“Ooh, Steph, you haven’t got a moment, have you?”
I glanced up to see Charlotte’s smiling face at my door… again.
“Sure,” I said, “What’s up?”
“Oh, it’s just Nathan’s parents. They want to meet with me about his behaviour, but I don’t know what to say.”
Rolling back my chair, I beckoned her over to the comfy seats and, as she pulled out her notebook, began giving her my advice.
Now, if this were an episode of Britain’s Got Talent, Simon would have slammed his hand down on his buzzer, a large red X would have appeared above me, and Ant and Dec would be grimacing at the camera, shaking their heads and beckoning me off stage.
Why?
Well, frankly, it would be due to my sub-par leadership performance. Perhaps you can see the mistake I made… or perhaps you’re wondering why I wouldn’t have instantly been put through via the golden buzzer.
Either way, there’s much to consider.
As a school leader, you constantly seek ways to support and inspire your teaching team. Quite often, that can mean shelling out advice with the ‘If I were you, I’d do this…” approach.
But this is rarely helpful. Indeed, by doing so, we create teachers and support staff who can’t - or won’t - problem-solve. They seldom use initiative and don’t feel empowered to think for themselves. It’s a combination as effective as if Stavros Flatley took part in the real Lord of the Dance.
You’ve got a team that’s:
- Unable to grow and become better teachers and future leaders
- Always asking you to solve myriad problems
Not great for them and most definitely not great for you.
What’s the solution, then?
In-the-moment coaching
One powerful tool often overlooked is in-the-moment coaching, which can transform everyday interactions into opportunities for growth and motivation. It’s a spontaneous, brief intervention that addresses immediate needs or challenges.
Unlike scheduled coaching sessions, these interactions occur naturally throughout the school day, providing timely support when it's most needed.
To effectively use in-the-moment coaching, you need to look out for those in your team who are in need of a quick boost. Maybe you notice:
- Visible frustration or stress
- Hesitation before a challenging task - just like Charlotte
- A dip in enthusiasm or energy
All of these things will peak and trough throughout the term - and the better you know your people, the more you’ll recognise individual signs and symptoms.
But how do you actually do it? If you’ve not had any coaching experience, you might be hesitant to know what to do. Here are three key components to include in any conversation:
- Active listening: Give your full attention to understand the underlying issues.
- Ask open-ended questions to promote reflection and problem-solving.
- Clarify and repeat back to them the solution they’ve come up with
Creating an environment and culture where your team feel comfortable seeking advice is imperative. Be approachable and encourage open communication - model this with other leaders, too. Trust is crucial for effective in-the-moment coaching.
So, what would in-the-moment coaching have looked like in Charlotte’s case?
It’s common to want to impart wisdom and knowledge - especially when someone on the team is worried or anxious. However, while this helps in the short term, it develops a dependency on leaders in the long term. If I had my time with Charlotte again, I would have hoped to:
- Listen to the issue with Nathan’s behaviour - what’s been going on recently that’s prompted the parents to get in touch. What has Charlotte noticed? Has she spoken to Nathan - what’s his take?
- Ask questions that are solution-focused, e.g. What’s worked before? What’s been going well for Nathan? Are there any patterns you’re noticing? How could you feed that back to his parents? What could your suggestions be for them? How could you involve them - and Nathan - in the process?
- Once a solution/strategy has been created, ask Charlotte to run it through with me and then repeat it back to her - ideally in her own words - to clarify.
She leaves feeling confident that she can find the answers, and I feel happy that I’m not having to ‘fight fires’ all the time. Of course, there will always be times when straightforward advice is needed, but it’s looking for opportunities where you can adopt a coaching approach rather than a consulting one.
Overcoming common challenges
Time constraints are a significant hurdle in busy school environments. With this in mind, try integrating coaching into your daily routines. Use transition times, such as walking between classrooms or over a cuppa at the end of the day, for quick coaching conversations.
We can also search for immediate signs of success - and, of course, these can happen, such as increased confidence or problem-solving. But it’s the long-term benefits we’re really looking for! Stuff like improved morale, better teacher retention, and greater collaboration between the team.
Continuous improvement is key. Reflect on your coaching interactions and seek feedback from your people. Learn more about coaching and keep practising - you’ll find you can do it more naturally as time passes.
And as you implement more ‘in-the-moment’ coaching strategies, you'll not only see improvements in individual performance but also witness a positive shift in your school's overall culture.
And that’s the kind of improvement we really like.
If you’d like to learn more about how we can help you improve your coaching skills - including using our ‘Big Chats, Little Chats’ strategy - take a look at our leadership workshop or contact us for a bespoke approach. Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. You are also invited to our FREE workshop - ‘Back to the Grind’ - to help you motivate your team throughout the autumn term and beyond.
Steph Caswell started out life as a primary school teacher, reaching the dizzy heights of deputy headship before turning her hand to writing. She’s the author of six books, and when not writing witty, opinionated content for Happy-Centred Schools, she supports other aspiring authors to write theirs.
