The Innovation Coach at Home

If your student is part of IYC, you’ve probably heard them talk about their company, their team, or the challenges they are trying to solve inside and outside of their classes. And if you have ever wondered: How am I supposed to help or engage with what they are saying? You are not alone. Students are engaging in content inside their IYC classes that did not exist when I began in the classroom either. At the beginning of my teaching career AirPods did not exist, neither did TikTok, and students were not using 3D printers. 

Here is the good news: you do not need to be a prototyping expert or to have a business degree to engage with your student at home. At IYC, students learn best by solving real problems, working in teams, and learning from the process. Your job at home isn't to have the answers. It's to be in the conversation.

That single shift, from expert to coach, is where your support does its most powerful work, helping your student build confidence, independence, and the mindset of an innovator.

Before we jump into at-home support, it might be helpful to understand and picture what is happening in the classroom.  At IYC, students don't just learn about innovation and business, they live it. Working in groups, they plan by brainstorming ideas, dividing roles, and setting goals. They create real products and services and bring their ideas to life. They serve real customers, pitching and selling to people who give honest feedback. And they reflect, measuring results and deciding what to improve next.

It's real work, with real customers and real growth. And like all real work, it can be messy. That's not a problem to fix, it's an entry point.

Listener: Create a space where your student feels comfortable sharing ideas, challenges, and questions. The instinct is to jump in with advice right away. Try listening first and asking a thoughtful question instead.

• Thinking partner: Help your student explore options, weigh ideas, and think through what comes next. Resist the urge to solve the problem for them. A simple "What do you think your team should do?" hands the thinking back to where it belongs.

• Encourager: Celebrate effort, progress, and growth, not just the final result. Instead of focusing only on outcomes, recognize the persistence, the improvement, and the learning along the way.

You do not need to have all the answers, but rather just to be a part of the conversation. 

The goal is not about the length of the conversation, but rather the consistency of check ins. Five minutes in the car, at dinner, or anytime you connect is enough to help your student reflect and keep growing. If you need a starting point, here are five questions you can ask: 

• "What challenge is your group working to solve?" Helps your student clarify the problem and stay focused on what really matters.

• "What contribution did you make this week?" Encourages ownership, responsibility, and pride in their role on the team.

• "What feedback changed your thinking?" Helps them learn to listen, adapt, and turn feedback into stronger solutions.

• "What obstacle is your team trying to overcome?" Opens the door for problem solving, perseverance, and supporting one another.

• "What is your next step?" Helps them think ahead, set goals, and stay in motion toward impact.

Pick the one that fits the moment. Five minutes of the right question, asked consistently, can change everything.

The words we choose shape how our students think, lead, and persevere. When you feel the [understandable] pull to step in and fix things, try trading the instinct for a question. Here are reframes as a starting point. 

• When they face a challenge, instead of "Why is this so hard for you?" try "What's one way your group could approach this differently?"

• When they share an idea, instead of "That won't work," try "Tell me more about that idea."

• When they get feedback, instead of "Do you think you did a good job?" try "What did you learn from the feedback?"

• When they feel stuck, instead of "Let me show you how to fix it," try "What have you already tried? What could you try next?"

• When they succeed, instead of "I knew you could do it!" try "What are you most proud of about how your group handled this?"

Ready to put this into practice? Choose one small action this week and do it together:

• 1) Ask your innovator to explain a prototype or solution as if you were a customer.

• 2) Learn together by having them teach you one design-thinking tool they used this week.

• 3)Talk about feedback that changed their idea or direction.

• 4)Celebrate one challenge they overcame or a win they're proud of.

• 5)Plan ahead by asking what their group’s next step is, and how you can support it.

To make it stick, keep it simple: pick a regular time that works for your family, put away distractions and give them your full attention, and be their biggest cheerleader. Your belief in them fuels their confidence.

Innovation is a journey, and small actions at home create big impact in the classroom and beyond. Your encouragement, questions, and belief help your student keep going, especially when challenges get tough. 

Thank you for being part of their innovation journey! Stay curious, stay connected, and remember: every idea starts small, every attempt counts, and every innovator makes a difference. 

Feel free to share how the conversations go on IYC Inside! We would love to hear from you.