The Instructional Coach Academy

Have you ever worked with a teacher who didn’t want to work with you -at all? I did and I promise it almost broke me mentally and professionally. All of our disagreements came to a head as we set in the office ready to have a meeting with the principal.

Before I get to that, let me start at the beginning of the story.

I was hired to work as an Instructional Coach halfway through the first month of school. So when I arrived, I was nervous, scared and hopeful that I could bring my previous work as a teacher into working with other teachers. Two days into the job, I had to run my first Professional Learning Community and go over the principal’s expectations for the team. Everything was going well and teachers were asking good questions until we came up to the line-When are lesson plans due?

I started, “So Mr. Cunningham* wants all lesson plans turned in by Thursday evening so that we- the coaches- could have feedback ready to you by the time you leave on Fri-“

Before I could get the last of the word out Mr. Fox* interrupted me.

“Why Thursday? I like to sit down on Friday after the students leave, go to an early dinner and write my lesson plans well into the evening.”

Taken aback, I explained again what the principal wanted, but with that came 20 more questions about why Mr. Fox thought this was unfair. Obviously exasperated, he left the meeting vowing to meet with Mr. Cunningham to plead his case. I could tell by the look on all of the teacher’s faces that they were not amused by Mr. Fox and I immediately knew that he would be quite different to work with.

Now, based on that interaction, you’d think that Mr. Fox was a veteran teacher, but no, he actually a second-year teacher who had decided that he knew everything there was about teaching history to high school age children. Upon observing his class, it was clear that there were issues- specifically around classroom management and instructional strategies, specifically, he lectured the entire class period and if a student didn’t do what he said at that moment, he put them “out” of the classroom. However, Fox decided he didn’t need anyone’s help.

That belief posed a major problem with the vision of our principal Mr. Cunningham who had a clear instructional vision about the school that directly in contrast to how Mr. Fox operated his class. So for the next couple of months, I attempted to build a relationship with him, but to no avail. Despite his reluctance to work with me, I still had to visit his class several times per week and offer feedback and try to get him to embrace a more student-centered classroom. Nothing worked. He relied strongly on his summer training of teaching and recoiled if anyone suggested that he use anything other than the textbook.

All of this came to head, after a visit from the state where they witnessed Mr. Fox demean a student because they didn’t have the right type of paper and lectured the entire class period. Immediately after the observation, I was called into the office and there was Mr. Fox waiting.

Not knowing what was going on, I knocked on my principal’s door and he quietly opened the door and pointed for me to sit since he was on the phone. After about five minutes, he hung up and before I could ask him what was going on, he called for Mr. Fox to sit down.

The next fifteen minutes were interesting- to say the least. There was a lot of tense moments with the principal laying out his concerns one-by-one and Mr. Fox sticking to his guns that everything he was doing was right. The entire time, I just sat in my chair and listened- this was not my meeting and despite what I personally felt about him, this entire exchange was awkward and unwarranted. In the end, the principal gave Fox and ultimatum- make your teaching more student focused or his evaluation would show that. Begrudgingly, Mr. Fox agreed he’d work with me and we’d meet again in two weeks to reassess his progress.

We all left that meeting feeling pretty ‘beat up’ but I couldn’t just go back to my office- I needed to have a follow-up conversation with Mr. Fox- not to beat him up, but to let him know I was really there to help him. During our quick meeting, I reiterated that as a second-year teacher it was normal for him to struggle and that if he needed help with what he had to do let me know.

I left feeling better and  apparently he did also because later that night I received an email asking if he could meet with me during his planning to see how he could organize his planning better. Our work relationship got better once he realized I could help him and I did.  He ended the year feeling much less like he had a target on his back and he even sent me a nice note thanking me for working with him despite his ‘bad’ attitude.

As I sat at my desk and fumed all I could say to myself was, “I did not sign up for this. This is not how you treat others!” The longer I repeated those words the angrier I became and before long I was hurriedly typing away an email to my principal about my interaction with that teacher. Before I could hit send, I was called to a parent conference. After the parent conference, I helped a teacher get their technology working, but not before I was called to a meeting about Title I funds.  When I returned to my office a couple of hours later, I look at the angry email and deleted it and packed my things to go home. I needed a break and that day had been one of those days you have working in an urban school.

As I drove home, I thought about the interaction with a teacher that had gotten me so “riled up”.  I had come to work that morning excited about a strategy to help a grade level group of teachers struggling with engaging their students when in the course of a PLC a teacher who was upset we had to try something “new” blew up at the group and accused all of us of  throwing her under the bus. Livid, I was two seconds from losing my cool when my voice of reason told me to go back to my office and end the meeting. By the end of the day,  I could laugh about it but I knew sooner or later I’d have to have a conversation with the teacher to clear the air.

