Coaching the Whole Educator

By Becca SilverEducation Self-Improvement How To

Coaching the Whole Educator episodes

July 27, 2025#147: He Had 17 Behavior Calls a Day—and What Finally Changed
If you feel like your days are just putting out one behavior fire after another, this one’s for you.
I sat down with Hunter Flesch, Associate Principal and host of the Ed Essentials Podcast, to talk about how he moved from 17 behavior calls a day (yes, SEVENTEEN) to just five—and did it by redesigning the system, not just responding harder.
We unpack what systems thinking really looks like when the school day feels like chaos—and how a tiered support system for students and teachers can prioritize clarity, data, ownership, and follow-through without burning teachers out.
This episode will remind you that:
You can’t solve systemic problems with walkie-talkie urgency
Behavior data belongs in the hands of teachers
Ownership starts with leaders who believe change is possible by empowering their educators to be leaders
**The Resistance Remedy drops July 21.**
It’s the on-demand curriculum that gives you intentional tools to coach through resistance.
50% off during launch week only.
Save the date. Mark your calendar.
Learn how to diagnose resistance and take intentional action steps!
CHECK OUT THE RESISTANCE REMEDY *HERE*!
[PODCAST SPONSOR]
Check out Reading Horizons! https://readinghorizons.com/justright/
Let's Stay Connected!
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34 min
July 20, 2025 #146: Stop Hoping, Start Coaching For It: Why Optimism Isn’t Optional
**Check out The Resistance Remedy HERE!**
Can you lead with optimism without slipping into toxic positivity? In this episode, Jason Adair from Southern Regional Education Board and I unpack what real optimism looks like in schools—and why it’s a critical ingredient in the Ownership Mindset.
We explore the difference between sugarcoated cheerleading and grounded, actionable hope. Drawing on the work of Simon Sinek and Martin Seligman, they highlight how coaches can model optimism, build agency, and support accountability—especially when the system feels heavy.
Because without optimism, coaching becomes blind compliance.

**Check out The Resistance Remedy HERE!**
To Learn more about Jason's organization, SREB (Southern Regional Education Board), check it out here: https://www.sreb.org/
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29 min
July 13, 2025#145: When Your Inner Critic Runs the Meeting
Coaches and leaders—what if the biggest resistance to change isn’t from your team… but from you? Your inner critic!
In this episode, I’m joined by Amanda Younts of Midlife Catalyst to unpack the internal resistance we rarely name but constantly feel. We’re talking about the shoulds, the shame, the inner critic, and the hidden expectations we carry that sabotage our best intentions—especially when we're leading others.
You’ll hear:
Why self-judgment masquerades as “high standards”
How internal resistance can quietly destroy our momentum
A new way to shift from should to support (yes, we’re flipping the script)
And unconventional, accessible ways to build self-awareness without writing a single paragraph in a journal
If you’ve ever told yourself “I should know better” or “I should be further along by now,” this episode will hit home in the best kind of way.

