Instructional Coaches, Be a Multiplier

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Author Liz Wiseman urges leaders to be multipliers. While some leaders diminish, multipliers amplify the capabilities and contributions of the people around them. As instructional coaches, some of our most valuable contributions come not from knowing the answer, but from being multipliers – discovering each teacher’s genius and helping them recognize it and put it to use.
 
As a multiplier, coaches create conditions where teachers can contribute their best thinking and develop their abilities. When we’re sitting side-by-side with a teacher, thinking together about an instructional challenge, we use our own capabilities to bring out the teacher’s capacity. Recognizing a teacher’s talent and finding ways to help that native genius grow increases the impact on student learning.
 
Here’s an example: Ellie’s coach noticed her knack for drawing students into meaningful discussions. Ellie encourages students to build on one another’s ideas instead of simply stating their own thoughts. During their coaching conversation, Ellie’s coach described and praised this approach. Then they explored how to extend this strength by nudging students to ask each other follow-up questions. Ellie’s strength was magnified as her students shared the responsibility for creating meaningful conversations.
 
Another example: Samuel’s coach recognized his ability to identify patterns in his students’ assessment results. After the next round of formative assessments, the coach asked Samuel to share his insights about his class’s data with the PLC and explain his process for examining the data. His think-aloud benefited everyone on the team.
 
What one teacher finds challenging may come easily to another.  Because it comes easily, teachers may not recognize their superpowers as something special. As coaches, we can be on the lookout for strengths and help teachers recognize their own genius by naming the specific things they do well and expanding the impact those abilities have on student learning. Rather than offering general praise, we can help teachers see what they're doing and why it matters,  Shining this light helps them put their talent to good use more consistently. When we help teachers extend their strengths beyond what they're already doing, we expand the possibilities for their professional growth and their students' learning.
 
This week, I invite you to look for ways to be a multiplier. As you work with teachers, notice what they do exceptionally well.  How might you help them build on that ability in a way that expands their impact? Name a strength. Help the teacher see its value. Then explore where that ability might take them next.
 
As we help teachers discover new ways to apply what they already do well, they multiply what they can accomplish with strengths they already possess.
 

This week, you might want to take a look at:
Make the closing conversation count: 
 
https://www.smartbrief.com/original/the-last-20-minutes-of-your-offsite-are-the-ones-that-matter-most
 
 
Authors read their (PK-3) picture books aloud:
 
https://www.edutopia.org/article/read-aloud-picture-books-author-videos
 
 
4 things educators gain from professional conversation:
 
https://www.teachingchannel.com/k12-hub/blog/conversation-deepens-professional-learning/
 
 
How acting boosts learning:
 
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-acting-out-in-school-boosts-learning/
 
 
A podcast about substantive conversation in the classroom:
 
http://www.idra.org/images/stories/CN-130.mp3
 
That’s it for this week. Happy Coaching!
 
Want more coaching tips? Check out my book, Differentiated Mentoring & Coaching in Education: From Preservice Teacher to Expert Practitioner, available from Teachers College Press!  I’m so excited to share it with you! You can use the code: OCT2026 for 15% off. Click  here  and I’ll email you the free Book Group Study Guide that includes questions, prompts, and activities you can use as you share the book with colleagues.  I hope you’ll love this book as much as I loved making it for you!