For years I had yearned to be an Instructional Coach. I had watched other coaches work with teachers and each time I saw them I thought to myself, I would love to do that job! During the 2012 school year, I received a call that gave me the opportunity to become a coach.  I was called to interview to be the Literacy Coach for a school across town from mine. I didn’t know much about the school, but I knew one thing about me- after being in the classroom for close to 14 years I was ready to an Instructional Coach.

Fast forward to a couple of days after receiving the call to interview, I was sitting in the from office in my new black pantsuit waiting for my name to call. As I look nervously around, I could see that this school was similar to the school I had taught at for the past five years. The kids were the same (Title 1, public high school) and based on the looks of it, the teachers were the same. Just when I was starting to feel comfortable, my name was called and I was sitting in the principal’s office being interviewed about why I should be the coach.

I know I stumbled through my answers, but later I would learn (from my principal) that my answers on instruction and helping teachers helped secure me the spot. Later on that evening after eating a bag full of donuts and watching my phone, I got the call I so desperately wanted. I was hired for the position.

As I look back on that day and my subsequent first day of work, there was so much I have learned during my time working with teachers and veteran and instructional coaches.  I was one of the lucky few who had a principal had been an Instructional Coach and he understood the scope of my work. However, others are not that lucky. Many times principals make the mistake of training their coaches to be a part of the administration team instead of a coach who helps teachers.

The reality of my time as an instructional coach was that it was hard work. Probably harder than being a teacher in a classroom of overage students. Harder than calling parents and telling them that their child was retained. Harder than working with students who others had given up on. My job as a coach was harder and not because of the work, but mainly because the audience changed. I no longer guided underage teens to a love for literature, but I had to coax reluctant teachers to trust me as I helped guide them to become stronger teachers.  Compound this with the fact that I worked at a Priority School where the threat of being taken over by the state always loomed heavy on all of us there. There were days I went home and punched my boxing bag a hundred times, there were days I cried in my office from frustration and there were days I seriously contemplated about going back in the classroom. However, for every bad day, there were two to three great days with people who cared about students and gave 100%.

Looking back at my first couple of years working with teachers, I wished that someone would have told me what this job was going to be about and what I needed to do BEFORE I went in from of any teachers. I wish someone had told me that you may have people on your staff who will undermine you or treat you poorly. I wish someone had told me that as a coach you have to be able to help people who sometimes don’t know (or care) to be helped.

As we start the upcoming school year, I want to give some “gems” of my experience so that this year coaches feel a little bit more supported in the work they do on a daily basis. Every instructional coach  should:

• research the school and content area you will support.
• conduct a professional learning survey for your teachers.
• spend the majority of your time in classrooms, observing and helping teachers.
• remember you are not an administrator. Remember that and adjust your actions accordingly.
• be prepared to encounter negative teachers who do not want to work with you.  Remember their negativity has nothing to do with you, but with them.
• team teach difficult classes to struggling teachers.
• be accessible.
• remember you are still a teacher even if you do not have a class.
• offer professional learning that is relevant to a varying degree of teaching mastery.
•  not be afraid to say you are wrong.
• keep track of your time by using an agenda where you can reflect.

Of course, this list is not exhaustive, but it’s a start for a coach who had a bad year last year or who’s unsure about this year. Use this list to guide your work and take some time to plan, prioritize so you can support teachers to have a great year!

Just like athletes get ready for the big Friday night game, by running, throwing catches, and rehearsing plays, teachers who want to be an Instructional Coach should practice before the big game (i.e. interview) for the position. Sometimes the practice may be sitting in front of the mirror rehearsing potential “pushback” from teachers,  leading a group of teachers in professional learning, or building a module for teachers who are struggling with some aspect of the game (i.e. Writer’s Workshop).

Well before any aspect of the “game” of coaching, there’s one hurdle everyone must pass- the interview. Here are 10 interview questions that you’re likely to encounter on the way to being a coach:

