The Quiet Power of Listening:How Instructional Coaches Build Capacity in Achievement Teams
A few months ago I was attending a regularly-scheduled PLC meeting at a middle school I support. The team was huddled around their computers, examining data from a recent common assessment. One team member sighed, ran his hands through his hair, and said, “My kids didn’t even try.” Others commiserated. Another team member mentioned the number of interruptions to instruction this semester, and another teammate shared that she found the pacing of the unit to be nearly impossible.
Then it got quiet, and they all looked in my direction.
As an instructional coach, I am fortunate to spend a lot of time in PLC with hardworking teacher teams. Campus to campus, team to team, I listen to educators as they examine student work, analyze assessment data, and discuss what to do next. There are many times, when conversations stall, that I feel the pull that many coaches feel in these moments- It’s time to step in! Offer a protocol, a strategy, get them back on track - DO SOMETHING!!!
This PLC was no different. My inner monologue was compelling me (LOUDLY) to swoop in and take action. However, instead of suggesting anything, I took a deep breath, and said, “Say more. I’d like to hear other things you think are influencing the data we are looking at.” And then I listened.
One teacher spoke up. “I probably should've used more language scaffolds when I modeled this standard.” Another teacher added, “Modeling, yes. I modeled the first part of the standard, but then ran out of time to model the rest.” I paraphrased a few observations I heard, and continued to listen. The conversation deepened; and by the time the bell rang, we had a clear next step for how to address a common error we observed in the data.
There were no big coaching moves on my part. I simply used the tool that Elena Aguilar calls the best tool in an instructional coach’s toolkit - my ability to listen. Moments like this sit at the heart of the Achievement Teams cycle. When teams analyze data, name current reality, and determine next steps, the most powerful move a coach can make isn’t to direct—it’s to listen.
What Is Effective Listening in Team Coaching?
In The Art of Coaching, Elena Aguilar describes deep listening as joining your client in their world, and listening from their perspective. When we listen deeply, we come to understand where someone is coming from—their thinking, their assumptions, and their experiences. Aguilar reminds us that broad, open-ended listing builds trust and helps us identify the questions that will push thinking forward. In the context of Achievement Teams, this kind of listening is essential. It allows coaches to surface teacher thinking during critical moments - choosing a power standard, analyzing data, setting SMART goals, selecting instructional strategies, and reflecting on impact.
Active Listening is Key
Aguilar reminds us that broad, open-ended listing builds trust and helps us identify the questions that will push thinking forward. In the context of Achievement Teams, this kind of listening is essential. It allows coaches to surface teacher thinking during critical moments - choosing a power standard, analyzing data, setting SMART goals, selecting instructional strategies, and reflecting on impact.
Active listening includes paraphrasing to confirm clarity. Coaches can paraphrase what they hear in a PLC to affirm ideas, and ensure we understand what teachers are saying. Aguilar suggests using these stems in a team setting:
“I hear that…”
“That sounds really hard. Do you want to say more about that?”
“As I listen to you, I’m hearing…”
In a team setting, listening doesn’t just support one teacher. It models how colleagues can listen to, and learn from, one another. Over time, this shifts the cognitive work of the PLC from the coach to the team.
How Coaches Practice Effective Listening
1. Commit to Listen: Listening starts with intention. Decide ahead of time that you are there to understand before responding.
2. Make Sure Your Partner Is the Speaker: In PLCs, teachers should carry most of the cognitive load. If the coach is doing most of the talking, the coach is doing most of the thinking.
3. Pause Before You Speak: As a coach, ask yourself - will my comment open up or close down this conversation?
4. Don’t Interrupt: Interrupting signals to your clients that your words are more important than the speaker’s. Sometimes the most important coaching move we can make is to simply allow teachers to finish their thoughts.
Within the Achievement Teams cycle, these commitments show up in specific ways:
- Pre-cycle conversations - listening helps surface clarity (or confusion) around the alignment between the standards and the assessments.
- Data analysis - listening allows coaches to paraphrase baseline evidence statements and helps teams identify patterns in student thinking.
- Instructional strategy selection - listening prevents teams from jumping to disconnected or overly broad instructional responses.
- Reflection - listening helps uncover how teachers interpret results, and where they attribute success or struggle.
Beyond these commitments, a few practical moves strengthen listening:
- Paraphrase for clarity: “So you’re noticing…”
- Name strengths: “I appreciate how carefully you analyzed that.”
- Allow silence: Thinking takes time
- Monitor urgency: Notice the impulse to fix or take over. Breathe, and return to curiosity
- Reflect on your listening: Consider what you heard—and what you may have missed
These moves may seem simple, but over time, they shift ownership of thinking and decision-making to the team.
Resources to Deepen Your Listening Practice
If you’d like some additional resources for listening during coaching conversations, here are a few of my favorites from Jim Knight, Steve Barkely, and Elena Aguilar:
- Jim Knight, Better Conversations, (Chapter 3 Resources)
- Steve Barkley: “Listening: The Power of Understanding to Connect, Influence, and Solve.” (Podcast)
- Elena Aguilar: Expansive Listening in Action: Episode 235, (Bright Morning Podcast)
What's Next...
This blog, authored by Elena Sammon, is the first in a series focused on how instructional coaches support teams through the Achievement Teams cycle.
In the next post, we’ll explore how intentional coaching questions build on effective listening to deepen reflection and guide teams through data analysis, goal setting, and instructional decision-making—without taking ownership away from teachers.
For now, consider these reflection questions after your next PLC:
- Did I listen more than I spoke?
- Did I paraphrase before questioning?
- Did I allow silence?
- Did I protect space for vulnerability?
References
Aguilar, E. (2013). The art of coaching: Effective strategies for school transformation. Jossey-Bass.
Aguilar, E. (Host). (2023). Expansive listening in action (Episode 235) [Audio podcast episode]. In The Bright Morning Podcast. Bright Morning Consulting. https://www.brightmorningteam.com/podcast/expansive-listening-in-action
Barkley, S. (Host). (n.d.). Listening: The power of understanding to connect, influence, and solve [Audio podcast episode]. Steve Barkley Ponders Out Loud Podcast. https://barkleypd.com/blog/listen-learn-grow/
Knight, J. (2016). Better conversations: Coaching ourselves and each other to be more credible, caring, and connected. Corwin.
Ventura, S. (2025). Improving instruction together: Supporting PLCs to focus on student learning. ASCD.
Ventura, S., & Ventura, M. (2022). Achievement Teams: How a Better Approach to PLCs Can Improve Student Outcomes and Teacher Efficacy. ASCD.