S3 E33: Why Instructional Coaches Need Their Own Coaches with Sam Bennett and Morgan Davis

Coaches Sam Bennett and Morgan Davis offer insights into what makes instructional coaching such a powerful way to build collective efficacy and professional capital within schools. When grown-ups take risks while studying and growing together, their students are more engaged and apt to take risks themselves. 

• Sam's S1E1 & Morgan's S2E14 Schoolutions Episodes
• That Workshop Book by Sam Bennett
• Ron Berger
• Amy Ellerman 
• Dr. Jim Knight

Connect and Learn with Sam via Email & Check Out Her Recommendations:

• Why Do I Have to Read This? Literacy Strategies to Engage Our Most Reluctant Students by Cris Tovani (This book captures our most current thinking and work with schools.)
• What’s the Best that Can Happen: New Possibilities for Teachers and Readers by Debbie Miller (Chapter 2 in this book captures our thinking about the flexibility and promise of workshop as a structure of time for students to engage behaviorally, emotionally, and cognitively). 
• Elena Aguilar hosts live coaching events through her Bright Morning organization every month that I always prioritize on my calendar for her use of language and prioritizing human connection and authenticity. 
• Podcasts: Unlocking Us, ReThinking, The New Yorker Radio Hour, Talk Easy with Sam Fragoso, and The Ezra Klein Show 
• I am hosting a Maker Summer Camp for Grown Ups in Denver in the Summer of 2025 … people can email me to make sure they get the announcement and sign-ups

Connect with Morgan & Check Out Her Recommendations:

• at her blog 
• on Twitter 
• on Facebook
• on Instagram
• on Threads
• Cultures of Thinking in Action: 10 Mindsets to Transform our Teaching and Students' Learning by Ron Ritchhart is my current read and parallels many of the ideas we talked about in drawing on parallel practices as coaches. 
• "Coaching IS Teaching" was the first post in my Parallel Practice series on It's About Making Space. It features my own context letter from a few years back. Listeners can search the "Parallel Practice" tag for more in the series.

When coaches, teachers, administrators, and families work hand in hand, it fosters a school atmosphere where everyone is inspired and every student is fully engaged in their learning journey.