Review By: Anonymous
Published: 2024
Genres: Nonfiction, Professional Development, Educational Coaching
Audience: Adults (Educators, Counselors, Administrators)
Number of Stars: ★★★★★ (5/5)
Goodreads Link: Arise
Content Warnings: None.
Publisher’s Summary
In Arise (an evolution of The Art of Coaching), renowned author and coach Elena Aguilar delivers a compelling and inspirational message about how to coach in the face of daunting challenges. In the book, you’ll learn how to listen expansively in a coaching conversation, how to plan conversations effectively, how to coach across lines of racial difference, how to coach resistant teachers, and more. You’ll learn how best to impact your clients’ “3 B’s”: beliefs, behaviors, and ways of being, and explore illuminating case studies that highlight and illustrate the concepts discussed in the book. An indispensable “how-to” guide for transformational coaches working in school environments, Arise is the hands-on and practical roadmap to results that professionals in this area have been waiting for.
Review
Arise is a nonfiction professional development book that explores how coaching can create deep, meaningful change in educators and school leaders. Aguilar begins by defining transformational coaching, an approach that goes past solving immediate problems to address beliefs, identity, and the systems that shape behavior. The book is organized into clear chapters that build from foundational coaching skills, like active listening and trust-building, to more complex topics such as equity and power dynamics. Throughout, Aguilar uses real-life examples and reflective questions to help the reader apply the concepts in their own work and experiences.
As a school counselor, I appreciated how Aguilar emphasizes the importance of relationships, empathy, and emotional awareness in coaching conversations. The book reminded me of many counseling moments where a teacher or student needed more than advice; they needed someone to listen deeply, help them name their feelings, and support them in finding their own solutions. The section on equity was especially powerful, as it encourages coaches to examine their own biases and the ways systems can unintentionally maintain inequities. Aguilar’s writing feels relatable and grounded yet humbly challenging in all of the right ways.
I would recommend Arise to school counselors, instructional coaches, administrators, and anyone involved in adult learning. It is not a light read, but it is full of useful strategies and meaningful reflection prompts. Although it is not designed for children and does not include illustrations, the content is highly relevant to school settings and supports academic connections to social-emotional learning, equity work, and leadership development. One fun activity to pair with the book would be a community circle where staff practice the listening and questioning techniques in real scenarios. Overall, I found Arise to be a thoughtful and impactful resource that can strengthen the way educators support one another.
🧠 The Framework: Transformational Coaching
Aguilar’s approach shifts the focus from “fixing” a teacher to “growing” a human. This is visualized through her “3 B’s” framework, which suggests that for true change to happen, we must look beneath the surface.
| Level of Coaching | Focus | Outcome |
| Directive | Telling/Instructing | Immediate compliance/skill fix. |
| Facilitative | Guiding/Questioning | Problem-solving and autonomy. |
| Transformational | Identity/Beliefs/Systems | Long-term shift in mindset and culture. |
🌍 Coaching Across Lines of Difference
A significant portion of Arise is dedicated to equity. Aguilar emphasizes that coaching is not neutral. Coaches must understand how their own racial, gender, and class identities interact with those of their clients to avoid reinforcing systemic inequities.
🎒 Application for School Leaders & Counselors
- Active Listening: Using the “listening to understand” rather than “listening to respond” technique in staff meetings.
- The “Coach’s Stance”: Adopting a stance of curiosity rather than judgment.
- Community Circles: Implementing staff-wide circles to practice vulnerability and build the “relational trust” Aguilar cites as a prerequisite for growth.
