Helping Insructional Coaches Do Their Best Work

            In this article in The Learning Professional, Kimberly Richardson (Hampton City Schools, Virginia) says that instructional coaches “are often expected to navigate complex leadership responsibilities with limited preparation, unclear expectations, and inconsistent support.” To address these common issues, Richardson suggests that districts:

• Clarify the purpose of coaching. For coaches to maximize the time they spend working directly with teachers on systemwide priorities, it needs to be clear that they should not be doing substitute coverage, coordinating testing, monitoring duties, providing logistical support, or playing an indirect role in teacher evaluation. “Teachers are more likely to engage meaningfully with coaching,” says Richardon, “when leaders consistently communicate that coaches are support partners rather than evaluators or managers.”

• Develop human-centered leadership skills. Just because coaches were outstanding teachers and skillfully implemented their curriculum doesn’t mean they know how to support adult learning, navigate resistance, manage difficult conversations, or deal with colleagues’ stress and burnout. There needs to be intentional training and support around building trust with teachers, communicating clearly, navigating conflict, and creating psychological safety so teachers will address shortcomings and grow professionally. New coaches should get thoughtful instruction in the role, observe effective coaching, and work with a mentor.

• Orchestrate the conditions for effective coaching. Districts need to carve out time for coaches to reflect, plan, collaborate, and problem-solve with each other, while protecting them from being asked to do work that is extraneous to their mission. “Supporting coaches is leadership work,” Richardson concludes. “If schools expect coaches to cultivate growth in others, leaders must create systems that cultivate growth in coaches as well.” 

 “Setting Coaches Up for Success: How Leaders Can Help Coaches Thrive” by Kimberly Richardson in The Learning Professional, June 2026 (Vol. 47, #3, pp. 28-31)

Please Note: This summary is reprinted with permission from issue #1146 of The Marshall Memo, an excellent resource for educators.