Why take a "coach approach" to leadership? (And how do I do it?)
If you’ve ever wondered, “How can I lead with a “coach approach” if I’m a supervisor who evaluates teachers?”... then this article is for you!
Why take a "coach approach" to leadership? (And how do I do it?)
Just like we must intentionally create conditions for learning in our classrooms, leaders must create conditions for learning amongst faculty.
When we do, we can support teachers in their thinking and decision-making, allowing them to be in the driver’s seat while we hold space for reflection, engage in thoughtful discussion, and provide guidance and resources.
The coaching principles are those any great leader can embody, as they are built on trust, partnership, communication, empowerment, and excellence. Created by Jim Knight of the Instructional Coaching Group, these seven principles are key for productive, whole-hearted leadership.
What do these principles mean in practice terms in a school context?
Principals #1 and #2: Equality and Choice
The most powerful person in the world can treat a janitor as though they count.
Equality: "I see others as equal partners in conversations."
In everyday conversations with teachers, how do we convey that we believe they count and matter?
As coaching mastermind Elena Aguilar has said, “People can’t learn from you if you think they suck.”
As educators, we have all felt frustration when working with a colleague who isn’t making the impact on students we’d like to see.
Whether it’s a skill gap, low self-awareness, or something else, a coach always conveys belief in the person they’re working with.
When we don’t, learning shuts down. The amygdala tells us we’re not safe, which prevents the vulnerability required for learning.
On a related note, when we believe someone is our equal, we believe they deserve choice.
Autonomy is one of the most motivating factors for humans. Studies have proven that those with greater autonomy in the workplace outperform their peers who have less of a voice. (Studies also show that teachers have less of a voice in their work than most other professions.)
Equality and Choice in Practice
To communicate my respect for my coaching clients…
I am transparent about the process of the coaching cycle,
Communicate my admiration for their skills by always sharing positive feedback, and
relate to them about life outside school.
As coaches, we can honor a teacher’s autonomy in many ways… Here are the top 3 ways I give choice to the teachers with whom I work:
Choose how we want to collect data on the current reality of their classroom. Do they want me to observe? Do they want us to review student work together? Do they want to survey their students?
What should the teacher’s growth goal focus on?
Which strategies will they adopt, and how will they learn them? I offer to model-teach a new strategy, show a video, or accompany the teacher to a colleague’s classroom to see the strategy in action.
Principals #3, #4, & #5: Voice, Dialogue, and Reciprocity
Many research studies have shown that those who feel seen and heard in their workplace are significantly more likely to be successful at what they do.
In many large school districts, teachers don't feel they have a voice; is it any wonder educators are leaving the field at such high rates? By the way, when teachers feel they have no voice in their schools, they tend to run classrooms in which students don’t have a voice. This impacts learning outcomes. The opposite is also true. So when we give teachers a voice (through instructional coaching or other means), it’s more likely that they’ll give their students a voice, which leads to learning gains.
Often, a coach and a teacher may be operating under different paradigms about how students learn and the support they need to learn. Philosopher Richard Bernstein’s belief applies here: When two people operate in different paradigms, the only way forward is through dialogue.
And it must be two-way! Both parties must believe they have something to gain from the exchange, which is the 5th principle, reciprocity. Coaches must model that they are open to learning from the partnership just as much as the teacher is.
When we as coaches see ourselves as lifelong learners, as those who can always learn, even in the coaching role, it inspires others to adopt that belief as well. I talk with my coaching clients about what I’m learning and the PD I’m attending.
Voice, Dialogue, and Reciprocity in Practice
My next step as a coach-learner in 2025 is to share tools with them that are in beta form, asking for their feedback.
In my coaching meetings, I know it’s going well if the teacher is doing most of the talking. (And if I’m doing most of the talk, I know I need to stop talking and start listening!)
I ask a lot of questions in coaching conversations because I am always seeking to understand. I want to understand where the teacher is coming from, what belief or knowledge is informing their practice, and how they’re bringing who they are to what they teach.
Principals #6 & #7: Praxis and Reflection
To engage in praxis, or putting into practice one’s learning, is the bread and butter of the coaching work.
It also requires all the other partnership principles to make praxis work. With the coaching cycle, the coach is side by side with the teacher from initial observation to goal-setting, to strategy implementation, to revisions and adjustments to the plan. The coach is a “partner in praxis.”
In most conversions during the coaching cycle, coaches cultivate self-directed learning in teachers by giving them opportunities to “look back, look at, and look ahead,” in the words of Jim Knight.
We are indeed our own greatest teachers if only we take the time to reflect on our actions. Coaches hold that space intentionally and systematically.
Praxis and Reflection in Practice
Many of my go-to coaching questions are ones I weave into conversations with teachers all the time, and I encourage you to borrow these and develop your own as well!
Coaching Questions that Invite Praxis and Reflection
So what might be an upcoming lesson where you could try this strategy?
What went well about that lesson? (After an observation) What did you do to make it go well?
What didn’t go as well as you’d hoped? What did/didn’t you do to impact that? What might you do differently in the future?
What did you learn from that lesson? OR What did you learn about your students today?
What did you learn about yourself from this coaching cycle?
What did you learn about teaching from this coaching cycle?
If you’re a school leader, how do these coaching principles inform your work? Which one(s) would you like to incorporate into your work as a leader more this year?
