We firmly believe that we act our way into learning and that hearing about and seeing a new practice is not the same as applying it. With this in mind, theoretical frameworks and provocations will be used to ground the practical activities. Time for demonstrations, debrief and scaffolded practice with peers will be prioritized.
Key topics and strategies include:
The Learning Conversations Map – conversational contexts of a leader - explanation of the framework and table group discussion of individual contexts.
Coaching versus a coaching approach - presentation of definitions and opportunities to discuss with peers.
“Got a minute? – leading in-the-moment conversations - we will undertake a live demonstration of one of these conversations with a participant and conduct a scaffolded debrief. Participants are guided in their observation of the demonstration and the debrief is structured around peer-peer sharing first before opening to whole-group comments and observation.
Participants then have the opportunity to each have a "real play" conversation using the framework modelled.
Dancing around the GROWTH framework - the GROWTH conversational framework will be introduced briefly followed by an exposition of the agile and/or abbreviated use of the framework in informal, brief conversations.
Participants will have another opportunity to practice in pairs based on a suggested GROWTH question "script".
Final debrief - participants are given the opportunity to share insights at their tables before considering next steps in their context and facilitator sampling of these as a whole group.
• Develop an understanding of ‘coaching as a way of leading’ in human-intensive organizations like schools
• Use the ‘Learning Conversations Map’ as a framework for being a more intentional conversation leader in less-formal contexts
• Apply immediately implementable strategies to make every conversation count
• Develop enhanced skills and confidence to lead Growth Talk conversations with teachers, administrators, parents and students
Growth Talk: A Coaching Way of Leading in Schools (Munro & Campbell, 2025).
Munro, C. (2022). Engaging in professional conversations. Paper prepared for the School Leadership Institute, NSW Department of Education, Sydney, Australia.
Munro, C. (2020). A continuum of professional earning conversations: Coaching, mentoring and everything in between. CollectivED Working Papers, 11, 37–42. Leeds Beckett University, Carnegie School of Education.
Munro, C., Barr, M., & van Nieuwerburgh, C. (2020). Creating coaching cultures in schools. In E. Jackson & A. Berkeley (Eds.) Sustaining Depth and Meaning in School Leadership: Keeping Your Head (pp. 226–245). Routledge.
Campbell, J. (2016a). Framework for practitioners 2: The GROWTH model. In C. van Nieuwerburgh (Ed.), Coaching in professional contexts (pp. 235–240). Sage.
Campbell, J. (2016b). Coaching in schools. In C. van Nieuwerburgh (Ed.), Coaching in professional contexts (pp. 131–143). Sage.
Campbell, J., & van Nieuwerburgh, C. (2018). The Leader’s guide to coaching in schools: Creating conditions for effective learning. Corwin.
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