Asked You to Be the Sheriff: How Aspiring Leaders Get Trapped by Other People’s Expectations
2026/10/12
What happens when a new school leader tries so hard to meet everyone’s expectations that they stop leading like themselves? In this episode of Coaching the Whole Educator, Becca Silver talks with Joshua Stamper, author of Aspire to Lead and host of the Aspire to Lead podcast, about perseverance, adversity, and the quiet ways aspiring leaders slip into compliance while trying to prove they belong. Josh shares his unexpected path from art teacher to athletic coach, Dean of Students, and assistant principal for nearly a decade, and now speaker, author, and leadership consultant. He opens up about his first months as Dean of Students, when staff and families expected him to be “the sheriff.” He tried to fill that role, and discipline referrals climbed every month. Then he made a shift: he got clear on his own values, rebuilt the campus approach to student behavior around teaching skills instead of punishment, and watched both the data and the culture turn around. Becca and Josh also dig into: Influence vs. control: how to tell whether you want to lead people or simply want more control over decisions, and why “I’m just a teacher” holds back progressHow “no” creates compliance culture: why turning down a teacher’s idea can move them from ownership back to compliance, and what a “yes, and” leader does insteadThe cost of being chosen: navigating jealousy, rivalry, and shifting peer relationships when you’re tapped for leadership earlyRejection as “not yet”: what Josh learned from being passed over for promotion, and why talking about what you have done beats what you would do in leadership interviewsRegulation under pressure: why anticipating hard moments (and deciding in advance who you’ll be) is one of the strongest leadership practices, plus Becca’s reframe that every breakdown carries the seed of a breakthroughThe ASPIRE framework: Activate, Support, Persevere, Identity, Reflection, and Execution, with practical advice on “activating” by becoming visibly available to your admin teamThis episode is for teachers considering an administrative path, assistant principals eyeing the next role, instructional coaches, and any educator who leads with or without a title. About the guest: Joshua Stamper is a former art teacher, coach, Dean of Students, and assistant principal who now speaks, writes, and coaches educators nationwide. He is the author of Aspire to Lead and The Language of Behavior, hosts three podcasts, and leads the Aspire to Lead cohort for aspiring school leaders. Connect with Joshua: https://joshstamper.com | Instagram and X: @joshua__stamper Explore Becca’s book: The Resistance Solution: https://amzn.to/4pRCaa5  Lead your own book study with the Book Study Facilitator Training: https://www.thewholeeducator.com/book-study-facilitator-training Let's Stay Connected! Website  |  Instagram |  Twitter |  Linkedin |  Facebook |  Contact Us
#203: The "Always Be Coaching" Mindset with Chrissy Beltran
2026/10/08
Ever leave a coaching conversation feeling great about the advice you gave, only to come back a week later and find nothing has changed? You're not alone, and it's probably not the teacher's fault. In this episode, Becca sits down with her friend and colleague coaching master Chrissy Beltran, known to many as Buzzing with Ms. B, to unpack why coaching conversations so often go nowhere. Chrissy shares why coaches feel pressure to have all the answers, how teachers often ask for help in the only way they know how (a complaint), and the simple mindset shift that keeps every interaction moving toward real partnership. In this episode, you'll learn: Why our "advice monster" is so loud as coaches (hint: it feels really good)The difference between coaching and consulting, and why quick fixes rarely change thinkingWhy "it doesn't matter what you say, it matters what they hear"Chrissy's ABC model: Always Be Coaching, and where the idea came from (spoiler: knives)How to narrow your follow-up to a simple yes or no ("Can I come by tomorrow at 9?")Why you should offer two or three support options, topsThe red flag phrases that signal it's time to point the finger back at yourselfThe difference between manipulation and intentionally building connectionWhy connection is the shortest distance to coachabilityTimestamps: 00:00 Welcome and introducing Chrissy Beltran00:55 The problem: a whole conversation and nothing changes01:29 Why coaches feel they have to have all the answers03:26 Taming the advice monster05:22 That's not coaching, that's consulting06:30 The psychology on both sides of unsolicited advice08:00 When "okay" at the end of PD really means compliance08:57 Selling Cutco and the birth of Always Be Coaching11:45 Making follow-up easy to say yes