Diane SweeneyAs a learning-focused organization, our goal is to support anyone who is interested in implementing Student-Centered Coaching with tools and resources that lead to increased student and teacher learning. Here we thought we’d share some of our favorites. To download any of the following links, click ‘USE TEMPLATE’ on the upper right hand corner. This …
Instructional coaching became widespread as a result of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), which was passed in 2002. For the first time, federal funding was allocated to coaching, therefore increasing coaching positions nationally. While NCLB itself was fairly light on prescribing how coaching should work, many coaches at the time were tasked by …
The Learning Pit is an educational model created by James Nottingham (2017) to help students visualize the learning process as a journey through a “pit” of struggle, confusion, and deep thinking. It reframes difficulty as a natural and necessary step toward mastery. The Stages of the Learning Pit The journey through the learning pit typically …
In coaching, silence can be a tool for transformation. Coaching expert Lucia Baldelli writes that effectively using silence means resisting the urge to jump in to encourage or challenge the thinking that is being shared. It provides space to process thoughts, connect ideas, and discover breakthroughs. I was lucky to read Baldelli’s blog on the …
On Tuesday, we wrapped up our annual workshop in Denver, CO! Hosting 130 participants from 28 school districts, state departments of education, and other organizations kept us on our toes. This time, participants were provided with the second edition of Student-Centered Coaching: The Moves, which anchored our learning. Here are some highlights from the two …
Adapted From: Student-Centered Coaching: The Moves (2nd edition) By Diane Sweeney and Leanna Harris We find that teachers often assume that the entry point for working with a coach is to identify a goal for themselves, or that coaching is about all of the things they should be doing in their classrooms. This typically surfaces …
Adapted from: The Essential Guide for Student-Centered Coaching By Diane Sweeney and Leanna Harris If the purpose for instructional coaching is improving student learning, then coaching has to be in-depth and sustained over time. It requires a coach and teacher (or team of teachers) to determine where the students are in their learning, design and …
Orignally published in July 2024. Updated in February 2026. Written by Diane Sweeney and Chris Cutrona (https://www.edsightful.com/) A persistent question in the world of instructional coaching centers on documentation of impact. We encounter many school districts that are rich in data, yet clarity around the impact of coaching can be harder to put a finger …