Opening the Door to Coaching Conversations

Consulting Description Linda Gross Cheliotes has over 38 years of successful educational experience, including fourteen years as a school administrator. As principal, she transformed her underperforming school to a National Blue Ribbon School of Excellence. She was named a National Distinguished Principal in 2002 and holds a doctorate in Organizational Leadership. For the past two years, Dr. Gross has been a coach and trainer with Coaching for Results, Inc, a national consortium of school leadership coaches. She is a founding member and coach for NAESP's principal mentor certification program. Dr. Gross currently works with the New York City Council of School Administrators' Educational Leadership Institute, providing professional development for assistant principals who aspire to become principals. She has presented numerous professional development programs at the national, state, and local levels. Dr. Gross is a member of the International Coach Federation and the National Association of Elementary School Principals. Consulting Description Marceta Reilly, PhD, has 42 years of experience in education, moving from teacher to principal to school superintendent in Kansas. Her vision and passion were to create schools that were welcoming to students and families, and centers of learning and success for the entire community. Dr. Reilly is now a leadership coach and has the Professional Certified Coach (PCC) credential from the International Coach Federation. She is a founding member of Coaching for Results, Inc., and dedicated to partnering with school leaders who are doing transformational work. She uses coaching conversations to help her clients gain insight and confidence, and she helps build their capacity to be extraordinary leaders, based on their individual, innate strengths. Dr. Reilly regularly conducts workshops about coaching conversations. She is a frequent speaker at state and national conferences, and has been invited to present these ideas to audiences in China (2007) and India (2009). Learn more at http://marcetareilly.com/leadership-that-inspires.

Foreword Acknowledgments About the Authors Preface Matrix of Stories 1. What is a Coaching Conversation? Coach Leader Man-Feeding the Hunger! by Vicky Dearing 2. Discovering and Using Your Core Values From Terminator to Hope Builder by Marceta Reilly A Yearning for More by Karen Anderson Courage at the Core by Riva Korashan Leading With Your Core Values by Dave Winans 3. Building Trust and Community Better Late Than Never by Linda Gross Cheliotes Language Matters by Karen Anderson The Safest Haven by Dave Winans From Parent Intrusion to Parent Involvement by Diana Williams 4. Holding Up High Expectations for All Finding Your Leadership Voice by Marceta Reilly Being Contagious Makes You Better by Karen Anderson Turning Around a Failing School by Sandee Crowther 5. Changing How We Change I Want To...But by Linda Gross Cheliotes The Crucial "Aha" Moment by Gina Marx Changing a Relationship Through Language by Kathy Kee Acting out My Future-Life is Just a Performance by Joan Hearne 6. Getting Genuine Buy-In: Framing Expectations to Support Change Reflected Glory by Sue Kidd Scoring With the Music Teacher by Kathy Kee It's In the Details by Bob Carter Change Happens One By One by Joan Hearne 7. Engaging in Difficult Conversations Moving Staff Up or Out by Marceta Reilly Reflection: A Closer Look by Joan Hearne A Marginal Teacher Spurs the Evolution of a Coach Leader by Gina Marx Facing Our Dragons by Kathy Kee 8. Changing Blamers Into Believers Softening Discipline At the Edges by Marceta Reilly Caught In the Middle by Reba Schumacher Nobody At This School Gets Me! by Frances Shuster 9. Everyone is Accountable Monkey Collector by Linda Gross Cheliotes Whose Problem-Whose Solution? by Sandee Crowther Just Call Me Mom by Linda Gross Cheliotes Middle School Under Attack by Edna Harris 10. Balancing Personal and Professional Commitments Sitting on a Seesaw by Linda Gross Cheliotes The 180 Degree Turnaround by Linda Gross Cheliotes Reframing Balance by Riva Korashan Running In Circles by Marceta Reilly 11. Navigating Successful Life Transitions Rewiring by Linda Gross Cheliotes I Feel Like a Failure by Dayna Richardson Investing In the Next Steps by Joan Hearne 12. Summary Appendix References Index

If you are looking for straight talk about real educational conversations that matter ...without the sugar coating and jargon that many educational books contain...pick this one up. It is the real deal; it will make a difference in your mentoring and coaching practice! -- Bonnie Tryon, Past President Where was a book like this when I first became a school principal? If I had read a book like this while I was a new principal, I know for certain that I would not have had so many difficult challenges during my first year. This book will be extremely beneficial for all those aspiring to be school leaders and those who are currently serving in a school leadership role. I loved the book and would definitely recommend it to any leadership training academy. -- Patricia Bowman, Academic Coordinator Opening the Door to Coaching Conversations is beneficial and has some strong recommendations for school leaders to effect change and school improvement. Much has been written on the need to build relationships in the school setting. Coaching staff to excellence is a concept that many leaders can utilize to become more effective leaders. -- Rosemarie Young, Principal Opening the Door to Coaching Conversations represents a collection of leadership behaviors, stories, conversations, and practices from which one can select to reflect on his or her own unique interests. It expands confidence and capacity to support change through coaching. -- Mark Turner, Adjunct Professor, Educational Consultant, & Mentor Coach Coaching is one of the most promising practices in the reformation of our educational practices. This book explains and exemplifies the essential elements of effective coaching, and brings them to life through a variety of stories that will resonate in some way with every reader. This book is a gift to the field change process in which we are all engaged. -- Lynn Macan, Superintendent Opening the Door to Coaching Conversations is a book that will not collect dust on the shelf. It is written in a manner that can be used either as a book to read cover to cover or as a quick reference guide to help plan how to deal with unique situations. The book is an easy read, yet very useful for busy school leaders. -- Sean Beggin, Assistant Principal "The focus on coach leadership principles as they play out in real-world situations makes for a powerful guide highly recommended for any education collection interested in coaching team teaching." -- Midwest Book Review, October 2012 "An indispensable practical coach-leader's guide into how to transform a simple conversation into an intentional and productive dialogue in which the coach-leader engages their staff to take action and achieve the desired results." -- The International Journal of Mentoring and Coaching