FOSTERING CAPACITY BUILDING THROUGH INQUIRY

Consider the list of curated questions below as a resource and invitation to explore a variety of perspectives in conversation with your mentee.

OPEN-ENDED QUESTIONS SUBMITTED BY INSTRUCTIONAL COACHES

The questions below were submitted in response to the following request:

“I would like to have a chance to work with people in a similar role as me, to create a list of potential questions to be used.”
Amanda Biagini, Secondary Instructional Support Teacher, Algoma DSB

Questions for exploring Red Zone

  • What do you mean by … ? 
  • Tell me more about… 
  • What are you expecting from…? 
  • What are you connecting to right now? Why?
  • Where are you in that? 
  • What’s the purpose in this for you? 
  • What do you want?
  • If you had to name it, what are you bumping into?
  • What’s fuelling you right now?
  • How else can you look at this? What will success look like for you?
  • What’s most important for you today? 
  • How does that connect to your values? 
  • How does that make you feel? 
  • What do you believe about yourself when you say… 
  • What do you give up by staying the same… 
  • What has prevented you from achieving x? 
  • You’ve put lots on the table for us to consider, which piece feels most critical? 
  • What really matters deeply here? 
  • Who are you when this value is present? 
  • 2-words for how you’re feeling about all this?

Questions for exploring Yellow Zone

  • What’s one small step you can take towards… 
  • What’s the worst thing that could happens if…
  • How will it be different when you try…
  • What will be different when you have that? 
  • What might the connection be between x and y?
  • Standing back, which choice seems the most compelling?

Questions for exploring Green Zone

  • What specific action are you stepping into?
  • Who might help you achieve x? 
  • What might get in your way? 
  • What’s the worst thing that could happen if you try x? How can you offset that fear?
  • How will you be sure that this happens?
  • Where else might you see the impact from your learning today?

Session completion question

  • What specifically, from this conversation, is resonating with you?

Mentor-Coach asking for feedback 

  • How did my support help you with your thinking/reflection? I invite you to be specific…
  • Let’s check-in on our work together: What are you appreciating? What would you like to dial up? What would you like to dial down?

  • Where is the interesting part in this for you?
  • What wisdom do you bring to this?
  • What previous training or experiences can we recruit here?
  • How can your creative talents and gifts contribute?
  • How do you help yourself be patient? or What supports patience within you?
  • How can you support your physical self in this process?
  • What helps you stay resilient?
  • What past successes have supported you?
  • Where do you go for inspiration?
  • How can we continue to create space for your imagination in this?
  • What core values do you want to be sure you are honouring as you go forward?
  • Who do you want to be in this?
  • What does your wise self (creative self, and so on) say?
  • What helps you stay focused?

  • Who would be a valuable resource to access?
  • [Magic-wand question] If you could call on anyone right now, who might that be? What would they likely tell you?
  • What resources do you know you already have and can access?
  • What can we build on?
  • If you were to stand on the shoulders of pre-existing work, what might that be?
  • What books or programs might support you?
  • What further learning, knowledge, skills, or practice do you want?
  • If you were to spend your time and money as efficiently and productively as possible, what might that look like?

  • Where shall we focus for this conversation? What matters most to you in all of this?
  • What is the result you are wanting?
  • What strengths do you bring?
  • Where is the edge in this for you?
  • What do you need to access in yourself?
  • Given your awareness, what possibilities do you see?
  • What impact are you wanting? What is your work now?
  • What do you really want?

  • Given your clarity, what possibilities do you see?
  • What else? What else?
  • What haven’t we considered?
  • What if…?
  • If you could do this any way you wanted…? Big picture, what else is possible?
  • Which choice is most aligned?
  • Which choice will have the greatest impact? How committed are you?
  • Which choice is most compelling?

  • How will you create the change you are wanting?
  • What needs your attention going forward? What are your first steps?
  • What strengths will support you?
  • What’s the boldest step you can choose? How will you know when you get there? What support do you need?
  • What might get in your way?
  • How can you be sure that this is going to happen?
  • How will you hold yourself accountable?

“People forget that we always have time. When you ask great questions, it brings time back into the situation, your mentee’s panic deflates and you’re both able to consider opportunities, and how you can harvest those opportunities.”

Jodi Ashton
Educational Consultant,
Leading and Learning Department, Ottawa Catholic School Board

Open quotes graphic

People forget that we always have time. When you ask great questions, it brings time back into the situation, your mentee’s panic deflates and you’re both able to consider opportunities, and how you can harvest those opportunities.

Close quote graphic

Jodi Ashton
Educational Consultant,
Leading and Learning Department, Ottawa Catholic School Board

LOOKING FOR MORE QUESTIONS?

Are you looking for more examples of questions, perhaps for a specific situation or theme closer to your experience?

Send us YOUR suggestions and we’ll write a blog post on them!

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    A red book titled "When Mentoring Meets Coaching: Shifting the Stance in Education" by Kate Sharpe and Jeanie Nishimura. The book is positioned on a wood panel background.

    THE BOOK!

    Purchase your copy of When Mentoring Meets Coaching: Shifting The Stance In Education, co-written by Kate Sharpe and Jeanie Nishimura.

    * FREE SHIPPING THROUGH PEARSON