1. What makes you want to be an Instructional Coach? This is a basic “warmup” question to allow the interviewees get a gist of a potential candidate’s intentions of being an instructional coach. Potential answer: Ever since I started teaching, I’ve always had a strong desire to work with teachers in a way that can transform teaching and learning in the classroom. Points to Remember: Lean on your experience in the classroom to discuss how coaching has transformed your practice and why you think you would be a great candidate.
2. Name a time that you’ve lead impactful professional learning. This is a normal question that gauges if you’re comfortable presenting new information to teachers in an impactful way. Potential answer: In my previous experience, I’ve been lucky to lead training on (insert name) and it helped (the type of teacher) teachers really address the issues around (present problem). Points to Remember: Be clear, concise and as specific as possible in answering this question. Be sure to highlight the problem you helped solve by delivering the professional learning and even more important how you followed up on the learning.
3. Describe your educational philosophy and how it lends for you to be an impactful coach. Potential answer: This is a basic question that many principals will ask for not only an Instructional Coach interview but also for any classroom position.  My educational philosophy is grounded in the fact that all students can learn- under the right circumstances and I believe that those right circumstances directly relate to the type of teacher they have. Points to Remember: This can become long-winded and can make you forget everything that you know to be right. State your educational philosophy in under 2 minutes and use specific examples/research to support your philosophy.
4. Talk through a time when you’ve experienced “pushback” from a fellow teacher. How did you handle it? This is a question that directly asks about how you would handle conflict within your department.  Potential Answer: During my eighth grade PLC, there was a teacher who was unhappy that the department was moving toward Project Based Learning and she made everyone aware of her concerns. When her negativity didn’t deter the group, she started to avoid all meetings and hid anytime anything was due. Noticing this, I decided to speak with her 1:1 about her reservations and was able to come to an ‘agreement’ with her about how we could alleviate her concerns and how working as a team would make all of our work easier. Points to remember: For questions like this, be as specific as possible to show that you can a.) handle conflict with teachers b.) you’re focused on the work. 
5. How will you build a strong partnership with your principal in order to ensure teacher learning is effectively facilitated and leads to increased student achievement? Many times principals have NO CLUE on how to leverage their Instructional Coach to increase student achievement. This question directly asks those things. Potential Answer: Building a solid foundation with my principal is critical if I want to show the teachers and staff the collaboration is where the real work is done. I’d ask to sit down with my leader to get his vision for coaching and to ask him or her specifically what they want to accomplish with the teachers. Upon hearing their thoughts, I’d offer the ways that I can bring their vision to light. In addition to this meeting, I’d love to have weekly meetings with my principal to know what I’m working on with teachers to keep their goals in alignment. Points to Remember: At this point never discuss what a school is/isn’t doing. Instead be politically correct in always following the lead of your administrator. 
6. One of the primary areas of work for an instructional coach is to help teachers build their capacity and increase their ability to meet student needs. To accomplish this, an instructional coach must be able to identify the essential components of quality instruction. With that in mind, talk to us about what quality instruction looks like and please be detailed. This is a detailed question that will get into the heart of school values as ‘good instruction’. Possible Answer: Quality instruction is focused on ensuring that students are learning and teachers are facilitating during any particular class period. To achieve the goal of students learning, teachers can use a variety of resources, but I’d start with a basic understanding of gradual release and how teachers can still teach but can focus more on becoming the facilitator to assist students in the learning. In addition, I’d create a monthly Professional Learning calendar for my administration to look at to see the teacher learning in focus. Points to Remember: This question should be content specific and should include educational buzz words (not too many) so that it’s clear you understand ‘instruction and curriculum’. 
7. As a coach, how will you work to increase student achievement and close achievement gaps? This is a good follow-up question for number 6 and is used to see the specific strategies that an Instructional Coach would use to increase student achievement. Possible Answer: I’d have a two-prong approach that called for me to analyze classroom data from both formative/summative assessments and my classroom walkthroughs to see how learning is occurring in the classrooms.Then I’d work with the teachers and administrators to devise a plan that will help teachers teach the standards and address the learning concerns for the students who struggle the most. Points to Remember: Be specific with your ideas here and don’t be afraid to be aggressive in your suggestions to improve learning in their building.
8. Teachers in your building will have various skill levels and different needs in regard to support and professional development. How will you determine the focus of your work and the strategies you will use when differentiating your work with adult learners? This is another question aimed to see how you can differentiate your support. Possible answers: At the beginning of the year as I get to know the teachers, I want to offer to help teachers in their class so I can get a ‘feel’ on how each of my teachers operate their classrooms. This purpose will be two-fold, I can get acquainted with all of my teachers and I can see the strengths and weaknesses of them so that I can better help them. After I’ve had a chance to visit each classroom, I’d ask to schedule meetings with teachers and get their feedback on what they want to work on for the year and offer some points to think about. In the end, I would also ask my administrator for their vision and from there, I’d be able to come up with a plan for each teacher. Points to Remember: Administrators want to see how you as an Instructional Coach can work with teachers with varying backgrounds, experiences, and professional needs.
9. Please discuss the skills and dispositions (personality traits) that will ensure you are a successful instructional coach. Why are you the right person for this job? Everyone who’s a great teacher doesn’t mean they would make a great Instructional Coach- this question gets to that. Potential Answer: A good instructional coach is someone who is a content expert, knowledgeable in pedagogy, a relationship builder, and determined to do what’s best for students and teachers. I’m the right person for this job because for (insert number of years) I’ve been building my knowledge of delivering effective professional learning, working with teachers to improve practice, and being a change agent at my school. Points to Remember: Make sure to describe your qualifications that would make you a great candidate. It’s okay to BRAG!
10. Tell us one thing about yourself that we may not know. This is a “feel good” question so answer it in a way that tells them something interesting about you but doesn’t reveal anything that may stop you from getting the job.

Interviewing to be an Instructional Coach is hard, so take your time and be honest and most importantly show that you can exact change in this position!