Coach Approach

Michelle Hairston is a servant leader who has dedicated her life, time and passion to positively impacting the lives of students, educators, and leaders across our nation and beyond.  Her desire for working in academically challenging environments has been the driving force behind her research of effective instructional and leadership practices designed to transform low-performing schools into schools that demonstrate and reflect behaviors and actions of champions.
 
Michelle has spent a large portion of her 30 years in the field of education finding innovative ways to ensure ALL students, regardless of their economic status, race, ability, or zip code, are provided with a high-quality education. She has served as a second-grade teacher, assistant principal, principal, and instructional director at the central office level for 20 years.  In 2010 she resigned to build her education consulting company where she and her team have supported over 4,000 educators and 20,000 students.

As the Founder/CEO of Hairston Education Consulting, Michelle works with educators to engage them in learning experiences that equip them with the knowledge and skills to teach our students in this diverse and globally changing world; and she works side-by-side with school and district leaders to equip them with the tools, skills, and resources necessary to support their the growth and development of themselves and their teachers.

Michelle is a Trans4mational Leader who leads with her heart and touches the hearts of others to bring about systemic and impactful change. She is honored and grateful for the God-given opportunities she’s been provided along her amazing journey and looks forward to continuing the work of transforming schools, changing lives, and working to make a positive impact in the lives of leaders and educators at home and abroad.

For 18 years, Janet enjoyed a rewarding career as a health care executive where she learned the value and challenge of creating and maintaining an engaged and highly trained staff, and the importance of collaborating with community partners. She assembled and led teams of talented staff in the rebuilding of treatment systems to provide the highest quality of care, and became a consummate advocate in raising community awareness that there is no health without mental health.

In 2002, Janet met a coach and heard herself say, “I want to do what you do”, and thus, began her soul searching journey that led her to step off her worn and established path onto the fresh green grass of professional coaching. Janet has worked with a variety of people and organizations interested in optimizing their potential by letting go of what’s not working, leveraging what is, and embracing new ways of doing and being. She has been humbled by the strength of the human spirit, and the courage of her clients to identify and remedy their blind spots, leverage their strengths and live into their fullest potential, professionally and personally.   Since 2005, she has held the designation of Professional Certified Coach from the International Coach Federation.