Instructional coaching is intended to reinforce teachers’ and administrators’ practices in ways that support schools so that instruction is rigorous, the delivery effective, and the assessment appropriate for student learning to improve. In some cases, instructional coaching helps expand both the teachers and administrators’ knowledge base; sometimes, the coaches help teachers and administrators use what they know and provide support about more effective instructional strategies, techniques, and delivery of instruction. Whatever the reason, instructional coaching influences what students learn, increases student engagement, builds teacher capacity, and helps both students and their teachers become more successful learners.

Instructional coaching should never be a, “What do you want to do today?” type of conversation. Coaches plan, prepare, sometimes “prescribe” and most times, practice, with their teaching colleagues in ways that are non-evaluative, non-threatening, and really not reportable. That’s the good news/bad news story… coaches work with teachers to change practice and because the work and the relationships are non-evaluative, teachers and coaches are in a unique position with each other. Coaches are not supervisors; they are not substitute teachers; sometimes they are not even classroom colleagues. So what are they?

Coaches are experienced teaching professionals who can understand the process of instruction, can recognize effective instructional practices, can assess data, and can engage in ongoing conversations that ebb and flow depending on “where” the participants are at the time of the conversation. They also understand that they are not experts; they are willing participants in a collaborative process that takes much time, consistent relationships, great leadership, and lots of humor!

Receptivity and responsiveness are situational. Not every person is reflective every time and thinks about his/her thinking. Nor is every person willing to engage in thoughtful problem solving. It can be a scary thing to confess that you don’t know something or to admit that you need help. After all, teachers went to college… why do they need help in teaching their students… they have a degree that says they are ready to teach??

As a coach, I think the single most important quality is the ability to build strong, collaborative relationships. No one knows everything about content even in one’s own area of certification; no one knows every strategy or instructional technique that promises to improve student outcomes; no one knows all there is to know about his/her students or school wide community. What a coach knows, however, is the power of collaboration and the tremendous influence collective problem solving has to improve the ongoing teaching and learning that must be present in order for students, the teachers, the administrators, and their schools to be successful and help prepare our students for society. Maybe it’s instinctive or intuitive; maybe it’s just the ability to talk, learn, laugh, and share together. Whatever it is… coaches have “it” and I’m glad they do!

At the end of each month, I look back at what I accomplished and either hang my head or give myself a “high five” (more the former than latter). I tend to make long “to do” lists that sound very doable at the time of creation. I then reflect and say to myself, “What was I thinking??” When I review my lists, I notice that my original list has multiplied into about 10 additional lists, each subsequent list becoming more and more detailed about what I want to accomplish. This reflection is perfect for December as we think about the inevitable… what’s this year’s New Year’s resolution and how will I sustain the momentum as I move forward personally and professionally?

Looking back, I want to remind myself what I’ve learned about teaching, learning, and coaching… teacher quality is the most significant factor affecting student achievement; teachers who are supported by instructional coaches are more likely to implement newly learned instructional strategies; follow up support to effectively implement new learning and scaffolding encourages reflective practice and instruction; teachers want to talk to their colleagues about effective instructional strategies; collaboration and open communication make a difference in teaching and learning; teachers and coaches who collectively problem solve around problems of practice are more likely to identify effective strategies that work to address those issues; and most importantly, teachers really like to talk to other practitioners who are non-evaluative listeners with a shared vision about how to help their students grow while improving their own instructional practices.

As I move forward in my practice, I am also reminded about the daily questions coaches, mentors, and administrators must ask themselves: what am I doing as a coach, mentor, or administrator to help teachers change and improve their practice, and what am I doing to help teachers improve student engagement and outcomes? I ask myself the same questions about helping others improve their coaching practices. How can I help coaches and mentors work one-on-one and in small groups to support teachers, coaches, and other school leaders? Providing ongoing opportunities to engage in professional learning and to share new learning with others is fundamental to my own learning.

Janus, the two-faced (in a good way) ancient Roman god of beginnings and transitions, looks to the future and to the past. He looks after passages, causes actions to start and presides over all beginnings. I think the role of the coach mirrors Janus’ role. Coaches certainly disrupt the status quo and foster conversation. Remember your journey and the goals you have set out to accomplish. Celebrate the small accomplishments and remember that Rome was not built in a day…look behind you to see how far you have come and look ahead to see what innovations are possible. This is a journey of change and it takes courage, tenacity, diligence, frustration, and acceptance to stay the course.

Best wishes for a wonderful holiday season. Rest, relax, and rejuvenate your body and soul. All good things in the New Year!

