Coaching Done Well x Coaching Unpacked

Shane Leaning, Jim Thompson, Adam Kohlbeck, Sarah Cottinghatt, Chris Passey
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In Coaching Unpacked, you will  hear coaching conversations dissected by Adam Kohlbeck, Sarah Cottinghatt, and Chris Passey. Use each episode to: - Improve your coaching - Train your coaches  - Listen just for fun! In Coaching Done Well, join Jim Thompson and Shane Leaning as they talk all things teacher development and coaching in education. With some of the biggest names in coaching education as guests, our chatty show gives you everything you need to improve your coaching practice. We are a proud member of the Education Leaders podcast network. For more great education shows, head to educationleaders.co/network

  1. Sep 10

    Explicit Instruction Done Well | Gene Tavernetti

    The conversation with Gene Tavernetti covers the importance of instructional skills, explicit instruction, the FAST framework, cognitive load, challenges faced by coaches, balancing human and hardware in education, resistance to coaching, the role of instructional coaches, and the importance of district support for coaching. The hosts also discuss the launch of the Education Leaders podcast network. Takeaways Explicit instruction is foundational and essential for effective teaching.Coaching programs require district support and a focus on improving instructional skills. Chapters 00:00 Introduction and Welcome04:07 Overview of Gene's Background05:52 Importance of Instructional Skills06:54 Explicit Instruction and Fluency10:24 The FAST Framework and Cognitive Load16:23 Challenges Faced by Coaches22:24 Balancing Human and Hardware in Education24:16 Resistance to Coaching and Professional Development27:11 The Role of Instructional Coaches31:15 The Importance of District Support for Coaching33:01 Closing Remarks and Podcast Network Launch

    Explicit Instruction Done Well | Gene Tavernetti

  2. Aug 25

    AI can never replace coaches

    The episode kicks off with a warm welcome and a glimpse into the hosts' current locations. They discuss the start of a new season, the changing seasons, and the impact of climate change. The conversation then delves into the origins of the show's name, inspired by a story about a neurosurgeon seeking coaching for tennis and applying the same principles to his medical practice. The hosts express skepticism about the idea of AI coaching and emphasize the importance of human connection and the messy, human element of coaching. They also announce the expansion of the Education Leaders Podcast Network and tease upcoming guests and topics for future episodes. Takeaways Human connection and the messy, human element of coaching are essential and cannot be replaced by AI.The Education Leaders Podcast Network is expanding, offering a variety of podcasts on leadership, coaching, teaching strategies, and current affairs in education. Chapters 00:00 Season 4 Kickoff and Changing Seasons04:44 The Origins of Coaching Done Well08:26 The Perils of AI Coaching19:01 The Importance of Human Connection in Coaching42:33 Expansion of the Education Leaders Podcast Network

    AI can never replace coaches

  3. Jun 18

    What Do You Now Believe to Be True? Coaching for Adaptive Expertise

    We're ending Season 3 with a room full of people we've wanted on the show for ages. Sarah Cottinghatt, Haili Hughes and Adam Kohlbeck join Shane and Jim to talk about their new book, Coaching for Adaptive Expertise: Developing Teachers Who Make Better Decisions, and the conversation goes exactly where we'd hoped. We open with a question Jim borrowed from Michael Bungay Stanier: what do you now believe to be true? From there the three of them make a case that's been building over years of practice. Coaching done well isn't about polishing teacher behaviours or checking whether a technique showed up in a lesson. It's about developing teacher judgment. Haili calls out the hollowed out version of coaching that looks busy and measurable but leaves a teacher's thinking untouched. Sarah unpacks why decision making sits at the centre of professionalism. And Adam gives us three things he now holds to be true: purpose, honouring expertise, and agency. We dig into mental models and why two teachers can watch the same classroom moment and notice completely different things. We sit with the hardest part of any coaching conversation, the moment it turns to what didn't go well, and Sarah and Adam reframe it beautifully as building a shared version of reality rather than delivering a verdict. And Haili closes the trailer round with a Jaws homage you'll want to hear twice. If you've ever carried a bit of feedback trauma from early in your career, this one's for you. So is the bigger argument running underneath it all: stop dumbing things down for teachers. Aim for clarity over the complexity instead. A huge thank you to Sarah, Haili and Adam, and to everyone who joined us live. What a way to close the season. Connect with our guests Sarah Cottinghatt: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarah-cottinghatt-08a80533 Haili Hughes: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-haili-hughes-178479186 Adam Kohlbeck: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adam-kohlbeck-fcct-b31786102 Get the book Coaching for Adaptive Expertise: Developing Teachers Who Make Better Decisions (Routledge): https://www.routledge.com/Coaching-for-Adaptive-Expertise-Developing-Teachers-Who-Make-Better-Decisions/Cottinghatt-Hughes-Kohlbeck/p/book/9781032739793

