A growing number of schools are investing in instructional coaches to help teachers to reflect on their practices, broaden their teaching strategies, and build their skillset. On its face, this seems like a great new resource for teachers and a wise investment for schools and school districts. However, instructional coaching is not always welcomed and valued.
Many veteran educators have not experienced a coach since they were a student teacher, and that experience may not have been positive. Consequently, they are now resistant to the idea of being coached. Some teachers are reluctant to engage with an instructional coach because they fear that having a coach may suggest that their skills and practices are not adequate or viewed positively. Still others resist coaching because they are not convinced that a coach will offer significant benefit in exchange for the investment of time and effort.
Yet, most top-performing CEOs and other executives have coaches to help them maintain and improve their performance. Top athletes are constantly coached to help them perform at their very best and remain at elite levels. World-famous visual and performing artists have coaches to help them refine their techniques and hone their skills. The list could go on, but the point is that receiving coaching does not mean that there is a skill deficit or performance problem. Rather, it reflects a commitment to constantly improve and perform at our best and, when done well, instructional coaching offers among the most powerful impact on student learning of all school-based professional development initiatives.
Instructional coaches are not necessarily smarter, better skilled, or more experienced that those they coach. Rather, they serve as reflectors, collaborators, resource providers, and explorers to help us do our very best work on behalf of our students and their learning. They may share observations, ask questions, explore options, and otherwise help us to reflect on and improve our practice.
The challenge we face when being coached is how to get the most from the experience. Coaching takes time, requires investment of effort, and may occasionally challenge us to take risks. We want to be certain that our investment pays off. Here are seven experience-proven insights we can tap to make the best of the coaching we receive.
First, we need to commit to active listening. The first step toward a successful coaching experience is being open to listen and consider what we hear. We may have years of experience under our belt and enjoyed significant success, but becoming even better starts with a willingness to hear and consider ideas and suggestions that do not originate with us.
Second, we must “put our ego in our pocket.” If it has been a while since we have engaged with a coach, it can be a challenge to accept someone else’s ideas and perspectives. We can feel the urge to resist or argue when our coach notices something or somewhere we might improve. We need to be humble enough to accept that there may be areas in which we can and need to improve and that sometimes others are in a good position to notice and suggest opportunities.
Third, we need to avoid making excuses. When we are nervous, defensive, or feeling less than successful, it can be tempting to look for ways to justify our behavior rather than accepting that something did not work or admit that we may not have given our best effort. We need to keep our focus on progress and what can help us to move forward rather than become distracted with deflections and justifications.
Fourth, we can adopt a growth mindset. Just because we have not tried something in the past, or have tried and not been successful, does not mean that we cannot develop a skill or learn a new technique. We may need a better strategy, renewed effort, or access to some additional tools or resources, but we have accomplished difficult things in the past and there is no reason to be less than confident in success if we give our best.
Fifth, we need to ask questions. We may hear something from our coach that seems unclear or confusing. We may not fully understand how to implement what they suggest. Our relationship and the results we and our coach seek to achieve will require clarity and full understanding. Asking for clarification, examples, and models can improve our ability to implement and succeed with new behaviors.
Sixth, we must commit to implementing the results of coaching. Coaching naturally involves conversations, but it truly matters when what we hear and agree to is translated into action. It is not enough to see how a change might be beneficial. We need to put our new learning and emerging insights into practice.
Seventh, we need to remember that our coach wants us to be our best. We may sometimes disagree with what our coach suggests, or we may have what we think is a better idea. But this is not a contest or a circumstance in which we need to win an argument. While we may occasionally choose not to implement a suggestion, we need to remember that our coach is our advocate. They want us to do our best. When we do, they win, too.
Engaging with an instructional coach may be challenging at first, especially if we have little recent experience being coached. However, with patience, commitment, flexibility, courage, and some humor, being coached can be a rich and rewarding experience.