Susan Scott (Fierce Inc. and contributing columnist to Learning Forward) says that “honest conversations are the cornerstone to building a culture of excellence” (JSD, December 2013). She believes that the most powerful practice to transform schools comes from ongoing conversations, the dialogue that either makes or breaks what happens in schools.

As an instructional coach, honest and open communication and ongoing conversations are what makes the difference between heavy and light coaching. Of course, a coach is a resource provider and often provides articles, templates, reports, and other useful items to teachers who do not have the time to peruse google or other search engines to find the latest in research or current trends to inform practice. This, however, is not coaching if there is no follow up about using those resources. The issue is not only about which resources to use; it’s about how to transform the written word into action and then discuss how that action influences learning.

“Shoulder-to-shoulder” support makes a difference when there is conversation about the practice. That’s one of the shortcomings of consultant driven support that occurs at the introduction of the resource and not again until the resource has been used for a period of time. I don’t think it’s a very effective model to provide all the bells and whistles of wonderful resources with no one onsite to help plan how to use the resources, or to work together at the time the resources are used, or to reflect after they are used to determine how useful the resources were to help the teachers reach a specific learning goal with their students. In fact, offering this kind of support without training or sustained conversation is what Dennis Sparks calls, “educational malpractice.” (That’s why so many beautiful PowerPoint slide presentations stay hidden and unused; without talking about the context, the materials are useless.)

Talking about one’s practice makes a difference. It’s like the dress rehearsal before the grand opening. It makes such good sense for teachers to talk to each other about what they want to teach, how they want to teach “it,” how they will know if the desired outcomes are reached, and what to do in the event that the instructional goals are not met. These kinds of conversations must occur in deliberate and intentional ways. That being said, I think the conversations can occur through a blended approach… they must be face-to-face and may have an electronic component as well, e.g., virtual or written conversations. I am not convinced that the conversations can be effective via electronic communication alone although I do recognize the constraints of time and location.

If we want to make a difference in the way students learn and help them become lifelong learners, we need to ensure that every student is taught by a highly qualified teacher. That’s not just through a teacher earning a degree from a college or university. It’s through offering the teacher the ongoing support needed to ensure that every student benefits when teachers talk to each other, learn together, and regularly engage in collaborative practices. We need to offer teachers the opportunities to nourish their own professional growth through talking with other practitioners, seeing how they practice, and collectively problem solving about things that impact student growth.

It sounds like such a common sense approach to encourage teachers to talk to one another about effective instructional practices and how to help each other reach their full potential so they can help their students reach their fullest potential. But, then again, common sense is not so common, is it?

I recently heard the tail end of an interview on the radio with Malcolm Gladwell. When asked about his impact on his readers, he said that he liked to “…disrupt their way of thinking.” He continued by saying that he likes to “upend the individual’s understanding of things.”  Interesting… I think that’s just what coaches do… they help move individuals from one level of comfort and understanding to another level of learning. Usually, that next level is not one that fits like an old shoe!

The teachers I meet are passionate about what they do. In fact, I haven’t met a teacher yet who doesn’t want to do a better job of teaching. The truth is that teachers want to influence their students in ways that will make a difference in their lives. However, the conditions under which they teach and the economic times make it difficult to think outside of the box and try innovative things that challenge their students. Teachers are incredibly patient and supportive of their students. They all pursued teaching because they wanted to change the world by making it a better place to live; they wanted their students to reach their full potential and be the next generation of world leaders.

But, is that enough in today’s world? I don’t think so… knowing the curriculum or knowing the core content is just part of the equation. Knowing how to deliver the content to students and drawing connections to real life situations that are meaningful and relevant to students while helping them to take ownership of their own learning is where the power rests. It’s like creating the perfect lesson plan:  the goals are identified, the materials available, the core standards addressed, and appropriate student learning groups designed to meet the diverse needs of the students. Wouldn’t it be great if the teacher could practice the delivery before the actual class to ensure that the goals, assessments, and outcomes were aligned?

That’s the beauty of working with an instructional coach. Through the BDA cycle of consultation, the coach and teacher work together to plan, think aloud, and collectively problem solve so that every student benefits from the non-evaluative scaffolding of collaboration.

Instructional coaching is a courageous endeavor… the good news is that coaches help teachers rethink what they teach in ways that they didn’t know existed previously… the bad news is that with this newfound knowledge comes some unease and tension in trying new things. Coaching disrupts the status quo. It involves professional conversations about teaching and learning; it requires two or more people coming together to discuss learning, student engagement, and teacher capacity. It entails colleagues working together and sharing opinions, insights, feedback, and a fair amount of self-reflection. It means that the individuals must think about their own thinking and make some deliberate decisions about what they do, why they do “it,” and how they do “it.”