    What Do You Now Believe to Be True? Coaching for Adaptive Expertise

  4. May 21

    Coaching, positive psychology & Dean Clayden

    The conversation delved into the world of coaching, leadership, and creating a safe space for vulnerability. Dean Clayden shared insights on coaching, positive psychology, and the impact of male teachers on underachieving boys. The discussion also explored the idea of coaching stance, creating safety in conversations, coaching for change, and connecting vulnerability with trust. Takeaways Coaching and leadershipCreating a safe space for vulnerability Chapters 00:00 Introduction and Weather Chit-Chat10:01 Impact of Male Teachers on Underachieving Boys17:56 Coaching Stance and its Interweaving with Positive Psychology28:02 Coaching for Change and Shared Craft Knowledge32:57 Connecting Vulnerability with Trust

    Coaching, positive psychology & Dean Clayden

  5. May 15

    Coaching for awareness | Dr Kim Richardson & Dr Daryl Michel

    The conversation begins with an introduction and casual weather chit-chat, followed by the introduction of guests Kim and Daryl. The discussion then delves into beliefs about coaching done well, followed by a conversation about blog posts and dead birds. Daryl shares highlights from his chapter on student-focused coaching, and the conversation concludes with reflections on the stories shared and the overall conversation. Takeaways Coaching is a human-centered and continuous learning process.Leadership is a primary enabler for effective coaching, and coaching is not a uniform treatment.Coaching is about creating awareness and supporting the human aspect of the work. Chapters 00:00 Introduction and Weather Chit-Chat08:01 Beliefs About Coaching Done Well13:01 Discussion on Blog Posts and Dead Birds20:25 Reflections on the Conversation and Stories Shared

    Coaching for awareness | Dr Kim Richardson & Dr Daryl Michel

  6. Apr 23

    The Power of Storytelling

    The conversation with Orla Dempsey covers topics such as coaching, interview preparation, storytelling, and the use of AI in coaching. Orla shares insights on her coaching approach, the importance of storytelling, and the potential risks of AI in coaching. Takeaways Coaching Done WellThe Power of Storytelling Chapters 00:00 Introduction and Setting the Scene07:24 Coaching and Interview Preparation30:31 The Role of AI in Coaching

    The Power of Storytelling

  7. Apr 10

    It's Not About You. It's About Them.