**The Resistance Remedy drops July 21.**
It’s the on-demand curriculum that gives you intentional tools to coach through resistance.
50% off during launch week only.
Save the date. Mark your calendar.
Learn how to diagnose resistance and take intentional action steps!
CHECK OUT THE RESISTANCE REMEDY *HERE*!
[PODCAST SPONSOR]
Check out Reading Horizons! https://readinghorizons.com/justright/
Amanda Younts Info: Midlife Catalyst Website
Let's Stay Connected!
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27 min
July 06, 2025 #144: When You’re Coaching Someone Who Should Get It By Now
You know that teacher who should know better by now?
The one who should care more? Be further along?
Yeah… that “should” is telling on you.
In this episode, we’re talking about the quiet coaching killer: holding teachers to invisible expectations that keep you stuck. And we’re calling in a mindset shift that doesn’t lower the bar—but finally gives you a real shot at helping them meet it.
We’ll unpack the Expectation Continuum, drop a research-backed tool called mental contrasting, and ask the one question that can instantly shift your coaching approach.
Ready to stop coaching the fantasy and start moving the real needle? Hit play.
**The Resistance Remedy drops July 21.**
It’s the on-demand curriculum that gives you intentional tools to coach through resistance—no fluff, no guessing.
50% off during launch week only.
Save the date. Mark your calendar.
This is the clarity your coaching’s been missing.
CHECK OUT THE RESISTANCE REMEDY *HERE*!
[PODCAST SPONSOR]
Check out Reading Horizons! https://readinghorizons.com/free
Let's Stay Connected!
Website | Instagram | Twitter | Linkedin | Facebook | Contact Us
8 min
June 29, 2025#143: It’s Not Transformation If You're Just Getting Compliance
We toss around the term school transformation but often it’s just accountability with better branding. In this episode, I sit down with Matt Hickson from Modern Classrooms Project to talk about what real school transformation looks like—and why it has to be responsive, reflective, and rooted in collective efficacy, not top-down plans.
Matt breaks down the School Transformation Inventory—a tool built by leaders, for leaders—and shows how it helps schools move from scattered strategies to a shared instructional vision that actually works. We also talk about hiring practices, instructional clarity, and how to create systems that match the needs of your staff and students—not just the goals of your strategic plan.
Link to the inventory: https://www.modernclassrooms.org/toolkit/school-transformation
Join the Leadership Collaborative: https://www.modernclassrooms.org/leadership-collaborative
Ready to lead with more clarity and courage?
Grab our new ebook. It’s packed with practical tools to help you lead authentically—not impulsively.
👉https://www.thewholeeducator.com/catalyst-mindset-ebook
[PODCAST SPONSOR]
Check out Reading Horizons! https://readinghorizons.com/lp/small-districts/
Let's Stay Connected!
Website | Instagram | Twitter | Linkedin | Facebook | Contact Us
30 min
June 22, 2025 #142: Understanding ≠ Agreement: The Listening Shift Every Coach Needs
You don’t have to agree to understand—and in coaching, confusing the two can shut down growth before it starts.
I break down the critical difference between understanding and agreement in coaching and leadership. Pulling from Carl Rogers’ research and real-life coaching moments, we show how validating concerns—without co-signing them—creates space for trust, reflection, and real change.
Because when people feel heard, they stop defending and start growing.
Tune in to learn how to listen with curiosity, not control.
Want to be a better listener? Start with what you're listening for.
Take the Catalyst Mindsets™ Quiz to uncover the mindset gaps that might be blocking progress in your coaching conversations.
👉 Take the quiz now: https://bit.ly/catalystmindsetquiz
*Mark your calendars! On July 21, the Resistance Remedy On Demand curriculum will go ON SALE!
[PODCAST SPONSOR]
Check out Reading Horizons! https://readinghorizons.com/lp/small-districts/
Let's Stay Connected!
Website | Instagram | Twitter | Linkedin | Facebook | Contact Us
7 min
June 15, 2025 #141: Time Management Without the Guilt
Sick of feeling like your to-do list is your boss? In this episode, I team up with Barbara Boselli of bnow™ Consulting to break down time management in a way that actually respects your humanity—not just your calendar.
We tackle the three biggest saboteurs of productivity: people-pleasing, task-switching, and fuzzy priorities. Barbara shares her PRO Framework—Prioritize, Respect, Optimize—and shows you how to say “no” (without spiraling into guilt), align your actions with your real commitments, and stop letting multitasking run the show.
Because being “busy” isn’t the goal. Being intentional is.
👉 Catalyst Mindsets™ Quiz: https://bit.ly/catalystmindsetquiz
[PODCAST SPONSOR]
Check out Reading Horizons! https://readinghorizons.com/lp/small-districts/
Let's Stay Connected!
Website | Instagram | Twitter | Linkedin | Facebook | Contact Us
22 min
June 08, 2025 #140: Authenticity vs. Self-Indulgence: What’s Driving Your Leadership?
We love to say “be your authentic self”—but what if what we’re calling authenticity is actually just self-indulgence in disguise?
In this episode, I break down the real difference between authenticity and self-indulgence in education. Drawing on the work of Dr. Drago-Severson, Dr. Blum-DeStefano, and Brené Brown, I show a distinction of how true authenticity is rooted in self-awareness, integrity, and accountability—not just doing what feels good.
Because real leaders don’t just show up as themselves—they show up for others, too.
Tune in to learn what’s really behind your leadership choices—and how to shift toward authenticity with impact.
Ready to lead with more clarity and courage?
Grab our new ebook. It’s packed with practical tools to help you lead authentically—not impulsively.
👉https://www.thewholeeducator.com/catalyst-mindset-ebook
Let's Stay Connected!
Website | Instagram | Twitter | Linkedin | Facebook | Contact Us
5 min
June 01, 2025 #139: High Agency Coaching: Helping Educators Take Action
What if the real barrier to change isn’t resistance—it’s how we navigate the system? In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Nathan Lang-Raad to unpack high agency coaching—a powerful approach that helps educators take action, even when the system says “not yet.”
You’ll hear how coaches can model high agency, drive micro-innovations, and build coalitions that stretch across roles and levels. Nathan shares bold strategies for shifting from deficit to asset-based mindsets, aligning values, and mapping influence so you’re not just reacting to resistance—you’re proactively addressing the underlying roots of it.
Because coaching isn’t just about helping teachers—it's about moving systems.
**Sign up for our newsletter HERE to get EARLY BIRD PRICING on our brand new on-demand curriculum: The Resistance Remedy

Dr. Nathan Lang-Raad's Info:
Website: https://drlangraad.com
Check out his books: https://drlangraad.com/books
Let's Stay Connected!
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26 min
May 25, 2025 #138: The Readiness Gap: What the Research Says About Why Good Ideas Still Fail
Change doesn’t fail because people are stubborn. It fails because leaders bet on urgency instead of readiness.
Organizational change only sticks when people believe it’s worth it and believe they can pull it off.
That’s the core of Weiner’s theory on change commitment (Value Mindset) and change efficacy (Success Mindset)—and without both, even a great idea will crash and burn.
In this episode, I break down how to assess readiness and share a real story of what happens when you fix the belief gap before pushing forward.
If you're throwing strategies at resistance and hoping something sticks—stop. Then head to The Whole Educator for mindset-driven tools that don’t waste your time (or theirs).

The Research: A theory of organizational readiness for change
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10 min

About Coaching the Whole Educator

From the publisher's feed

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…