Elena has trained thousands of educators across the United States and abroad in transformational coaching and team development. She is a regular contributor for Edutopia and EdWeek Teacher and has published two highly acclaimed books: The Art of Coaching (2013) and The Art of Coaching Teams (2016) with an upcoming book titled Onward: Cultivating Emotional Resilience in Educators anticipated to release in May 2018.

Elena’s expertise derives from twenty years as a classroom teacher, instructional coach and leadership coach working in diverse school environments. In her role as a consultant, she has partnered with leaders in public and private organizations across the United States and abroad. She holds a B.A. in history and Latin American Studies from the University of California, Santa Cruz, and an M.A. in Anthropology from the University of California, Berkeley. She received her teaching credential from California State University, Hayward, and she also holds an administrative services credential. Elena lives in Oakland, California, with her husband, son, and two cats. When she’s not coaching or writing she enjoys traveling abroad, photographing birds, hiking, drinking coffee and reading fiction.

The missing how-to manual for being an effective team leader.

The Art of Coaching Teams is the manual you never received when you signed on to lead a team. Being a great teacher is one thing, but leading a team, or team development, is an entirely different dynamic. Your successes are public, but so are your failures - and there's no specific rubric or curriculum to give you direction. Team development is an art form, and this book is your how-to guide to doing it effectively. You'll learn the administrative tasks that keep your team on track, and you'll gain access to a wealth of downloadable tools that simplify the "getting organized" process. Just as importantly, you'll explore what it means to be the kind of leader that can bring people together to accomplish difficult tasks. You'll find practical suggestions, tools, and clear instructions for the logistics of team development as well as for building trust, developing healthy communication, and managing conflict.

Inside these minutes you'll find concrete guidance on:

Designing agendas, making decisions, establishing effective protocols, and more

Boosting your resilience, understanding and managing your emotions, and meeting your goals

Cultivating your team's emotional intelligence and dealing with cynicism

Utilizing practical tools to create a customized framework for developing highly effective teams

There is no universal formula for building a great team, because every team is different. Different skills, abilities, personalities, and goals make a one-size-fits-all approach ineffective at best. Instead, The Art of Coaching Teams provides a practical framework to help you develop your group as a whole, and keep the team moving toward their common goals.