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Becca Silver and Chris Jones have teamed up to co-host episodes to just talk all things coaching and leading. Available on all major podcast platforms: Coaching the Whole Educator, these episodes are intended to be a resource and background noise if you need it :).
In this episode, Becca Silver and Dr. Chris Jones shake up the coaching conversation by tackling a common trap: over-reliance on protocols. While structure and frameworks can be helpful, they break down why rigid scripts won’t make you a great coach—and might even hold you back.
Chris and Becca debate:
The Pros & Cons of Protocols – When they’re useful and when they become a crutch.
Coaching Beyond the Checklist – Why developing deep skills in listening and questioning matters more than following a script.
The Complexity of Coaching – Coaching isn’t about running a formula—it’s about adapting to real humans.
Intentional Conversations – The key to powerful coaching isn’t in a protocol, it’s in knowing where you're headed and how to guide the conversation there.
If you’ve ever wondered whether you’re relying too much on protocols—or if you need a better way to guide coaching conversations—this episode will challenge your thinking in the best way. Tune in for real talk, real laughs, and real coaching wisdom.
Want to request a topic for Becca and Chris to discuss? Share it HERE!
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Becca and Dr. Chris Jones co-host another episode where they discuss the challenges that come when instructional coaches and school leaders are "naturally giftd" in certain areas. Here are the highlights:
The Ladder of Conscious Competence
Four stages: Conscious/Unconscious Competence & Incompetence.
This can explain why there’s a lack of knowledge transfer at your school
Why having unconscious competence makes skills hard to teach.
The Peter Principle in Education
People are promoted beyond their skillset (shifting from teaching children to teaching adults).
Success in one role doesn’t guarantee success in another.
Effective leadership requires a balance of three key skill sets: technical, conceptual, and human
Coaching Missteps to Avoid
Avoid coaching people to mimic your personality or style (Focus on enhancing the coachee’s unique strengths.)
Avoid sharing personal success stories excessively ("When I was a teacher, I...").
Ignoring the critical need for developing adult-learning skills.
Download the Ladder of Conscious Competence here.
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#116: IS GROWTH MINDSET ACTUALLY GOOD?
This is the very first episode Dr. Chris Jones (Executive Director of VASCD) and Becca are co-hosting informal, unplanned conversations where they share their experiences and, sometimes differing, opinions and challenge each other about all things instructional leadership and coaching. These co-hosted episodes aim to disrupt the idea that there’s one right way to do things in education and support best practices from many different points of view.
Here are the topics covered:
Disrupting the norm
The need for multiple mindsets
Whether growth/fixed mindsets are good and bad (or simply neutral)
The role of beliefs and actions (which come first?)
Using mindsets as a diagnostic tool
Creating common ground in coaching
The most important skills in coaching
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