    Steve Barkley and Bill Sommers are back on Coaching Done Well. A year after their first conversation with Shane Leaning and Jim Thompson, two of the most experienced voices in instructional coaching and educational leadership return for a LinkedIn Live episode that goes deep on what actually makes coaching work in schools. Steve breaks down his coaching continuum, running from open-ended coaching questions through scaffolding to explicit, supervisory feedback. His take is clear: start open. You can always add scaffold. Taking it away once it's in place is much harder. He also makes the case for replacing feedback with feed forward, arguing that the only reason a coach is in a classroom today is because they're interested in tomorrow. Bill introduces his concept of "arc builders" and asks a pointed question: if it's raining in education right now, who is actually building? He names his own arc builders, including Art Costa, John Saphier, Marshall Goldsmith, and Richard Sheridan, and pushes coaches and school leaders to think about who they surround themselves with and whether those people give energy or drain it. Both guests keep coming back to the same principle: effective coaching is driven by the coachee, not the coach. Steve references Michael Bungay Stanier's phrase "caring enough not to care" as shorthand for what this looks like in practice. Bill connects it to Marshall Goldsmith's stakeholder centred coaching and the feed forward process. The conversation also covers putting staff first so they can put students first, why stories matter more than policy binders, hope as a real strategy for school improvement, and how leaders create the conditions for a learning culture where coaching can actually land. Whether you're an instructional coach, school leader, head of school, or anyone working in teacher development and professional learning, this episode is packed with practical wisdom from two people who've spent decades in the work. Timestamps: 00:00 - Welcome and introductions 03:07 - Steve and Bill reintroduce themselves 04:10 - Steve on coaching driven by the coachee 08:46 - What do you now believe to be true about coaching done well? 10:50 - The modelling approach: watch the kids first, not the coach 12:13 - Michael Bungay Stanier: caring enough not to care 12:43 - Steve on the feedback continuum: from telling to thinking 16:44 - The scaffolding continuum: open, scaffolded, and explicit 22:06 - Bill on arc builders and feed forward 27:10 - Shane reflects: coaching as forward-looking and invitational 30:23 - Audience Q&A: standardisation vs personalisation 32:37 - Steve: personalisation in coaching means the coachee drives it 34:36 - Putting staff first so they can put students first 38:05 - Five years from now: hope, stories, and mattering 43:55 - Closing reflections People and resources mentioned: Steve Barkley - barkleypd.com | Bill Sommers - learningomnivores.com | Michael Bungay Stanier | Marshall Goldsmith - What Got You Here Won't Get You There | Art Costa & Bena Kallick - Habits of Mind | John Saphier - High Expectations Teaching | Amy Edmondson - The Right Kind of Wrong | Richard Sheridan - Joy, Inc. and Chief Joy Officer | Zach Muriel - The Power of Mattering | Tom Schimmer - The Agile Classroom | Dan Meyer | Peter Drucker | Peter Block | Parker Palmer | Edgar Schein | Andy Hargreaves | Johnny Uttley & John Thomson - Putting Staff First | Shannon Moran - Evocative Coaching | Heath Brothers - The Power of Moments | Jim Knight | Kate Murphy - Why We Click

    It's Not About You. It's About Them.

  8. Apr 3

    Jim gets coached by Shane

    The conversation begins with a warm welcome and expressions of gratitude, setting the tone for a reflective and insightful discussion on coaching. The hosts share their experiences, reflect on coaching progress, and discuss strategies for coaching conversations. They emphasize the importance of building relationships, trust, and the impact of reflection on future intentions. The episode concludes with a call to action and a teaser for future guests. Takeaways Gratitude and warmth set the tone for reflective coaching discussions.Reflection on coaching progress is essential for identifying goals and strategies.Building relationships and trust are crucial for effective coaching conversations. Chapters 00:00 Welcoming and Gratitude10:00 Preparing for a Coaching Conversation17:08 Reflecting on Coaching Progress25:39 Impact of Reflection on Future Intentions31:56 Closing Reflection and Gratitude

    Jim gets coached by Shane
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About

In Coaching Unpacked, you will  hear coaching conversations dissected by Adam Kohlbeck, Sarah Cottinghatt, and Chris Passey. Use each episode to: - Improve your coaching - Train your coaches  - Listen just for fun! In Coaching Done Well, join Jim Thompson and Shane Leaning as they talk all things teacher development and coaching in education. With some of the biggest names in coaching education as guests, our chatty show gives you everything you need to improve your coaching practice. We are a proud member of the Education Leaders podcast network. For more great education shows, head to educationleaders.co/network

Information

  • Creator
    Shane Leaning, Jim Thompson, Adam Kohlbeck, Sarah Cottinghatt, Chris Passey
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    16
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Shane Leaning, Jim Thompson, Adam Kohlbeck, Sarah Cottinghatt, Chris Passey