The Bright Morning Podcast with Elena Aguilar
It’s possible for every coaching conversation to build connection and spark change, and Elena Aguilar will show you how. Elena Aguilar is one of education’s leading voices on coaching. Educators around the globe use her research-based coaching method to transform their organizations. Her company, Bright Morning, brings the ideas in her best-selling books to life by providing world-class professional development to mission-driven leaders. In The Bright Morning Podcast, Elena teaches you how to make every conversation count by demonstrating Transformational Coaching conversations. Every episode tackles a pressing coaching challenge. Resistance. Racism. Burnout. Overwhelm. Struggling new teachers. You’ll find it all here. If you’re ready to thrive in your work, listen in. New episodes drop every Monday. To learn more about Elena, go deeper into every episode, find the resources and tools she mentions, or join one of her workshops, check out https://brightmorningteam.com.
Episodes
286 episodes
Transformational Coaching Dispositions: Episode 237
Cultivating our way of being—how we show up—is the most important work we can do. In this episode, Elena shares the five Transformational Coaching dispositions that will change your conversations—and your life. Notable mom...
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15:15
How to Return to Presence: Episode 236
Not being present is a recipe for unproductive conversations and relationships. Unfortunately, it’s a hard state for most people to be in–especially in a world where much is designed to distract us! In this episode, Elena offers practical st...
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12:40
Expansive Listening in Action: Episode 235
Coaching the problem, not the person, is the number one trap that coaches fall into. In this episode, Elena demonstrates how you can use expansive listening to unlock possibilities and empower your client. Notable moments:...
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24:37
First 5 Minutes: “Who is a fictional character…” [Replay]
How can we bring some creativity and levity to our coaching conversations? What about helping our clients access their needs? Or connecting them to their power? A replay of our fan-favorite First 5 Minutes series. T...
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17:03
First 5 Minutes: “Tell me about a challenging moment…” [Replay]
How do you kindle a sense of power and agency in your coachee when they are feeling deflated or overwhelmed? A replay of our fan-favorite First 5 Minutes series. These short episodes will teach you how to incorporate one ...
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11:50
First 5 Minutes: “Tell me a story…” [Replay]
How can we instill our clients with confidence in their potential to learn and grow? A replay of our fan-favorite First 5 Minutes series. These short episodes will teach you how to incorporate one resilience-boosting quest...
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14:28
First 5 Minutes: “Tell Me About a Place…” [Replay]
A replay of our fan-favorite First 5 Minutes series. These short episodes will teach you how to incorporate one resilience-boosting question into your conversations to help your clients get through the spring slump. In add...
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15:37
Transformational Lesson Plan Feedback: Coaching Demonstration: Episode 234
What does it look like to incorporate Transformational Coaching into everyday instructional coaching practices? Get ready to see it in action. In this episode, Elena demonstrates how to transform lesson plan feedback from transactional to trans...
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27:23
Navigating Standardized Testing Woes: Coaching Conversation: Episode 233
Standardized testing season is upon us, and that means you’re likely to experience some big feelings in your schools and coaching conversations. In this episode, Elena demonstrates how you can skillfully coach a teacher to consider how they ...
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29:56
Instructional Coaching with Transformational Coaching Strategies: Coaching Demonstration: Episode 232
How do instructional coaching and Transformational Coaching work together? This is a question we hear a lot. In this episode, Elena demonstrates some of the many ways that Transformational Coaching compliments and enhances...
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39:39
Combat Overwhelm with a Focal Student: Episode 231
Working with a focal student is one coaching strategy that works just as well with clients who are completely overwhelmed as it does with those who are competent and confident in their role–and it’s pretty darn easy. Listen in to hear what y...
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10:01
Using Student Surveys to Build Trust and Close Gaps: Ep 230
Student surveys can help close knowledge gaps about students' backgrounds, close emotional intelligence gaps regarding the experience their students are having in their classroom, and build relational trust. If you have a client who isn’t co...
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13:13
Taking a Confrontational Stance: Coaching Demonstration: Episode 229
Change is why we coach. And it’s why working with a client who is stuck, resistant, or has hit a plateau can be so frustrating. In these moments, you need to be prepared to take a confrontational stance. That’s what Elena will show you how t...
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18:03
Assessing Trust In Your Coaching Relationships: Coaching Demonstration: Episode 228
There is no coaching without trust. But how do you know if your clients trust you? In today’s episode, Elena demonstrates how to do a trust check-in with your clients so you don’t have to guess or make assumptions. She als...
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21:05
Normalizing Struggles with the Conscious Competence Ladder: Coaching Demonstration: Episode 227
If you are coaching someone who is struggling to learn how to do something new, today’s episode is for you. When growing our skills, the stages of learning are completely predictable, but most people aren't aware of that, and as a result, th...
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21:40
How to Set Yourself Up For a Great Year [Repeat]
Resolutions don’t work for the overwhelming number of people, but we know what does! In this timely episode replay, Elena shares the simple, research-based, strategy she used to support her in making 2023 one of her best years yet. Listen in...
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20:50
Preparing for Break [Replay]
In this timely replay, Elena once again becomes the coach in your ear, providing some guidance for how you can think about winter break to ensure it serves you and your needs. Keep learning:
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12:58
The Final Coaching Conversation of the Calendar Year: Episode 226
The Peak End rule tells us that people's final experience has an outsized influence on how they remember something. This is great news for our coaching! In this episode, Elena demonstrates how to use the final conversation of the calendar ye...
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25:02
How to Know What Your Clients Think About Your Coaching: Episode 225
Soliciting feedback from your coaching clients has big benefits, including strengthening your practice, building trust, and modeling being a learner. And it can be scary! In this episode, Elena demonstrates how to confidently and clearly ask...
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17:23
Navigating Confidentiality in Coaching: Coaching Demonstration Episode 224
Elena addresses one of the most challenging aspects of coaching—navigating confidentiality within an organization. Through a role-play conversation with a school administrator, she demonstrates how to approach situations where a teacher's pe...
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23:21
Your 10-Minute Conversation Reflection Guide [Replay]
The easiest thing you can do to improve your coaching conversations is to incorporate reflection. In this fan-favorite episode replay, Elena shares the three questions you need to engage in a 10-minute post-coaching conversation reflection t...
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9:56
Disrupting Racism at the Dinner Table…And Beyond [Replay]
The winter holidays can include many things: time with family, a break from work…and maybe some casual racism over dinner. In today’s episode, Elena provides a quick overview of her What to Say When You Hear Something Racist framework. This ...
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16:09
How to Prepare for a Coaching Conversation in Five Minutes [Replay]
In this replay of a fan-favorite episode, Elena shares a minute-by-minute breakdown of how you should spend the five minutes before you walk into a meeting where you will be coaching. These five steps provide you with the greatest potential ...
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16:06