to13:00 Showing up the next day with two or three options14:37 "Guess what? They're coming back tomorrow."15:42 Red flag phrases like "Well, I told them"18:07 Manipulation vs. authentic connection19:47 Being right vs. making a difference21:24 Chrissy's new book, Expand Your Coaching ToolboxAbout Chrissy Beltran: Chrissy Beltran is an instructional coaching expert, the voice behind Buzzing with Ms. B, and host of the Instructional Coaching with Ms. B podcast. Her new book, Expand Your Coaching Toolbox: 20 Practical Strategies That Improve Teaching and Learning (ASCD), is a hands-on guidebook with strategies for relationship building, knowledge and alignment, and instructional skill, each with a note on how to forward the coaching conversation. Resources mentioned: Expand Your Coaching Toolbox by Chrissy Beltran: pre-order through ASCD now, available everywhere (including Amazon) in NovemberConnect with Becca: Learn more about Becca's work and The Resistance Solution at thewholeeducator.com.  Let's Stay Connected! Website  |  Instagram |  Twitter |  Linkedin |  Facebook |  Contact Us
#202: The Eye Roll You Can't Stop Thinking About [Resistance Solution Session]
2026/10/04
The strategy everyone nodded along to in August? It's thriving in one classroom and missing in action next door. And that eye roll from the back of the room is still living rent-free in your head. In this first episode of Solution Sessions, a new weekly segment of Coaching the Whole Educator, Becca reads the opening pages of The Resistance Solution and names what most leaders feel but rarely say out loud: the emotional whiplash of thinking a teacher is on board, then walking into their classroom and finding nothing has changed. When that happens, most of us reach for one of two explanations. Either some people just don't want to change, or we need more accountability. Both are understandable. Neither gets you very far. Becca offers a different read: the eye roll, the polite nod, and the strategy that never shows up aren't verdicts on the teacher or on you. They're information. In this episode: Why uneven implementation is one of the most common pain points coaches and leaders reportThe two default reactions to resistance, and why neither one worksOne question to bring into your walkthroughs this weekYour challenge: Pick one classroom where the training isn't showing up yet. Before restating the expectation, ask, "What's getting in the way right now?" Then listen. Wondering what resistance is costing your school? Take the free What Is Resistance Costing You? quiz and get next steps matched to where you are: https://www.thewholeeducator.com/resistance-quiz Let's Stay Connected! Website  |  Instagram |  Twitter |  Linkedin |  Facebook |  Contact Us
#201: Your Staff's Hidden Superpowers: Building a Neuroinclusive Workplace Without Lowering Expectations
2026/09/28
What if the colleague you've been describing as "quirky" is the most underused talent in your building?  In this episode of Coaching the Whole Educator, Becca Silver sits down with Justin Permenter of NDI Institute to talk about building workplaces where neurodivergent educators, coaches, and leaders can perform, contribute, and lead without lowering expectations. Roughly one in five people is neurodivergent, including people with ADHD, autism, dyslexia, and dyspraxia. Yet most schools and organizations are built for neurotypical ways of working by default. Students get IEPs and 504 plans. Adults get a workplace that expects everyone to sit at the same table, the same way, on the same timeline.  Justin shares his journey from the classroom in Kansas City to international education in Qatar and his work with Franklin Covey's Leader in Me, plus the story of Omar, a 16-year-old autistic intern who outperformed full-time staff at the Waldorf Astoria within three weeks. Becca opens up about her own ADHD diagnosis and the moment she started seeing it as a strength instead of a deficit.  You'll learn:  Why accommodation and compliance checklists aren't the same as strengths activationHow curiosity (the C in NDI's CLEAR framework) replaces judgment when a colleague works differentlyWhat "results alignment" means: keeping outcomes high while allowing multiple pathways to get thereOne thing school leaders and instructional coaches can do tomorrow to lead more neuroinclusivelyPerfect for instructional coaches, principals, district leaders, and anyone who leads adults in schools.   Resources mentioned: Website: www.ndiinstitute.com Webinar on October 6th: https://www.ndiinstitute.com/webinar Free C.L.E.A.R. Framework: https://www.ndiinstitute.com/download  The Resistance Solution: Why Educators Resist and What They Need Instead: amzn.to/4pRCaa5 Resistance Solution Book Study Facilitator Training: https://www.thewholeeducator.com/book-study-facilitator-training   Let's Stay Connected! Website  |  Instagram |  Twitter |  Linkedin |  Facebook |  Contact Us
