What if coaching wasn’t just for teachers? What if it was a way of thinking, of being, that shaped how we support everyone in our schools: students, teachers, and leaders alike?
As a strong believer that coaching is for everyone, I’ve been exploring how we can use asset-based coaching to shift common behaviors into more empowered ways of thinking: from Assurance to Agency, Toxic Talk to Transfer, and Deflection to Discovery. These shifts come to life in real conversations—with students, teachers, and school leaders—through asset-based coaching moves that help build a positive culture.
Coaching Students: From Assurance to Agency
How often, as a classroom teacher, have you spent countless hours answering student questions like: How long should it be? Is this correct? What do I do next? How many times have you watched a student sit passively, waiting for your approval before continuing? As a middle and high school instructional coach working across grades and disciplines, I’ve seen the widespread reliance on external affirmation, even after teachers explicitly empower students to work independently or collaborate with peers. Regardless, hands shoot into the air, signaling a deep need for reassurance.
So, how can we use asset-based coaching to shift from Assurance to Agency?
I see it as twofold:
Set boundaries and follow through. For example, allow only three questions before students begin a task. After that, create space for them to problem-solve, collaborate, and persevere.
Celebrate self-trust and reflection. Beyond verbal validation (“You’ve got this!”), offer opportunities for students to reflect on their process, individually or in groups. Try using “glows and grows” to name where they persisted and where they’ll stretch.
Coaching Move: Use clear boundaries and reflective routines to help students internalize a belief in their capacity, creating an asset-based culture in the classroom.
Coaching Teachers: From Toxic Talk to Transfer
Just as students benefit from reframing doubt, so do teachers. I vividly recall meeting with a highly accomplished teacher about a shift in her teaching assignment, from a world language course to a mother-tongue language course. She was exceptional in the classroom, yet when presented with the schedule change, she reacted with uncertainty, “I’m not qualified for that. I’ve only taught language learners, not native speakers.”
Where did this self-doubt come from?
Coaching Move: Start by listening for the root of the fear. In this case, her concern wasn’t about the subject matter, it was about identity and experience.
Then, I pivoted. I asked: What instructional strategies make you feel strongest as an educator? Where do you shine? That opened the door. Next came the key question: Which of those skills and strategies do you think are transferable to a native language class? The shift was immediate. She began to see how her deep expertise could be applied to this new context. She moved from hesitation to momentum, and later thrived in the role.
Coaching Move: Ask asset-framing questions that prompt teachers to transfer what works into new or unfamiliar settings.
Coaching Leaders: From Deflection to Discovery
School leaders often operate without day-to-day coaching support. Many lean on external mentors, regional cohorts, or professional learning networks like the Principal’s Training Center to find their coaching tribe. One consistent pattern I’ve noticed in coaching school leaders is this: When asked to name their strengths, they default to praising their teams. Of course, celebrating collective success is important, but it often masks a deeper challenge. Leaders frequently struggle to name their own strengths. Blind spots, humility, and the instinct to deflect can make self-recognition difficult.
So, how do we coach school leaders from Deflection to Discovery?
One strategy I use is the SOAR Analysis (Strengths, Opportunities, Aspirations, Results) with one important condition: they must focus only on their own contributions. It’s not easy. Most deflect right away, unsure of what to say. That’s where gentle nudging matters, "Remember when you shared how you led that cross-campus initiative? That’s a clear strength. Let’s name it."
Coaching Move: Use structured reflection asset-based tools like SOAR and redirect deflection by recalling specific leadership actions and impact.
Key Takeaways
When students, teachers, or leaders fall into unproductive thought patterns, we can coach them back to possibility. The goal isn’t to fix, it’s to see, to celebrate, and to shift from limiting habits to liberating ones:
At the Principal’s Training Center (PTC), I’ve had the privilege of facilitating these conversations through our Teacher Leadership Institute (TLI), especially in the Coaching and Supervising Your Team course. We create space for reflection, practice coaching moves, and build the habits that fuel strong, self-aware teams. Because when we coach from an asset-based stance, we don't just support others, we empower them to see what they’ve had within them all along. And that’s how a coaching culture begins: one strength, one shift, one conversation at a time.
Vickie Swann is a global educator, leadership builder, and advocate for equitable pathways in education. With experience as a Principal, director of teaching and learning, instructional coach, and science teacher across four continents, she has walked the path of those she now mentors and supports. She works alongside schools to dismantle barriers, cultivate inclusive leadership pipelines, and ensure that talent—not background—determines opportunity. Committed to moving beyond rhetoric into action, she champions learning for all, fosters meaningful change, and ensures leadership is both strategic and deeply humane. At the heart of her work is a core belief: education, at its best, drives equity, transformation, and lasting impact.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vickie-swann-/
