How to Move Beyond Buy-In and Cultivate True Teacher Ownership with Becca Silver - Ep 11
🎙️ Who's on the Mic?
I had a fascinating conversation with Becca Silver, the CEO and founder of The Whole Educator, and someone who is truly a kindred spirit in making data more human-centered. With a decade of experience in the classroom, including teaching abroad and co-oping a school in Tanzania, Becca brings a unique, global perspective to her work. After transitioning to instructional coaching, she had a lightbulb moment: the traditional, task-centered approach wasn’t creating lasting change. By integrating her life coaching skills and focusing on the human side of education, she developed a powerful framework for moving beyond mere buy-in to create deep, empowered change—especially when it comes to new data initiatives.
💬 Episode Snapshot
Becca shared her journey from being a wildly data-centered Teach for America corps member to an instructional coach who, for a time, leaned so heavily into the relational aspect that she forgot to use data to drive her coaching. This struggle to find balance is something I know many of us can relate to. She realized that to be truly effective, she needed to bring both the human element and the data together.
We dove into the concept of "aggressive alignment" and how crucial it is to connect district and school goals all the way down to individual coaching conversations. Becca emphasized that goals must be co-created with teachers, not handed down from on high. This is the key to moving beyond a culture of compliance and into one of true ownership.
The most powerful part of our conversation was when Becca unpacked the psychology of resistance. She explained that when we encounter pushback from teachers, it’s not defiance; it’s a signal of an unmet need. Whether it's the need for a veteran teacher to feel respected or for a struggling teacher to experience a small, quick win, meeting people where they are is the only way to move forward. We explored the brain science behind this, discussing how our brains "flip their lids" when we feel threatened or unsafe, shutting down the logical part of our brain and making it impossible to embrace change.
💡 Key Takeaways
Resistance is a Human Experience: Stop being surprised by resistance to change. Expect it, and more importantly, neutralize it. Resistance isn't a character flaw; it’s a natural human response, often stemming from a feeling of being unheard or undervalued. It's what happens when you hire critical thinkers and then ask them to comply without question.
Move from "Shoulds" to Support: Leaders often get stuck in their "shoulds" ("Teachers should want to do this," "They shouldn't be resisting"). Becca brilliantly reframes this as an expectation plus judgment. The antidote is curiosity. By shifting to an expectation plus curiosity, you can start to uncover the unmet needs that are driving the resistance.
The Power of Co-Creation: You can't expect teachers to be invested in a data initiative they had no part in creating. True ownership comes from co-constructing goals and giving teachers agency in the process. This isn't just about getting buy-in; it's about fostering a culture where everyone feels like a valued partner.
Small Wins Build Big Momentum: The overemphasis on long-term, end-of-year goals can kill motivation and efficacy. By focusing on tiny, measurable steps and celebrating those small wins, you create a neurological reward system that builds habits and sustains change over time. It gives teachers the experience of success, which is far more powerful than just talking about it.
🎬 The Catalyst Mindsets: A Framework for Change
Becca introduced her powerful "Catalyst Mindsets," a research-based framework that goes beyond the often-misunderstood concept of "growth mindset." These are the five core beliefs that are essential for fostering an environment where change can stick.
Success Mindset: "I believe I can be successful here." This is the foundation. If a teacher doesn't believe they can succeed, none of the other mindsets matter. This is why providing those small, early wins is so critical.
Value Mindset: "I believe this has value for me." We have to connect the change to a teacher's internal goals and what they care about most.
Belonging Mindset: "I believe I belong here." This is all about psychological safety, trust, and connection. People need to feel safe to be vulnerable and take risks.
Growth Mindset: "I believe I can improve." It's not about working harder; it's the simple belief that improvement is possible. This requires building our "discomfort tolerance" muscle.
Ownership Mindset: "I believe that by being responsible, I can change things." This is the toughest to build and requires a combination of agency and support across the other four mindsets.
Free resources - www.thewholeeducator.com/free-resources
In this episode of Data in Education, I had a fascinating conversation with Becca Silver, the CEO and founder of The Whole Educator, and someone who is truly a kindred spirit in making data more human-centered. With a decade of experience in the classroom, including teaching abroad and co-oping a school in Tanzania, Becca brings a unique, global perspective to her work. After transitioning to instructional coaching, she had a lightbulb moment: the traditional, task-centered approach wasn’t creating lasting change. By integrating her life coaching skills and focusing on the human side of education, she developed a powerful framework for moving beyond mere buy-in to create deep, empowered change—especially when it comes to new data initiatives.
Learn more about Becca Silver at www.thewholeeducator.com
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Connect with Becca Silver
Email: becca@thewholeeducator.com
X: https://x.com/BeccaSilver_edu
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/becca-silver/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheWholeEducator
Podcast: https://www.thewholeeducator.com/podcast
