The Bright Morning Podcast with Elena Aguilar

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, grab your free resource, and take the first step in making 2025 a great year.   Keep learning:  Join the Learning Library and Transformational Coaching PLC t...

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:  Join the Learning Library and Transformational Coaching PLC to gain access to our January Back from Break series, and 44 additional Skill Sessions! Attend The Art of Transformational Coaching workshop   Read...

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 year to send your clients into break feeling empowered and accomplished.  Notable moments:  00:30 Setting the Stage for Role Play Demonstration  02:10 Jumpi...

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 for client feedback and acknowledge receiving it. As a bonus, you’ll also hear how to open your coaching conversations with a question that builds resilience!...

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 performance negatively impacts students while maintaining confidentiality.  This conversation is part of our Learning Library skill session, Updating Admin...

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 that will supercharge your learning.  Keep learning:  Join the Learning Library and Transformational Coaching PLC to gain access to Reflecting on a Coaching Con...

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 is the content you need for the most essential holiday prep: preparing to disrupt racism. Note: this episode is a timely replay from our What to Say When You H...

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 for that meeting to be transformative for both yourself and your client.  Keep learning:  Join the Learning Library and Transformational Coaching PLC to gain a...

How do you kindle a sense of power and agency in your client when they are feeling deflated or overwhelmed?   In this fan-favorite replay episode of our special four-part First 5 Minutes series, Elena will walk you through how to do just that with one question that opens up your next coaching conversation.  In addition to providing you with a new question each week, Elena also walks through how to...

We spend most of our waking hours at work. With that level of investment, we better make sure that what we’re doing is working, but too often, we just hope for the best. In this episode, Elena demonstrates how to effectively lead a feedback conversation with an administrator. It also includes a debrief discussing the conversation's dynamics and the significance of vulnerability. Elena also sh...

How do you coach emotions with a client who doesn’t want to talk about their emotions? That’s what you’ll learn in this episode. In just ten minutes, Elena skillfully supports her “client” to consider the anger he’s experiencing with his administrators in a new light. At the end of the conversation, Elena will share why she made the moves she made and why they work.  Notable moments:  01:01 Introd...

What do you do when a client continues to cancel their meetings with you? That’s what you’ll learn in this episode. Elena demonstrates practical strategies through three role-playing scenarios with Cary, a former teacher. This episode is a must-listen for coaches seeking to enhance their confidence and effectiveness in building productive client relationships. Notable moments:  02:20 Scenario 1: N...

Elena coaches a teacher experiencing frustration after a failed family night in her classroom. She introduces the Gaps Framework to support the teacher in identifying what gaps might have contributed to the disappointing experience, considering both the families and the teacher’s potential needs. The Gaps Framework is designed to expand perspective and identify potential pathways forward, empoweri...

Running short on time in your coaching conversations? This episode is for you. Elena, playing the role of a school-based coach, demonstrates how to deftly navigate through the three phases of a coaching conversation—beginning, middle, and end—using skills from her “Arc of a Coaching Conversation” Skill Session. Set your timer and listen in to learn how to open and close your meetings in just five...

If you’re leading classroom observations, this is an episode you won’t want to miss. Elena, playing the role of school-based coach, demonstrates how to navigate a client resistant to a classroom observation early in the year. This coaching demonstration is an extension of our “Preparing for Your First Observation” Skill Session in the Learning Library . Learn more below. Notable moments: 00:29 Set...

Elena demonstrates how to facilitate an impactful getting-to-know-you portion of a coaching conversation. Playing the role of a school-based coach working with a new coaching client, she models how to integrate a client’s core values into the discussion, learn more about their past experience, and set the tone for openness and connection. And she does it all in less than 15 minutes.   Opportunitie...

In this episode, Elena (playing the role of school-based coach) and Mike (playing the role of her admin) explore the introduction of a new coaching model within a school district. They discuss the definition and goals of coaching, teacher development strategies, and the implementation of PD cycles. The conversation highlights the importance of aligning coaching with broader school priorities. Key...

The number one way to make every conversation count is to have a clearly defined coaching goal that matters for students that you and your client are aligned on. In this episode, Elena, playing the role of school-based coach, demonstrates how to lead a conversation with a client where you move from a school-wide directive to a specific goal that motivates an individual client. This coaching demons...

The beginning of the school year is the ideal time to ground yourself in who you want and need to be in your role this year. Elena provides two exercises to help coaches and school leaders start the year with the clarity they need to thrive.  Mentioned on this episode:  Learning Library membership   Opportunities for continued learning:  Become a Bright Morning Member   “ Crafting Your Personal Vi...

Unclear expectations are a recipe for resentment. Elena shares how coaches and admin can align from day zero and the six things to cover in a beginning-of-the-year meeting.  Mentioned on this episode:  Learning Library membership   Opportunities for continued learning:  Become a Bright Morning Member   Join Elena at an in-person The Art of Transformational Coaching workshop (through Fall ‘24) Refl...

Trying to do all the things is a recipe for burnout. Elena shares considerations for how to create a weekly schedule that sets you up to thrive as a Transformational Coach.   Mentioned on this episode:  Learning Library membership   Opportunities for continued learning:  Become a Bright Morning Member   Join Elena at an in-person The Art of Transformational Coaching workshop (through Fall ‘24) Ref...

The way you introduce yourself to your clients sets the tone for your work together. Elena shares four options to consider and the pros and cons of each.  Mentioned on this episode:  Join Elena at an in-person The Art of Transformational Coaching workshop (through Fall ‘24) Become a Friend of the Podcast   Learning Library membership   Opportunities for continued learning:  Become a Bright Morning...

In this episode, Elena demonstrates how to coach a new teacher struggling with classroom culture and not consistently following through with the next steps from their coaching conversations. This is the final episode of our four-part series on how to coach behaviors. But as all Transformational Coaches know, behaviors stem from beliefs, so you’ll also get a masterclass on coaching beliefs!  Mentio...

This is the fourth in a series of five episodes on coaching beliefs. Elena introduces the Teacher-to-Student Interaction Tracking Tool , explains how to utilize it in your observations, and offers a slew of tips that will help you successfully leverage this tool with your coaching clients.  Mentioned on this episode:  Pre-order Arise: The Art of Transformational Coaching  Claim your pre-order bonu...