Parents often don’t see themselves as educators or coaches to their own children or communities. And yet, that’s exactly what they are — or at least what they aim to be. Coaching is a set of strategies you can use when you want to help someone learn and grow. Our role as parents is to enable our children to make good decisions once they are on their own.
Elena Aguilar is a writer, leader, teacher, coach, and podcaster. She’s the author of seven highly-acclaimed books, including The Art of Coaching, Onward: Cultivating Emotional Resilience in Educators, and The PD Book: 7 Habits That Transform Professional Development. She’s also a frequent contributor to Edutopia, ASCD’s educational leadership, and EdWeek Teachers, as well as the founder and president of Bright Morning Consulting, which helps individuals and organizations create the conditions for transformation.
On today’s Brave Writer podcast, Elena shares with us the ways we can use coaching strategies to help raise independent, critical thinking children.
Show Notes
The importance of coaching through emotional development
Being able to talk about or process emotions does not require specific spaces or a certain degree. Human beings all have emotions, and we all need to be proficient at processing them and moving through them. As parents, it’s important that we acknowledge emotions — both those that we are feeling and those of our children — and offer space for reflection around what those emotions mean.
The difference between learning and skill building
Continuous learning is not about consuming information. Learning goes beyond acquiring new knowledge — it requires skillful implementation and regular reflection, evaluation, and course correction. It requires deliberate, ongoing practice.
When we are learning something new, there is a “knowing-doing gap” between our understanding of a concept and our ability to perform it. One way we can close that gap is by practicing, getting feedback, and paying attention to what that feedback says about your progress.
Elena’s practical tools and breadth of experience give us the courage to be parents who coach our children to lead effective lives, to enjoy their educations, and to be prepared for life beyond the family.
Resources
- Elena’s website: brightmorningteam.com
- Listen to Bright Morning Podcast
- Read: The Art of Coaching
- Read: Onward: Cultivating Emotional Resilience in Educators
- Read: The PD Book: 7 Habits That Transform Professional Development
- Growing Brave Writers: store.bravewriter.com/products/growing-brave-writers
- Online Classes: bravewriter.com/online-classes
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