Mā te kimi ka kite, mā te kite ka mōhio, mā te mōhio ka mārama”
Seek and discover. Discover and know. Know and become enlightened
Module Objectives:
- Articulate a clear understanding of coaching principles and their application within an educational leadership context.
- Develop and apply a range of effective coaching models and techniques to support the growth and development of individuals and teams.
- Cultivate strong coaching relationships built on trust, respect, and a focus on individual strengths and goals.
- Utilise powerful questioning and active listening skills to facilitate self-reflection and ownership of development.
- Provide constructive feedback and support accountability to enhance performance and foster a culture of continuous improvement.
As Deputy and Associate Principals, you are in a prime position to foster a coaching culture within your kura. This module will equip you with the knowledge and skills to lead through coaching, empowering your colleagues to reach their full potential.
Understanding the Coaching Approach:
Coaching in an educational setting goes beyond mentoring or directing. It is a collaborative process focused on:
- Empowering Ownership: Facilitating individuals to identify their own goals, solutions, and pathways for development.
- Focusing on Potential: Believing in the capacity of others to grow and achieve their best.
- Promoting Self-Reflection: Guiding individuals to critically examine their practice and identify areas for growth.
- Supporting Action and Accountability: Helping individuals translate insights into concrete actions and take responsibility for their progress.
- Building Capacity: Developing the skills and confidence of others to become more effective in their roles.
Key Coaching Skills and Models:
Effective coaching requires a specific skillset and often draws upon established models. Key elements include:
- Active Listening: Paying full attention, seeking to understand perspectives, and reflecting back what you hear.
- Powerful Questioning: Asking open-ended questions that encourage deep thinking and self-discovery.
- Goal Setting: Collaboratively establishing clear, specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART) goals.
- Providing Feedback: Offering constructive and timely feedback that is both supportive and challenging.
- Building Rapport and Trust: Creating a safe and supportive environment where individuals feel comfortable exploring their challenges and aspirations.
- Coaching Models: Familiarity with models like GROW (Goal, Reality, Options, Way Forward) or TGROW (Topic, Goal, Reality, Options, Way Forward) can provide a structured framework for coaching conversations.
Applying Coaching in Your Role:
As a Deputy Principal, you can integrate coaching into various aspects of your leadership:
- Supporting Teacher Development: Coaching teachers to enhance their pedagogical practices, classroom management, and leadership skills.
- Mentoring Emerging Leaders: Guiding and supporting staff members taking on new leadership responsibilities.
- Facilitating Team Growth: Coaching teams to improve collaboration, communication, and problem-solving.
- Having Difficult Conversations: Using a coaching approach to navigate challenging conversations in a way that fosters learning and growth.
- Promoting a Coaching Culture: Modelling coaching behaviours and encouraging others to adopt a coaching mindset.
Resources:
Introduction to Coaching in Education:
- Growth Coaching International – offers articles and resources on coaching in schools: https://growthcoaching.com.au/resources/
Developing Coaching Skills:
- Michael Bungay Stainer – Has written two excellent and easy to digest books if this is an area of interest for you. For now, have a look at his TED Talk, “How to Tame Your Advice Monster” https://www.ted.com/talks/michael_bungay_stanier_how_to_tame_your_advice_monster_feb_2025?language=en and this article (there are more if you are interested) on his Box of Crayons website – https://boxofcrayons.com/resources/how-to-be-coach-like-at-work/
- Explore the Instructional Coaching resources most relevant to you – https://www.instructionalcoaching.com/resources/
Task:
Practicing Coaching Questions:
Reflect on a recent interaction you had with a colleague where you could have used a coaching approach. Identify 2-3 powerful coaching questions you could have asked to encourage deeper reflection and ownership of the situation.
Post your chosen questions and a brief explanation of why you selected them and the potential outcomes you anticipated on the forum (150 words maximum).
Assessment:
- Completion of all readings.
- Participation in the online forum discussion.
- Reflective post on forum
3 Responses
Reflection of a coaching conversation with a Learning Leader who sought feedback from her team on her leadership skills.
2 powerful coaching questions used to encourage deeper reflection and ownership of the situation:
– What might be a tiny step you could take to move this forward? When will you do it?
I selected this question as the team noted that task timelines don’t always align with available release time for testing. This question pivots the LL from feeling restricted by structural limits to focusing on small, actionable steps she can control, such as opening a conversation about assessment schedules.
It establishes accountability and ensures discussions result in practical, immediate adjustments.
– Who else do you know who does this well?
I selected this question because the survey from the team suggested the LL could enhance her direct leadership style by focusing on a more empowering and collaborative tone. This solution-focused question prompts her to model her approach after other respected leaders.
It fosters self-reflection and builds team confidence and cohesion without her feeling critiqued.
During a coaching conversation with a team leader experiencing challenges with team culture, I intentionally used Solution-Focused Coaching (due to training) questions to build trust and promote reflection. The TL’s confidence had been seriously impacted at the end of 2025. Two questions that proved particularly impactful were: “How have you managed today, and what strengths did you draw from?” and “On a scale of 1–10, where would you say you are today?” These questions shifted the conversation from problems to strengths and possibilities, helping her identify personal resources and recognise her progress. My communication approach relied on active listening and empathy, creating a safe space for honest dialogue (I hope!). By focusing on strengths rather than deficits, I reinforced trust and demonstrated confidence in the leader’s capability. She definitely needed this, as she had been thinking that SLT wanted her to step down. This aligns with research highlighting the connection between relational trust, effective communication, and positive culture. The experience reinforced that thoughtful inquiry and attentive listening are powerful leadership tools for strengthening relationships and supporting growth.
Scenario: Working with a BT who has some difficult characters in her class that are causing her some issues. I’m trying to find the balance in supporting her and empowering her for the future. She will continue to have characters like these four boys in her classes during her career.
Post your chosen questions and a brief explanation of why you selected them and the potential outcomes you anticipated on the forum (150 words maximum).
When you think about the boys’ behaviour, what is the one specific element that is causing the most disruption or draining your energy the most?
If you could wave a magic wand, what would a successful Year 4 learning session look like for these boys? What is the first step toward that?
What support or resources do you need from me to help you try this out?
Brief Explanation:
I chose these questions to help lower my beginning teacher’s stress and overwhelm by shifting her focus toward small, actionable insights. By picking out the “one specific element” causing the most grief, we can cut through the noise and tackle one behaviour at a time instead of trying to fix the whole classroom dynamic at once. The “magic wand” question is great for helping her picture what success actually looks like, breaking it down into an easy first step that builds her own confidence. Lastly, asking what support she needs from me lets her know I’ve got her back as a supportive partner, without me jumping in and taking over. Ultimately, I want her to walk away feeling heard, grounded, and empowered with a clear, simple plan she can try out straight away.