Creating conditions for transformation

“Transformative change means feeling different, having different experiences every day, not just little changes that feel like a band-aid.”

These are the words of today’s guest, Elena Aguilar, an instructional coach whose latest book is called Arise: The Art of Transformation Coaching. Through her book and our conversation today, you’re invited to teach in a “human-centered, compassionate, wildly optimistic way.”

Read or listen to episode 307 as we discuss:

• What “transformation” looks like and how it applies to the work of classroom teachers
• Why transformation results from addressing the Three Bs: beliefs, ways of being, and behavior…and why that order matters
• Which conditions allow for beliefs to change and how we can implement them in our classrooms
• How our “ways of being” as teachers tie to transformation

As we look toward the start of a new school year, I hope that Elena’s thoughts will help you reimagine what’s possible in your classroom, and create conditions for both student transformations and your own.

Listen to episode 307 below,
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Superficial vs. Meaningful Change

Angela: So Elena, your work and your book “Arise” are all about creating transformative change. What do you mean when you talk about transformation and how does that apply to classroom teachers?

Elena: When I talk about transformative change, I mean feeling different and having different experiences every day. It’s not just little changes that feel like a band-aid, but truly feeling different. It’s about having more meaningful, connected relationships with students, caregivers, colleagues, and everyone. It’s a different kind of experience than what we have now.

I’ve seen a lot of superficial change in schools during my 30 years in education. Different curricular approaches come and go, but often, not much has truly changed. Sometimes I see meaningful change, but often it feels like we’re just swinging back and forth. Transformative change is something really different and sometimes hard to imagine, but it’s about breaking free from that pendulum swing and creating something brand new.

The Three B’s: Beliefs, Ways of Being, and Behavior

In your book, you state that transformation results from addressing the three B’s: beliefs, ways of being, and behavior. Can you give us an overview of each one of those before we go deeper and share why your book addresses them in that order?

Sure. I’ll describe these from the experience of a classroom teacher. I started teaching in 1994 in a rural part of California, then moved to Oakland, where I taught elementary school for five years before moving into middle school. I was fortunate to have a transformational coach in my fifth, sixth, and seventh years of teaching.

Before that, I had occasional mentors who gave me advice and tips about my behavior, like instructional practices, formative assessments, and classroom organization. Behavior is one of the three B’s and is important because it’s what matters for kids. However, everything we do emerges from a belief, whether we’re conscious of it or not.

For example, I eat a lot of kale, even though I don’t like the taste, because I believe it’s healthy for me. A transformational coach addresses the beliefs that underlie our behaviors. My coach helped me identify the beliefs I held about student behavior and classroom organization. By surfacing these beliefs, I was able to make different choices and take different actions.

She also helped me surface my ways of being, which are connected to emotions, values, and how we show up. She would ask me questions about why I thought a student acted a certain way or what I believed about my capacity to handle situations. She pointed out my impatience and helped me understand it. Impatience often has elements of fear, anger, and sadness.

My model of coaching, Transformational Coaching, is holistic and addresses different domains of what it means to be human. We have emotions, beliefs, and behaviors, which are the three B’s. In the book, I go in the order of beliefs, ways of being, and behavior to show how they create the behaviors we act out.

I think a lot of times we do things thinking, “Well, this is just how I am.” But those are actions that come from beliefs and often have roots in emotions. We can explore these deeper to get more out of them. I can relate to all of that, particularly impatience. I used to see myself as an impatient person, but when I unpacked that, I found it was fear-based. Once I realized that, I found I could be more present and handle things better. I had to build trust in myself and let go of the things keeping me from showing up as my best self.

Yes, I heard you mention awareness of your impatience as a coping strategy. Our current actions often reflect how we were conditioned or socialized in the past. Once you understand this, you can respond to the present moment without the echoes of the past. Emotions like fear and anxiety can drive our need for control and security.

Conditions for Changing Beliefs, Ways of Being, and Behavior

So, let’s get into these three B’s: beliefs, ways of being, and behavior. We’ll start with changing beliefs within the context of examining our own beliefs and helping students shift their thinking. In “Arise,” you discuss various conditions for beliefs to change. Sometimes all these conditions need to be in place, and other times just a few. What have you learned about the conditions necessary for beliefs to change?

The primary condition necessary for beliefs to change is psychological safety. In order to share and shift our beliefs, we need to feel safe and trust the other person. This is relevant for teachers creating psychological safety for students to share their thoughts and beliefs without fear of judgment.

