October 5, 2026 – December 14, 2026
Join our community as we dive into Elena Aguilar’s new book How to Coach Resistance: Turning Pushback into Possibility. (Release date 9/15/26)
Facilitators: Emily Gaylord (AZ) & Mike Marotta (ATAC Director)
Emily and Mike facilitated a cross country Community of Practice book study called Cactus to Coast in the Summer of 2026 as a culminating activity for the 2025-2026 Joy Zabala Fellowship. Educators from Arizona and New Jersey came together to improve their practice and learn from each other. The book study was such a success – why not open it to any educator across the US!
Description from Amazon:
A practical guide for education coaches navigating teacher resistance and driving lasting change
In How to Coach Resistance, bestselling author and coaching expert Elena Aguilar takes on one of the most persistent challenges in education: what to do when teachers push back, shut down, or comply on the surface while changing nothing. Drawing on decades of experience as a teacher, coach, and founder of Bright Morning, Aguilar offers a powerful new understanding of resistance, not as a character flaw or a problem to overcome, but as a signal to interpret.
In the clear, compassionate, story-rich style that has made her one of the most trusted voices in coaching, Aguilar shows that resistance is behavior on the surface, but underneath it are emotions, threatened human needs, and personal and institutional histories that shape how educators respond to change. At the heart of the book is a transformative insight: resistance does not live only in the teacher. It emerges in the space between a teacher’s protection and a coach’s push. That shift changes everything. It means resistance is not fixed, and it gives coaches far more agency than they may realize.
What makes this book especially urgent is its connection to the larger purpose of schooling: serving children. When resistance hardens into cynicism, withdrawal, chronic mistrust, or toxic school culture, it erodes the professional community that strong teaching depends on. It becomes harder for educators to collaborate, reflect honestly, take risks, and create the vibrant, trusting communities that children need and deserve. Bridging one-on-one coaching and group facilitation, How to Coach Resistance brings emotional intelligence, coaching practice, and organizational insight to a topic too often oversimplified. This is not a book about overpowering resistance. It is a book about learning to read it, work with it, and transform it into possibility.
We will tackle this book and get together, virtually via Zoom, every two weeks to discuss sections of the book. Check out the schedule below which includes Chapters covered each session. Sessions will happen at Noon Eastern on the dates shown below.
- Monday, October 5, 2026 (Chapters TBD)
- Monday, October 19, 2026 (Chapters TBD)
- Monday, November 2, 2026 (Chapters TBD)
- Monday, November 16, 2026 (Chapters TBD)
- Monday, November 30, 2026 (Chapters TBD)
- Monday, December 14, 2026 (Chapters TBD)
Fill out our Google Form to register for the discussions and we will forward the Zoom links to you. (You do not have to attend all the sessions. We want to learn everything we can from each other – join us when it works for you!)
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