Guidance for Structuring Strengths-Based Coaching

GUIDANCE FOR STRUCTURING

STRENGTHS-BASED COACHING

Having a strengths-based conversation with an educator requires a deep level of listening and

observing, and it centers around the goal of maximizing an educator’s strengths to further their own

instructional practice. It also helps the educator to be more conscious about what is working and

facilitates a conversation around improvement that is rooted in their talents and strengths.

When leaders have an intentional focus on fostering a positive environment, they can still drive

productive conversations about good teaching and learning. At NIET, we use strengths-based

conversations with educators to support student engagement and ownership of their learning – the

outcome of eective instruction. While there is no exact formula for strengths-based coaching, this

document provides some guidance on how to structure and explore strengths-based coaching with

an educator following a walkthrough or observation of their instruction.

Talk about what you saw in the classroom that was powerful and label eective instructional

practices. Provide as many examples as you can of how the teacher took speciﬁc steps to increase

student ownership and how you saw students respond and engage. Be as clear and exact as

possible. For example, talk about a speciﬁc moment, what the educator said, and what speciﬁc

students said or did in response.

As you share, teachers may want to focus on what they want to ﬁx or what is going wrong. Remind

them that doing something well does not happen by accident and that this is a conversation to

talk about strengths. Be sure to help the teacher trace the impact of his or her actions to student

actions, engagement, and ownership.

Share that understanding our strengths can help to not only strengthen a teacher’s own teaching

but can help us identify which strategies to try across the school, and that is important for helping

to improve student achievement more broadly.

Acknowledge something the teacher has been working on from previous coaching sessions (e.g.,

a speciﬁc instructional technique, an aspect of behavior management) and how you saw them

continuing to work on that skill or strategy in practice. Noting milestones and ways that teachers

are leveraging their strengths builds their conﬁdence in applying their strengths to improve.

IDENTIFY SPECIFIC EXAMPLES OF THEIR STRENGTHS IN ACTION

Are you an NIET partner? View examples of strengths-based coaching and

additional resources in EE PASS.

CELEBRATE PROGRESS

Ask the teacher to reﬂect on what is working. Some potential questions to talk through:

• What are you doing in your teaching that is having an impact on student learning? What

evidence are you noticing?

• How have you overcome challenges this year with your students?

• How did you get students to take ownership of their learning? (Cite a speciﬁc example;

e.g., How did you get students to ask higher-level questions about the text they were

reading?)

• How can you leverage the skill/strategy/ownership that you’ve taught students in your

next lesson or unit? How do you think they’ll respond?

• What have I said today that is powerful about your teaching? What have I said that is

going to impact the way you teach moving forward?

• If you were talking with another teacher who was struggling with an area where you are

strong (cite a speciﬁc example; e.g., setting high expectations), how would you coach

them on where to start?

• Would you be willing to talk about this in PLC or cluster meetings?

Acknowledge the challenges that the teacher may face, such as learning gaps or speciﬁc

student needs, and the evidence you saw that students are progressing despite those

challenges – thanks to the hard work of the educator. Particularly as we recover from the

pandemic, acknowledging and taking note of the obstacles that teachers and students

face is key to helping them feel seen and understood – and to identifying the support the

educator may need.

Based on what you heard, share what you see as

some next steps. Perhaps they could bring their

strength into a collaborative meeting with other

educators. You could discuss other areas of their

practice that could be enhanced by strengths.

Additionally, consider how and when you can

publicly acknowledge an educator’s strengths

with their peers or with students. That can help

to further cultivate a school and sta culture that

reﬂects the values you may want to reinforce.

ACKNOWLEDGE PERSEVERANCE AND RESILIENCE

REFLECT

LOOK AHEAD