#200: Will Drivers: The Motivations Behind Every Conversation
2026/09/20
Ever notice how the same piece of feedback lands beautifully with one person on your team and completely bombs with another? Robyn Jackson is back, and this time we're digging into Will Drivers, her framework for the four things that motivate every human being: mastery, purpose, belonging, and autonomy. Here's the twist. Each driver comes with its own core question running in the background of someone's mind: how, why, who, and what. Once you know someone's dominant driver, you stop guessing why they're not responding to your coaching and start speaking a language they can actually hear. We get into: What Will Drivers are and where the theory came fromWhy the people you connect with most easily probably share your dominant driverHow the same feedback needs to be delivered four completely different ways depending on who's receiving itWhy some of the meanest, most aimless, or most struggling people on your team are driven by the exact thing they seem worst atThe principal who couldn't get his staff moving because he was autonomy driven and they were mastery driven, and neither one understood the otherRobyn's reframe for ditching the shoulds: be curious, not furiousThis one will have you diagnosing your own driver, your partner's, and probably three people on your leadership team before the episode is even over. 📖 The Resistance Solution: amzn.to/4pRCaa5 Book Study Facilitator Training: www.thewholeeducator.com/book-study-facilitator-training  About Robyn Jackson: Robyn R. Jackson is the founder of Mindsteps and the creator of the Buildership framework. She's spent years helping leaders move from compliance-driven management to real ownership, and her Will Drivers work grew out of motivation research she originally applied to students before realizing it works just as well on adults. Connect with Robyn: 100PercentPrincipal.com — free weekly newsletter with practical tools for the challenges you're actually facing. Let's Stay Connected! Website  |  Instagram |  Twitter |  Linkedin |  Facebook |  Contact Us
#199: Stop Waiting for PD: How Self Mentorship Builds Ruckus Maker Principals
2026/09/07
**Join the Resistance Solution Facebook Community** https://www.facebook.com/share/g/19TRR5VfpX/ Danny Bauer of Better Leaders Better Schools joins Becca Silver to unpack self mentorship, why traditional PD falls short, and how to become a ruckus maker.  Most professional development follows the same script: someone else decides what educators need to learn, when they need to learn it, and how. Danny Bauer, founder of Better Leaders Better Schools and creator of the Ruckus Maker movement, calls this "permission-based development," and he thinks it is holding school leaders back.  In this episode, Becca Silver talks with Danny about self mentorship: a radical ownership model where school leaders define their own growth instead of waiting for central office to approve it. Danny shares real stories of principals who used self mentorship to build "sticky core values," eliminate outdated practices like midterms and finals, and protect their own boundaries without sacrificing results. He and Becca also dig into an uncomfortable pattern Danny has seen again and again: leaders who win Principal of the Year and then get placed on an improvement plan for doing the very work that made them stand out.  If you have ever sensed something was off in how your school or district operates but could not quite name it, this conversation gives you language and a starting question to explore it.  What You'll Learn  What self mentorship is and how it differs from traditional professional developmentWhy Danny calls conventional PD "permission-based development," and why that framing mattersReal examples of self mentorship in action: sticky core values, eliminating midterms and finals, and protecting personal boundaries as a leaderWhy some of the most innovative school leaders get quietly punished for standing outHow systems resist disruption, and why that resistance is not personalA simple question you can ask tomorrow to start thinking like a "Ruckus Maker" **Join the Resistance Solution Facebook Community** https://www.facebook.com/share/g/19TRR5VfpX/ 📖 The Resistance Solution: amzn.to/4pRCaa5 Guest Bio Danny Bauer is the founder of Better Leaders Better Schools and the voice behind the Ruckus Maker movement in education. After years in the classroom and central office, Danny now helps school leaders build campus experiences worth showing up for through coaching, a mastermind community, and the Ruckusmakers Media Substack. Key Quotes Danny Bauer on traditional professional development: PD is