Very often, teachers are either falsely competitive or work in isolation. What I mean is that in certain situations, teachers compete with each other for being the “best” teacher in x grade or they close their doors and work completely isolated from their colleagues. Either way, the results are the same… no opportunities to spread the learning, share the expertise, or broadcast the wealth of experience that no doubt lives in each professional learning community.

Instructional coaches shift thinking and change action by creating environments that are conducive to discourse and ongoing communication. They engage in deliberate and intentional conversations that result in professional growth. After all, talking about one’s practice surely invites reflection and innovation.  Coaches re-ignite the passion for learning by reinforcing the notion that it’s okay to ask questions about teaching and learning; what’s not okay is to do nothing about what one learns.

Coaches, indeed, have a very special role. They are not classroom peers nor are they administrators. They have one “foot” in each world, however, as they work with teachers in non-evaluative ways and work with administrators to help them understand that they are in a community of learners and must not expect coaches to breach confidentiality about their work with teachers.

Coaches need a variety of expertise… they need to have a skill set that is responsive and directive at the same time; they need to understand strategic planning and have a “game” plan for getting work accomplished; they must also be familiar with resources and tools that help shape the coaching relationship and support learning at all levels.

When asking several coaches to identify the most critical attributes for successful coaching, these five qualities emerged as high level necessities: ability to build trusting relationships, model great listening skills, “look” with a non-judgmental eye; ask meaningful questions, and create an environment conducive for relevant and specific feedback. All of these characteristics come with one important thing missing… EGO!

The coaches with whom I work have positioned themselves in ways that are supportive and collaborative with teachers and administrators. They are clear about their coaching roles and share that understanding with the staff they support. They acknowledge that this is not a “who’s right” situation. They follow the teacher’s lead when appropriate and know when to nag where necessary. They recognize that addressing individual learning needs is just as important as program fidelity or results oriented coaching. They try to be as responsive as possible, being flexible and understanding in constructing relationships that are developmental. They differentiate their support and offer “side-by-side” encouragement so that teachers can collectively problem-solve and engage in critical thinking so that changes in instruction, practice, and student learning are the expected outcomes. At the same time, they realize that some conversations are more challenging than others.

Effective instructional coaches do not “tell” teachers what to change; they regularly meet with teachers both individually and in small groups to be part of the process for change. The co-plan, co-facilitate, co-teach, and then debrief about practice. They talk about instruction in ways that build their own capacity for learning which ultimately transforms practice. 

This transformative practice works well when administrators and coaches “partner” together in ways that are non-evaluative, community oriented, participatory for all teachers (coaching is not a deficit model), and collaborative. The goals and process are transparent as are the outcomes. As coaches have explicitly stated: we help our teaching colleagues set goals and a purpose for teaching a lesson/unit/concept; we listen and collaborate as they identify strategies and techniques for effective instructional delivery; we ask some probing and clarifying questions to ensure that the content, instruction, assessment, and outcomes are aligned; we “pat and push” when we have to guide them in a different direction; we share their in-class experiences in non-evaluative ways; and we help them become reflective practitioners and recognize both the strengths and areas of need in classroom practices. Coaches listen more than talk and do not need to share everything they know about a particular idea. Coaches start and end each day asking, “What am I doing as a coach to help teachers change and improve their practice? What am I doing as a coach to help teachers improve student engagement and outcomes?” This is truly the coaches’ mantra!

Many coaches are struggling with the practicality of keeping notes about their work with colleagues. It’s not that they don’t want to keep appropriate and professional notes; it’s more about the time it takes and the kind of notes that cause the coaches to anguish over how to complete that kind of process. It’s certainly not easy to do yet the rewards for taking the time to maintain records is crucial to a coach’s success.

What many practitioners do not understand is that coaches do not walk into school and announce, “Oh, what should we do today?” Coaches plan and prepare for their work with teachers every day. So, how do they know what they need to do in preparation for their work with teachers? They keep notes so they can differentiate their support to teachers; they keep notes so they know where they are, where they want to go, and plan the steps it takes to get there.

Coaches need to document not only what/how they work with colleagues but also what their next steps are to provide ongoing, job-embedded professional development to them. However, coaching is confidential so the documentation stays in the hands of the coach and the teacher(s) being coached. Coaches and teachers work together and co-construct the “look fors” (before) in their collaborative consultation. When the coach visits the classroom (during), the coach uses the co-constructed form to document what happened in the classroom. This form is again used as the coach and teacher reflect and debrief (after) the lesson.  This kind of documentation is record keeping, a way for both the coach and teacher to keep track of their work together. This is one kind of documentation.

