A single structured coaching conversation based on Elena Aguilar's Transformational Coaching approach. Focuses on the whole educator — beliefs, emotions, and dispositions — not just strategies. Use for 1:1 coaching or team reflection.
Opening: Set the Container
Create a calm, focused space. Begin with a grounding moment — a brief check-in, a breath, or a centering question. Ask: 'How are you arriving today — physically, emotionally, mentally?' This is the practice of 'setting the container' from Aguilar's framework.
Explore: Surface the Story
Invite the coachee to share what's present for them — a challenge, a success, or something they're sitting with. Listen without judgment. Use sentence starters: 'Tell me more about…' or 'What was that like for you?' Avoid jumping to advice or solutions. You're surfacing the story.
Investigate: Beliefs and Behaviors
Use Aguilar's 'Ladder of Inference' to explore the beliefs beneath the behavior. Ask: 'What do you believe about the students in that situation?' or 'What story are you telling yourself about why this happened?' Help the coachee see the connection between their beliefs and their actions.
Name the Emotions
Explicitly acknowledge emotions as data. Ask: 'What emotions have been present for you around this situation?' Use the 'zones of emotion' from Aguilar's work — noticing, naming, and unpacking emotions reduces their grip and opens space for change.
Shift: Identify a New Disposition or Practice
Invite a shift. Ask: 'Given what you now see, what would you like to do differently?' or 'What disposition — curiosity, trust, courage — would help you most right now?' The goal is not compliance with a strategy but a genuine internal shift in how the coachee sees themselves and the situation.
Commit: Action and Accountability
Close with one small, specific commitment. Ask: 'What is one thing you will do or notice before we meet again?' Write it down together. End with an affirmation of the coachee's strengths and capacity for growth.