The case for coaching being a part of teaching has never been stronger, and today’s guest, Steve Barkley, is evidence of just how powerful it can be when these disciplines are brought together. Steve has served as an educational consultant to school districts, teacher organizations, state departments of education, colleges and universities, nationally and internationally for the past 40 years. He also has a renowned weekly blog called Steve Barkley Ponders Out Loud, which has become a great resource for teachers, administrators, and coaches globally. In today’s episode, Steve shares his unique introduction to coaching when he was a student-teacher. By being introduced to it in this way, Steve immediately saw the benefits in practice, and we talk about the value it brings to the schooling system. Steve offers some great insights on getting into a flow during the school year, what needs to be in place to ensure a sustainable culture of coaching, and why it is so important for administrators and teacher-trainers to lead by example when it comes to setting expectations around coaching.  

Key Points From This Episode:

• Steve’s insights into the power of coaching and the impact it has had on his life. 
• How coaching and mentorship can be built into the practice of teaching. 
• Steve shares an example of a school he worked with that had a great culture of mentoring. 
• The importance of schools fostering continual growth for the teachers. 
• A valuable question Steve likes to get administrators to ask teachers every year. 
• How schools can sustain high-quality professional growth. 
• What languishing means and how flow can be used to overcome this issue that teachers face. 
• The possibilities that come when we rethink the school year calendar. 
• How to be mindful around staff transitions, which are inevitable in schools. 
• Steve’s advice for how schools can sustain a culture of coaching.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Jonathan Mueller on LinkedIn  

Scott Lindner on LinkedIn

Jonathan Mueller on Twitter  

Scott Lindner on Twitter

Connected Learning Partnerships

Steve Barkley

Steve Barkley on Twitter

Steve Barkley Ponders Out Loud

Andy Hargreaves