often too little, too late, and disconnected, arriving on a schedule the system sets rather than the leader.On self mentorship: it is a radical ownership over your own growth and vision, not a curriculum someone else hands you.On why leaders get punished for innovating: fragile egos at central office sometimes resent when a subordinate gets the credit for doing something new.On the mindset shift: the real question is not "can I change this," but what would need to be true for it to be different.Timestamps 03:00 What is self mentorship, and how is it different from professional development05:30 Why Danny renamed PD "permission-based development"07:30 Real self mentorship stories: sticky core values, eliminating midterms and finals, protecting boundaries12:00 The Ruckus Maker movement and questioning how school "has to be"15:00 Why Principal of the Year winners sometimes end up on improvement plans18:30 Systems built to stay alive, and why disruption meets resistance20:30 Where to find Danny's free resources22:00 One question to ask tomorrow to start your own self mentorship journeyResources Mentioned Better Leaders Better Schools: betterleadersbetterschools.comRuckusmakers Media (Danny's Substack of mini-books on leadership and school change)The Art of Self Mentorship (Danny's free mini-book)Let's Stay Connected! Website  |  Instagram |  Twitter |  Linkedin |  Facebook |  Contact Us
#198: What Great Lesson Planning Teaches Us About Great Coaching (with Lori Cohen)
2026/08/23
In this episode, Becca sits down with instructional coaching and lesson planning expert Lori Cohen (co-author of The PD Book) to talk about her new book, The Science of Lesson Planning, and what transformative lesson design can teach coaches and school leaders about building psychological safety in schools. They dig into psychological safety, the difference between coaching and "coaxing," and why celebration and reflection only work when they happen together.  In this episode:  Why great lesson planning is about more than activities and standardsHow psychological safety gets built (and spent) in daily interactions, not just at the start of the yearThe real difference between conventional and transformative practice: who holds control of the "right answer"Why "coaxing" isn't coaching, and how it breaks trustWhy celebration and reflection have to happen together for real growth📖 The Resistance Solution: amzn.to/4pRCaa5 Book Study Facilitator Training: www.thewholeeducator.com/book-study-facilitator-training About Lori Cohen: Lori Cohen has spent three decades in education as a teacher, instructional coach, school leader, consultant, and author. Her new book, The Science of Lesson Planning, releases in September through ASCD (preorders open now). She is also co-author of  The PD Book: 7 Habits that Transform Professional Development (with Elena Aguilar) and Integrating Educator Well-Being, Growth, and Evaluation: Four Foundations for Leaders.   Let's Stay Connected! Website  |  Instagram |  Twitter |  Linkedin |  Facebook |  Contact Us
#197: Why Being Clear Can Feel Hard (with Jennifer Abrams): Do “Hard” Conversations Actually Have to Be Hard?
2026/08/02
In this episode, Becca sits down with Jennifer Abrams, author of five books on adult-to-adult communication in schools including Having Hard Conversations and Stretching Your Learning Edges, for a conversation on hard conversations, school culture, and adult development in education.  Topics covered in this episode:  The difference between resistance and a hard conversation, and where one line ends and the other beginsWhy "niceness culture" in schools gets confused with kindness, and how it undermines belongingThe cognitive load behind clear communication, and why so many educators avoid itThe neuroscience of being right: why our brains reward judgment over effectivenessThe five capacities from Stretching Your Learning Edges: knowing our identities, suspending certainty, taking responsibility for communication, building resilience, and engaging in reciprocityA simple, practical cue for naming dysregulation in a meeting, without shameRobert Kegan's stages of adult development (instrumental, socialized, self-authoring, self-transforming) and how understanding them builds empathy across a school teamGuest: Jennifer Abrams, adult communication and school culture expert, jenniferabrams.com | LinkedIn | [email protected] Grab your copy of 📖 The Resistance Solution Book Study Facilitator Training: www.thewholeeducator.com/book-study-facilitator-training  Let's Stay Connected! Website  |  Instagram |  Twitter |  Linkedin |  Facebook |  Contact Us
#196: The "We vs. Me" Test: Why the Same Staff Meeting Energizes Some Teachers and Drains Others (with Dr. Sheldon Eakins)
2026/07/18
