10 Things Instructional Coaches Should Know and Do
Recently,
as I was filming a training about instructional coaching, I overhead one of the
production crew members say, “If they’d had something like this, I probably
would have stayed in the classroom.”
Instructional
coaching is a powerful support for teachers – one that can keep them growing,
thriving, and staying in the profession. In these times of high
teacher burnout and turnover, this is an important coaching outcome. It’s
not the creation of a coaching position, though, that makes the difference.
It’s what those coaches know and do . Below are 5
things coaches should know and 5 things to do to increase impact.
What
Coaches Should Know
Coaches’
knowledge makes a difference. The following ideas can guide your work:
1)
Pedagogy: It
will come as no surprise that research says coaches are most effective when
they have pedagogical knowledge – knowledge about teaching and how students
learn. Even though instructional coaches might coach teachers across
disciplines, it’s also helpful to have pedagogical content knowledge – knowledge
of subject-specific teaching strategies.
The
teachers you are working with need to feel that you are credible and that you
believe they are, too. Credibility
comes from knowing that you are drawing from your own experience and from your
knowledge in the field. Teachers need to know they can trust any suggestions
you might offer.
2)
Adult Learning: In
addition to knowing how students learn, coaches should understand how adults
learn. Andragogy (principles of adult learning) reminds us that adults learn
best when they are self-directed, their experience is acknowledged, and they understand
and buy into the goal.
Adults benefit from having choices and
autonomy. They like to take responsibility for their own learning. Adult
learners are often practical and problem-centered. And, of course, they want to
be shown respect.
Adults expect to be treated as capable and reliable
individuals. They want a collaborative learning environment where their input
and opinions are valued.
3)
Change & Implementation: Coaches
need to understand how teachers change their practice – incrementally, over
time, and through modeling, feedback, reflection, and affirmation. Substantive
change is not sudden. Just like with student achievement, there are no
quick fixes – just hard work. Change is a process.
Coaches
should also know some common barriers to change: too many expectations, shifting
priorities, time constraints, caustic culture, and conflicting teaching
philosophies, for example.
4)
Data Literacy: Not
only do coaches need to know how to analyze both formal assessments and
classroom observation data, they need to be able to explain it and guide
teachers in how to use data to inform instruction.
Coaches
support teachers as they dig into data, identify problems, determine root causes,
and narrow the focus, As we move
from data to decision, coaches help
teachers make a plan that matters.
5)
School and District Systems: Coaches
need to know how the work they are doing fits in with larger systems in their
school and district. Understanding the big picture helps coaches identify
elements of shared vision that they can support. It helps when coaches and
principals are
on the same page.
Coaches
can avoid being seen as “one more initiative,” when their work aligns with
school and district priorities. Teachers then view coaching as a support for
meeting these expectations. You can be on their team.
What
Coaches Should Do
It’s
hard to limit this list to 5, but below I’ve prioritized some important, research-supported
actions for coaches to incorporate into their practice.
1) Build Trusting Relationships:
There’s no doubt about it – positive coaching outcomes are built on
foundations of trust. Teachers are more open to feedback and more willing to
take risks when they feel seen and safe.
Trust is built through active listening, expressing
empathy, maintaining confidentiality, and acknowledging teachers’ strengths. By honoring agreements, showing
up as expected, and being consistent, coaches
sustain trusting relationships.
2) Offer Practice-Based
Support: Coaching is more than just talking. Effective
coaching includes modeling, observing, offering feedback, making
recommendations, and supporting reflection.
No matter which coaching moves are used to offer
practice-based support, make clear connections
to student learning. Seeing how changes affect student engagement and
outcomes creates buy-in.
3) Balance Support and
Challenge: Effective coaches affirm teachers’ strengths and
nudge them toward growth. Including specific evidence as part of an affirmation
makes it authentic, meaningful, and more likely to encourage repeat
performances of the effective practice.
Similarly, when recommendations
are specific, they are more likely to be remembered and applied.
Open-ended
questions that spark reflection can also spur growth. Another
way that coaches propel growth is by checking back with teachers about goals
they have set for themselves.
4) Foster Collaboration: In
the GIR model, coaching build collaborative, interdependent
relationships. Through collaboration, both
coach and teacher offer valuable perspectives, sparking ideas that wouldn’t be created otherwise. The insight
and power that we gain from working together is one of the enduring assets of successful
coaching.
Coaches
can also create structures for peer collaboration. Coaching grade-level teams
or disciplinary departments extends impact by creating networks of support and
accountability. Coaches can also create structures for peer observation so that
teachers recognize and build on each other’s successes.
5) Differentiate: My
coaching book is called Differentiated
Mentoring & Coaching for a reason – teachers are not all the same, and
they don’t grow at the same pace, just like our students.
Differentiated coaching means recognizing
teachers’
place, pace, and progress, and then varying the coaching moves you use as
those you work with gain experience and expertise. By selectively choosing
whether to model, recommend, ask questions, affirm, or praise – based on teachers’
needs – you effectively differentiate the support provided.
Coaching as Knowing and Doing
Recent research on instructional coaching suggests
clear patterns for what makes coaching most effective. When coaches focus on
the practices that matter, they have a positive impact on both teachers and
students. The 5 things to know and 5 things to do, described above, make a
difference. Instructional coaching helps teachers strengthen their practice and
sustain their energy for teaching.
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