There are parameters to set up in any relationship, including a classroom. A teacher must ensure psychological safety for everyone, which may mean certain words can’t be used. In my own experience, I had challenging students who belonged to one demographic group. I was able to discuss my reactions with my coach because I trusted her. She helped me explore my beliefs and reactions, which led to change.

In order for beliefs to change, we need to feel vulnerable and able to make mistakes without being humiliated. Relationship and trust are key. Compassion, curiosity, humility, and courage are also important. The coach might need to bring awareness to repeated behaviors, which requires courage.

Teachers also need courage to acknowledge their actions. Transformation comes from addressing beliefs and ways of being, as well as behavior. Now, let’s talk about ways of being, which is my favorite overlap between your work and mine. Ways of being isn’t often addressed in professional development, but it’s crucial for transformation.

Ways of being primarily involve our emotions and how we respond to them. It also includes our values and how we act on them, as well as our sense of identity. Sometimes teachers experience an identity crisis when they act in ways that don’t align with who they want to be. Emotions play a big role in ways of being.

When we coach around ways of being, we often start with emotions. We explore how someone understands and responds to their emotions. Sometimes people ask, “What’s the difference between this and therapy?” In coaching, we acknowledge emotions without probing into someone’s psyche or childhood. We help people build emotional regulation skills and develop a healthier relationship with their emotions.

Emotions are powerful and have wisdom. We don’t want to get rid of emotions like anger or fear. We want to learn from them and express them in ways that don’t harm ourselves or others. Emotions are information for us. Developing a healthy relationship with emotions can lead to transformation.

When we address our emotional experiences, we shift our entire experience of life. Acting in alignment with our values leads to a more energized, meaningful life. This deep level of understanding connects to our beliefs and behaviors.

Why do you think this isn’t typically included in professional development? Why is instructional coaching focused more on instruction than on ways of being and beliefs?

Our schools and institutions reflect dominant culture, which doesn’t value emotions. Dominant culture values actions and what you do. This influences what happens in schools and professional development. Emotions are often considered unnecessary or unhelpful. There’s a gendered element to who gets to express emotions. Schools were traditionally set up to maintain the status quo and sort people.

Instructional coaching often follows the banking concept of education, where coaches are seen as experts who pour information into teachers. This focuses on external behaviors rather than emotions and beliefs. Transformational coaching invites a different way of being that resonates deeply with people. They know this in their hearts and want this approach.

Try this different approach. Slow down in conversations and really listen. This can influence behaviors and outcomes. There’s a belief that focusing on instruction is the only way to achieve outcomes, but there are other ways to get there, perhaps with more joy and better retention of teachers.

Talk to us about the conditions that lead to transformation with behavior.

The same conditions apply: trust, psychological safety, and relationships. Sustainable long-term shifts in behavior come from shifts in beliefs and ways of being. This is supported by research in neuroscience, psychology, sociology, anthropology, and adult learning. Adults need choice and relevance in their learning, just like children.

Many professional development settings miss opportunities by not using strategies that work for both kids and adults. Teachers who facilitate PD often forget to apply the same strategies they used successfully with kids. Making learning meaningful and relevant, providing opportunities to share knowledge, and offering choices are crucial.

Actionable Steps for Teachers

What would you say to a teacher who wants to work on these three B’s but doesn’t have a coach? What are some good first steps for self-coaching?

My third book, Onward: Cultivating Emotional Resilience in Educators, is a deep dive into emotions and ways of being. It has a companion workbook with daily activities for understanding and shifting ways of being, behaviors, and beliefs. The book and workbook provide a curriculum for teachers to use over the course of a year, aligned with the school year’s rhythm.

Start with understanding what you think and feel. Focus on what you can control or influence. “Onward” and the workbook guide you through this process, offering support for exploration and change.

What’s something that you wish every teacher understood about creating conditions for transformational change?

I wish every teacher understood that they can create conditions for transformational change today. It starts with understanding what they’re thinking and feeling and making small shifts. Transformational change might sound big, but it’s evident in everyday interactions.

When listening to someone, really take in their words instead of thinking about your response. Practice being present in the moment. Small actions can create a different reality. Transformation is the result of many small, different actions.

If we typically multitask, perhaps try focusing on one thing at a time. These small shifts can lead to transformation. All we have is this moment right now, so even taking a deep breath can create a different experience. Transformation is about a thousand tiny changes, not just big, sweeping actions.