What if the pushback you're getting from teachers isn't about the initiative at all, but about a hidden cultural mismatch in how your school defines belonging? In this episode of Coaching the Whole Educator, Becca Silver sits down with Dr. Sheldon Eakins, author of Meaningful Classroom Management, What Are You Bringing to the Potluck?, and Leading Equity, to explore a dimension of belonging that rarely gets airtime in school leadership conversations: individualism versus collectivism. Dr. Eakins explains why American schools are built around individualist norms (GPAs, valedictorians, teacher of the month, "stay in your classroom") while many students and staff come from collectivist backgrounds where success is defined by "we," not "me." When leaders don't recognize this mismatch, the result looks like resistance, disengagement, and retention problems. In this episode, you'll learn: How individualism vs. collectivism shows up in staff meetings, PLCs, and professional development, and why "sit and get" works for some educators and alienates othersDr. Eakins' LENS framework for leaders: Look for biases, Examine communication, Notice group dynamics, Shift perspectiveHow to separate facts from interpretations when you catch yourself labeling a colleague "rude" or "disengaged"Why introversion and extroversion are NOT the same as individualism and collectivismPractical ways to design staff culture that balances individual recognition with collective connectionThis conversation is essential listening for instructional coaches, principals, and district leaders working on teacher retention, staff culture, psychological safety, and buy-in for change initiatives. Grab your copy of 📖 The Resistance Solution Book Study Facilitator Training: www.thewholeeducator.com/book-study-facilitator-training Connect with Dr. Sheldon Eakins: IG: @sheldoneakins  Twitter: @sheldoneakins Website: purposeful247.com Books: Amazon Let's Stay Connected! Website  |  Instagram |  Twitter |  Linkedin |  Facebook |  Contact Us
#195: The Resistance Tax: The Hidden Costs of Misunderstood Resistance
2026/07/11
In this episode of Coaching the Whole Educator, Becca Silver explores the hidden costs schools and districts pay when resistance is misunderstood. She calls it the resistance tax: the quiet drain on resources, relationships, and results that happens when leaders respond to resistance with pressure, compliance, or more accountability instead of understanding what is driving it. Becca breaks down five major forms of the resistance tax: • The turnover tax • The implementation tax • The time tax • The trust tax • The student success tax She also shares why resistance should be treated as information, not defiance, and how educational leaders can begin identifying where their organization may be paying more than they realize. The episode also introduces The Resistance Solution and the Resistance Solution Book Study Facilitator Training, a train-the-trainer experience designed to help schools and districts build the internal capacity to diagnose resistance, strengthen ownership, and lead sustainable change. If your organization is struggling with teacher turnover, initiative fatigue, low buy-in, inconsistent implementation, or stalled change efforts, this episode will help you see the true cost of resistance in a new way. [Book Study Facilitator Training] www.thewholeeducator.com/book-study-facilitator-training Grab your copy of 📖 The Resistance Solution Let's Stay Connected! Website  |  Instagram |  Twitter |  Linkedin |  Facebook |  Contact Us
#194: Stop Assuming Great Teachers Make Great Mentors
2026/06/14
What if one of the biggest missing pieces in teacher retention is how we support mentor teachers? In this episode, Becca talks with John Pascarella, professor of clinical education at USC and Chief Academic Officer of the USC Race and Equity Center, about why mentor teachers are often asked to support new teachers without the training, role clarity, compensation, or coaching they actually need. They unpack why being a great teacher does not automatically make someone a great mentor, how mentoring adults requires a different skill set, and why schools need to stop treating mentorship like informal volunteer work. This conversation is for instructional coaches, school leaders, district leaders, and teacher leaders who want to strengthen new teacher support, improve teacher retention, and build more effective mentoring systems in schools. John's Info: Faculty profile  |  CCTE Policy Brief (free download, includes my brief on mentor teachers)  |  Learning Policy Institute (Stanford University) Grab your copy of 📖 The Resistance Solution Access the FREE book resources here.  Let's Stay Connected! Website  |  Instagram |  Twitter |  Linkedin |  Facebook |  Contact Us
#193: When High Expectations Meet Resistance: What Should Leaders Actually Do?
