The Duties That Define Great Instructional Coaches

Instructional coaching is most powerful when it’s rooted in partnership. Rather than prescribing solutions, effective coaches collaborate with teachers—helping them set goals, reflect on practice, and grow as professionals. This approach not only honors teacher expertise but also leads to more sustainable improvements in instruction and student outcomes.

Why Partnership Matters

When coaches own the solution, teachers miss the opportunity to learn and lead. But when teachers co-create goals and strategies with their coach, they become the drivers of their own growth. This shift from directive to collaborative coaching is essential for building skilled, confident educators.

Defining the Role Clearly

Research by Galey and Knight shows that instructional coaches thrive when their role is clearly defined. Without a shared understanding, coaches face tension and underappreciation. A standardized definition helps schools unlock the full potential of coaching.  Defining the role clearly will be one of the department’s goals this year.  This will be especially vital as we begin to implement the Lead Teacher and Distinguished Teacher roles as part of the Career Ladder.

🔝 Ranked Coaching Roles by Impact

Not all coaching activities are created equal. Some have a direct and immediate influence on teacher practice and student learning, while others are more supportive or indirect.

Here’s a breakdown of the top 10 coaching roles, ranked by their impact:

🌟 High-Impact Roles (Direct Classroom Influence)

These roles are closest to instructional practice and yield the strongest results:

1. Providing Feedback to Teachers Timely, specific, and actionable feedback helps teachers refine their practice and accelerate growth. It’s the cornerstone of effective coaching.

2. Modeling Lessons Demonstrating high-quality instruction in real time makes strategies visible and replicable. Teachers can see theory in action and apply it with confidence.

3. Co-Teaching Working side-by-side with teachers allows them to try new strategies in a safe, supportive environment. It builds trust and shared ownership of student success.

4. Planning with a Teacher Collaborative planning ensures lessons are rigorous, aligned to standards, and tailored to student needs. It deepens content knowledge and instructional design skills.

   
   

   📘 Medium-Impact Roles (Supportive, Require Follow-Through)

   
   

   These roles support teacher growth but need to be paired with application:

   
   

5. Mentoring New or Struggling Teachers Targeted support boosts confidence and retention, especially for those early in their careers or facing challenges.

6. Facilitating Data-Driven Conversations Helping teachers interpret and act on student data promotes continuous improvement and evidence-based decision-making.

7. Attending PLC Meetings Coaches contribute to data analysis and instructional strategy discussions, positioning themselves as thought partners in professional learning communities.

📦 Lower-Impact Roles (Broad, Less Personalized)

These roles are helpful but less likely to lead to deep instructional change unless paired with ongoing coaching:

8. Learning Walks with Teachers Observing classrooms together builds shared vision and collective efficacy but has a more indirect influence compared to 1:1 coaching.

9. Stand and Deliver PD / Workshops Whole-staff sessions are good for setting vision or introducing initiatives but often lack personalization and follow-up.

10. Resource Provider Curating tools, strategies, and research is useful, but can become transactional if not embedded in coaching cycles. This also includes pulling data for data meetings.

✅ Key Takeaway

The closer a coaching role is to classroom practice—like feedback, modeling, co-teaching, and planning—the greater impact on teacher growth and student outcomes. Roles that are broader or one-off (like workshops or resource sharing) are still valuable, but they need to be part of a larger coaching strategy to truly move the needle.

Additional Thoughts

1. Differentiate Just as we differentiate for students, coaches must tailor support to each teacher’s strengths, goals, and areas for growth.

2. Developmental Support Coaching should be aligned to a teacher’s professional journey—whether they’re new, mid-career, or veteran educators refining their craft.

3. Deliberate Support Intentional, sustained coaching—grounded in data and tied to instructional practice—creates lasting impact.

This shift from generic to personalized, developmental, and deliberate support is what transforms coaching from a “nice to have” into a powerful lever for school improvement.

🌟As we move forward, our department remains committed to building consistency and clarity in coaching practices across the district. This work will center on the development and implementation of common coaching tools and templates to ensure alignment and shared expectations for all educators. In addition, we will be leveraging PowerSchool’s new Coaching and Mentoring Tool within the PL platform to streamline support, monitor progress, and strengthen accountability. We look forward to collaborating with our building leaders as we engage in this important work throughout the year in order to create a unified approach to coaching that enhances teacher growth and ultimately student success.