The more deliberate and thought-provoking kind of documentation is reflecting about the practice. Some questions include: How do you know the students were engaged in the work? Why were specific decisions made? How do you know that the students reached the intended outcomes? How can this practice be improved? What are the next steps to improve learning? These are great conversation starters that encourage deep thinking and contemplation, critical for ongoing discussions about student learning.

At the same time, coaches need to reflect on their work with teachers and ask the questions, “What am I doing to help teachers change and improve their practice? What am I doing to help teachers improve student engagement and outcomes?” Their relationships are developmental as is the process for reflecting and determining next steps. Coaches need to know what kind of support is necessary and if resources are required. They need to reflect on the conversations, actions, and thinking throughout the BDA cycle of coaching. They need to prepare themselves for the work they want to accomplish with their colleagues. They need to review their goals and objectives and determine if they have achieved what they set out to do. This process is continual and strengthens practice. How can that happen if the only thing to rely on is memory?

Two interesting related questions that I’ve been asked more and more frequently are how to explain the coach’s role to a staff not familiar with instructional coaching and how to describe or publicize what coaches do and how they do “it.”

First things first… how do we define instructional coaching? Instructional coaching is a sustainable teacher professional development model designed to help teachers get better at what they do. Coaching is part of a whole-school improvement strategy that fosters collective problem-solving and offers highly targeted professional development embedded in teachers’ daily work. Instructional coaches provide professional learning opportunities for teachers and school leaders focused on classroom practices to increase student engagement, build teacher capacity and improve student learning. Especially in this era of educator effectiveness, coaches are in the perfect position to help teachers implement effective instructional practices. That is their role. Some schools have ongoing faculty meetings and share the school’s plan for school wide improvement at every meeting; some schools rely on the coach to re-negotiate their role and start talking about the new ideas for school wide change; some schools started the previous year to gather the collective wisdom of the staff and create focus groups to talk about school wide change with instructional coaching as one intervention; some schools “hit the ground running” and are changing the tires on a moving car! No matter how the coaching model and role are “rolled out” in schools, consistency in practice and language are the best ways to ensure a shared understanding of what and how coaches work with teachers and administrators.

The coach’s role needs to be shared in several ways, e.g., in print, in practice, and in perception. So, what do I mean? Coaches ought to informally gather some data from his/her colleagues and identify relevant and meaningful topics via a print or electronic assessment survey of what the school needs to improve. This organic list is generated by the staff so the teachers’ voices are clearly heard. After a list is generated, the coach needs to circulate the list and identify teachers with whom to work. Sometimes coaches ask for volunteers; sometimes they ask their friends to be their emissaries of good will and spread the good word; sometimes coaches are asked to work with all new teachers or specific grade level teachers. Remember, coaching is not a deficit model so working only with those teachers identified by the principal as needing support defeats the purpose and goal of an effective instructional coaching model. However, if the principal “assigns” the coach to work with teachers who are identified as needing help, the coach must broaden his/her scope of work to include other teachers as well. (The coach is following the principal’s directive and is including other teachers to join the process in ways that support whole school improvement.) Share with the staff ways that you can help support effective instruction. Here’s where “show and tell” are your friends!

Working one-on-one is the best way to work with teachers. However, that is not always the reality of a coaching situation. If a coach is a former staff member, s/he must elicit the support of friends and begin to co-plan and co-facilitate some small group learning. An example of small group learning is to offer mini professional learning on the use of evidence-based literacy practices or questioning techniques as topics to demonstrate collaborative practice. Coaches and teachers working together and showing how their work is planned and facilitated speaks volumes. Helping teachers strengthen their reflective practice encourages them to be innovative, especially when they know that coaches are non-evaluative. This can be accomplished through a professional learning community where vision, support, and understanding are shared. If there is a school newsletter or “Coach’s Corner,” share stories of success written by teachers who have seen changes in classroom practice and student engagement as a result of the school’s adoption of an instructional coaching model.

Building relationships take time. Coaches understand adult learning strategies and honor the teachers’ voices and choices. They demonstrate the BDA cycle of consultation, collaboration, collective problem-solving, and confidentiality. Their practical experiences, classroom habits, and coaching protocols demonstrate a clear understanding of goals, objectives and professionalism. There is a joint ownership for student and staff learning with mutual respect evident. Changing perceptions can be challenging. The best way to do that is to show how non-evaluative practices are collaborative, confidential, and critical to success. Show that changing practice creates a change in belief. You can do it!