2026/06/08
In this episode of Coaching the Whole Educator, Becca Silver talks with Principal Kafele about what happens when high expectations meet resistance in schools and how leaders can respond without slipping into compliance-driven leadership. Together, they explore how school leaders can create a true culture of high expectations, not by demanding instant transformation, but by helping educators experience steady, measurable growth. Principal Kafele shares why leaders must connect expectations to a larger purpose, build authentic relationships with staff, and understand what is beneath the pushback before deciding how to respond. This conversation digs into the difference between teacher resistance, overwhelm, and low expectations, and why leaders cannot diagnose those differences without ongoing trust, coaching, and collaboration. Becca and Principal Kafele also discuss the role of leadership identity, including how the way leaders see themselves shapes how they respond to hesitation, pushback, and resistance. Listeners will walk away with practical insight into how to:  Hold high expectations without leading through compliance  Recognize growth as progress, not perfection  Build a school culture where expectations become normal behavior  Respond to resistance with curiosity instead of judgment  Strengthen leadership identity during difficult conversations  Support educators through change while maintaining clear standards This episode is especially valuable for principals, assistant principals, instructional coaches, district leaders, and school leadership teams who are navigating resistance to change, supporting adult learning, and working to build cultures of growth, accountability, and meaningful progress. [BOOK] Grab There Resistance Solution: Why Educator Resist and What They Need Instead HERE!  Grab your copy of 📖 The Resistance Solution Let's Stay Connected! Website  |  Instagram |  Twitter |  Linkedin |  Facebook |  Contact Us
#192: The Resistance Solution in Action: An Instructional Leader's Perspective
2026/06/07
What does The Resistance Solution actually look like in a real school? In this episode, Chrystin Sheffield shares how the book transformed the way she leads. She talks about how it helped her: • Stop taking teacher resistance personally and start diagnosing what's really driving it • Navigate difficult conversations with less frustration and more confidence • Give walkthrough feedback that feels meaningful instead of repetitive • Build trust more intentionally instead of simply hoping relationships develop • Create accountability without creating defensiveness • Understand why teachers say "I don't have time" and how to respond in a way that actually helps • Move beyond surface-level coaching conversations to uncover root causes One of my favorite moments was hearing Chrystin say that before reading the book, she often felt like she should have all the answers as a leader. What she discovered instead was that the most powerful thing she could do wasn't solve the problem for people. It was understand the unmet need underneath the resistance. This conversation is about what happened when the ideas in the book were applied in a real school by a real leader facing real challenges. If you're a principal, assistant principal, coach, or district leader who has ever wondered why feedback isn't sticking, coaching conversations aren't leading to change, or teachers seem resistant despite your best efforts, I think you'll see yourself in this conversation. Grab your copy of 📖 The Resistance Solution Access the FREE book resources here.  (And you can find it at all major book outlets) Let's Stay Connected! Website  |  Instagram |  Twitter |  Linkedin |  Facebook |  Contact Us

Podcast reviews

Read Coaching the Whole Educator podcast reviews


5 out of 5
24 reviews
★★★★★
Freireson 2026/04/29
Essential listen for coaching shifts in instructional mindsets
Coaching the Whole Educator is an essential listen for anyone committed to strengthening teaching and learning through a deeply human-centered lens, c...
★★★★★
scout374269 2025/10/15
A standout podcast for coaches
I love the human-centered approach of this podcast, and every episode addresses real challenges that coaches experience and topics that are relevant f...
★★★★★
LindaMRhyne 2024/07/26
Reminding us that education is a human profession
Becca creates a community in this podcast, reminding us of the humanity in our work. From episodes with guests to episodes that share relevant researc...
★★★★★
Todd Cherches 2024/02/03
An excellent podcast for leaders, coaches, and educators
Love this podcast! Becca has a wonderful conversation style, is naturally curious, has a growth mindset, is a master at building human connections, an...
★★★★★
Starr531 2024/01/30
Informal and Informative
I enjoy these practical podcasts that are short and engaging. Becca has on a variety of educators and always gives me something to think about. Check ...
★★★★★
Lottimiami 2022/05/16
Great podcast
So easy to listen to and directly relate to the work I do!
★★★★★
#clauell21 2022/05/13
Great one!
This podcast is so authentic and actionable. I love how Becca shares her stories and how vulnerable she is. The length of the episodes is perfect! Any...
check all reviews on apple podcasts

Podcast sponsorship advertising

Start advertising on Coaching the Whole Educator relevant audience podcasts


What do you want to promote?