#136: Seed and Soil: When Culture Cancels Out Your Coaching Artwork

Coaching the Whole Educator

This podcast helps instructional coaches, teacher leaders, and school leaders improve their educators’ effectiveness and resilience, especially the ones who need it most by focusing on the mindsets and motivations that are at the source of unproductive behaviors. Each week, we’ll cover quick tips, strategies and coaching mindsets so that you can be on top of your coaching game.

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Coaching the Whole Educator

#136: Seed and Soil: When Culture Cancels Out Your Coaching

May 11, 2025 • Becca Silver • Season 3 • Episode 136

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You’ve been tossing mindset seeds onto concrete, wondering why they won’t grow.

Walton & Yeager’s research confirms that powerful beliefs—like “you belong here” or “you can grow”—won’t take root just because we say them. Beliefs need fertile ground.

When your culture, systems, or norms contradict your message, people don’t just ignore it—they lose trust in your leadership.

🎧 Want to go deeper? Check out Episode 122 for a breakdown of the 5 Catalyst Mindsets™—the real drivers behind belief, buy-in, and lasting behavior change.

The Research:

Seed and Soil: Psychological Affordances in Contexts Help to Explain Where Wise Interventions Succeed or Fail

Want more info? Check out these resources:

The Five Catalyst Mindsets™: Why Growth Mindset Isn’t Enough [BLOG]

Ready to diagnose the biggest mindset gap on your team? Take the free Catalyst Mindsets Quiz **HERE**!