Coaching Conversations

Though specifically targeted to school leaders, other leaders may also benefit from reading Coaching Conversations by Linda M. Gross Cheliotes and Marcia F. Reilly. The book provides basic instruction on how school leaders may facilitate the development and learning of teachers and students through formal and informal coaching conversations. Some of the skills the authors address include listening, asking powerful questions, and providing helpful feedback. Examples to illustrate the application of the skills are provided throughout the book. Appendices list sample questions that can be used in coaching conversations. The writing of the authors is precise, perhaps too much so. Cheliotes and Reilly provide basic explanations but a more detailed treatment might prove more instructive. While the book’s intended audience is school leaders, others inside and outside school settings may find this book useful. Anyone with responsibility for facilitating learning and skill development in others could benefit from the recommendations the authors put forth.