A good learning coach is nurturing, encouraging, inspiring, patient, and supportive, but also holds high standards and pushes students to be increasingly self-directed and self-managed. Good learning coaches guide their students to learn persistence through frustration and failure rather than “rescuing” them at the first signs of difficulty.

Instead of feeding them answers, good coaches encourage students to figure out how they can find the answers themselves, whether online, in books, or from fellow students. Great coaches help students explore and discover their passionate calling in the world.