Growth Talk

Establish a culture of coaching at your school in which any conversation can turn into a moment of professional growth.

As a principal, coach, or instructional leader, you are responsible for helping to shape the professional development of the teachers in your school. Every conversation has the potential to offer deeper learning—but not every conversation delivers on this promise.

Growth Talk: A Coaching Way of Leading in Schools offers a practical guide to enhancing teachers' learning, growth, and progress in a variety of contexts—from formal interactions to impromptu encounters that can become "coachable moments." International coaching experts Chris Munro and John Campbell explain how educators can quickly make growth conversations a norm in their schools, providing
• Frameworks for coaching as a way of leading.
• Field-tested tools and techniques for successful coaching.
• Processes to implement coaching skills for everyday learning.
• Strategies to ensure widespread and long-term success.

School systems are human-intensive, which means that influence, learning, and progress all happen through conversation. As a leader, it's important that you be intentional in how you use conversation to lead. With this book, you can learn to engage in humanizing dialogue that fosters more trusting relationships and supports teacher growth.

This book is a copublication of ASCD and One Fine Bird Press.

Chris Munro is now the Chief Operating Officer for the Australasian operations of Instructional Coaching Group (ICG) and Growth Coaching International (GCI)—now merged. He describes his role as supporting others as they grapple with strategy, leadership, learning, and relationships—helping them make progress, one conversation at a time.

Chris is an accredited Senior Practitioner with the European Mentoring and Coaching Council (EMCC Global), holds a master's degree in social and educational research from the University of Aberdeen, and is a fellow of the Australian Council for Educational Leaders (Victoria). Chris has presented in the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Asia, and the United States.

Chris is a co-author of Growth Talk.

John Campbell is the founding director of Growth Coaching International (GCI). This organization provides coaching and coaching services to educators across Australia. John has been a high school teacher, a curriculum development advisor, and a management consultant in the corporate sector. Since 2004, John has led the GCI work across Australia, and more than 80,000 school leaders have participated in GCI professional learning programs.

John has co-authored several books and articles in the coaching in education field, and he has spoken at events and conferences across Australia, Asia, the United States, the Middle East, and the United Kingdom. He is a co-author of Growth Talk.