Core coaching tools and skills

Core coaching tools and skills

Module 2

Review this presentation and answer any quick-check questions along the way! Click the > arrow to navigate to the next slide.

Welcome!

In Module 1, you explored the mindset and beliefs behind academic coaching. Now, you'll begin building the practical coaching tools and frameworks that help turn reflective conversations into meaningful student growth.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this module, you will be able to:

• Use open-ended questions
• Demonstrate full listening and curiosity
• Practice managing self
• Recognize and use the Non-Cognitive Coaching Model (NCCM), Solutions-Focused Coaching, and the GROW Model to guide coaching conversations

Tool 1: Asking open-ended Questions

Asking open-ended Questions

Open-ended questions invite students to think more deeply, explore possibilities, and share insight. Features:

• Cannot be answered with "yes" or "no"
• Encourage exploration and reflection
• Empower students to lead the conversation

They usually begin with:

• What
• How
• Tell me about...
• In what ways...

Info

Tone and delivery matter.

Open-ended questions that begin with "what" typically help shift the focus of the conversation to the student and are non-judgmental. Questions that begin with "why" can often sound judgemental even when we intend them otherwise. When these questions are truly open, the communicate to the student:

• I see you.
• I hear you.
• I care about what you say.
• I believe you.
• I believe in you.

Instructions: Drag and drop each question into the appropriate box.

Open

Closed

What's next?

Did you study for the exam?

Was the quiz challenging?

What did your time management system look like this week?

Are you feeling unmotivated?

Do you take notes duirng class?

What would you tell your best friend if they were facing the same situation?

Tell me about how you currently take notes and what happens when you review them.

What would an ideal picture of the situation look like?

How can you apply this to future situations?

Are you nervous about participating in class?

Tool 2: Listen Fully and Be Curious

To be truly listened to is a striking experience, partly because it is so rare.

Kimsey-House et al., 2018, p.37

Listening Fully

Listening fully means focusing on:

• the words
• the emotions
• the hesitation
• what is not be directly said

Listening fully includes using visual information.

• Ex: A student might come in tightly clutching their bag, and never putting it on the floor. What can this tell us?

Whiteboards

In some cases, it may be useful to use whiteboards instead of taking personal notes. This makes the coaching a collaborative practice. You can use whiteboards to capture a student's language or ideas, or you can suggest, "How about you write that down?"

Student Language

Listening fully involves paraphrasing what the students say into our own words. It can be useful to incorporate the student's language into the fabric of the conversation. Example: Student- "My main problem is procrastination." Coach- "I know what procrastination means to me, but what does that look like for you?"

Info

Info

Cultivating curiosity

Being Curious = being present, open, and supportive

When we are curious, we are there with the student, delving into their hopes, dreams, background, and context.

It is easy to slip into "robo-coaching," and use well-rehearsed advice and wisdom. For students, this experience can be disempowering.

Curiosity invites deeper understanding and builds rapport. In our roles, we work with many students, and it can be easy to think, "I've seen this before."

Quick-Check Questions

Tool 3: Managing Self

Managing Self

It can be hard to resist telling the student what to do, providing advice, and offering personal stories or examples. The key is to refrain. This doesn't mean that you can't do these things at all, but we want to put the student first. We must refrain from telling students what to do and allow students to fill in the gaps. Avoid:

• "Here's what I think you should do..."
• "Here's what I would do..."
• "Here's what you need to do..."

Info

Biases and lenses

When coaching, it’s important to be aware of the lens you bring into each conversation. A lens is the way you interpret and make sense of a situation based on your:

• past experiences
• interactions with other students
• personal beliefs and values

Your lens is shaped over time. For example:

• If you’ve worked with many students who procrastinate, you may assume a new student is also procrastinating
• If something worked for you as a student, you may expect it to work for others

Info

Common Coaching pitfalls to avoid

Asking leading questions ("Don't you think you should..."

Talking more than the student

Giving advice too early

Jumping to solutions

Goal: Practice awareness, slow down, and allow space for student thinking.

Putting it all together

Open-ended Questions

Invite exploration

Managing self

Keep the focus on the student

Listening Fully & Being Curious

Build trust and deepen insight

Reflection Question

References

Howlett, M. A., & Rademacher, K. (2023). Academic coaching: Coaching college students for success. Routledge.

Thank you

Navigate back to Canvas to continue this module.

This is an excerpt from Howlett & Rademacher's Academic Coaching: Coaching College Students for Success: "Sometimes I would utter a word or phrase, and it would catch [the coach,] Marc's attention. He would then grab a marker and write my words on the whiteboard. By the end of my rambling, he would point out these words and phrases...showing me I had the answer within myself. When I realized that, the meetings involved less of Marc writing...instead I grabbed the markers...as we navigated through my thoughts..."

Watch this video, then answer the quick-check questions on the next slide. Reference:TEDx Talks. (2022). Be Curious - Don’t Be Judgemental | Wes Becton | TEDxElmhurstUniversity. In YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=62bT_UVNopM ‌

Why These Tools Matter

Academic coaching is not about having the perfect answer.

It's about knowing how to:

• ask the right questions
• listen for meaning
• stay present
• guide reflection
• support action

These skills are the foundation of all coaching conversations.

While discussing preparations for an upcoming test, a student might say, "I should really start studying earlier." We might agree with their statement, and be eager to say something like, "That's great! When should you start studying?" But before jumping to that step, it's helpful to pause and explore. You could ask, "How would starting earlier help you?" It may be obvious, but it's useful for students to unpack their statements to enhance learning and deepen understanding.

Asking open-ended questions makes academic coaching a collaborative conversation.What makes a question open-ended:

• There are many potential answers.
• The coach is open to hearing a wide variety of answers.
• The question is asked without judgement
• The question is asked from a place of curiosity.

Remeber, that a key belief is "students are naturally creative, resourceful, and whole," open-ended questions bring the student into a greater position of power and agency.

Why This Matters in Coaching

Your lens can influence:

• how you interpret what a student says
• the questions you ask
• the solutions you lean toward

If you’re not aware of it, your lens can lead to:

• assumptions
• jumping to conclusions
• unintentionally limiting the student’s perspective

Strong coaches manage their lens. This means you notice your initial assumptions, stay curious instead of certain, and allow students to define their own experiences.