Questions for Instructional Coaches to ask their Colleagues

In this article in The Reading Teacher, Alida Hudson and Bethanie Pletcher (Texas A&M University/College Station) say that successful literacy coaches, “rather than thinking for teachers… are adept at asking open-ended questions, which allow space for teachers to talk through ideas and encourage deep thinking about their own literacy practice.” They suggest some open-ended, positive, and tentative questions:

-   Was that how you envisioned the lesson unfolding?

-   Were there any surprises for you?

-   What is your thinking about…?

-   What might be indicators that you are successful?

-   What were the students able to do in this lesson?

-   What did you do to help the students succeed?

-   What else might you have students do?

-   So, maybe try…

-   What are some things that you could have students do differently the next time you teach this lesson?

Following up after a lesson that incorporated coaching suggestions, a literacy coach might ask:

-   Do you think it was successful? If so, what made the difference?

-   What would you change if you taught this lesson again?

-   What can we do differently that might help students get there?

-   What is getting in the way of the teaching you want to do, and your students’ learning?

-   What might it look like if this problem were solved?

-   Talk to me more about how you…

-   So, moving forward, what do you want to focus on?

“The Art of Asking Questions: Unlocking the Power of a Coach’s Language” by Alida Hudson and Bethanie Pletcher in The Reading Teacher, July/August 2020 (Vol. 74, #1, pp. 96-100); Pletcher can be reached at bethanie.pletcher@tamucc.edu.

(Please Note: The summary above is reprinted with permission from issue #848 of 

The Marshall Memo, an excellent resource for educators.)