Don’t Just Coach Teachers—Help Them CLIMB

We might think of instructional coaching as an efficient way to help teachers overcome a specific challenge or solve an intractable problem. We might think of it as a way of offering new skills and approaches teachers can adopt and employ to improve their professional practice. Or, we may consider the role to be responsible for engaging teachers in reflective conversations and examining evidence to discern the best options and activities to improve student learning. 

The truth is that instructional coaches engage in all these activities and play all these roles, but the specific actions and strategies they offer vary depending on what teachers need and want to accomplish. Nevertheless, effective instructional coaches do not focus solely on the problem of the moment or engage in unrelated, disconnected coaching actions.  

In fact, instructional coaches who have a long-term, significant impact operate within an action framework that has a foundation, supporting actions, clear goals, and the ultimate outcome of teachers becoming increasingly independent, skilled, and effective coaches of their own practice. We might think of this framework using the acronym CLIMB.

C - Connect 

Coaching that leads to positive change begins with making a connection. However, making genuine connections requires more than just being friendly. Connections are built through empathy, shared goals, and authenticity. Connections lead to trust, a foundational element in coaching. When trust is present, people are freer to be vulnerable, take risks, and consider new perspectives and approaches.  Connection is the foundation for productive coaching relationships. 

Key coaching actions: 

L – Listen 

Listening is among the most important and underappreciated coaching skills and behaviors. Listening communicates respect and value, and it opens the door to understanding and insight regarding where to start and where to go in coaching relationships.  

Key coaching actions: 

I – Inspire 

Inspiration grows out of seeing possibilities. Imagining what could be can create energy and instill commitment to act. Envisioning meaningful, attainable possibilities can provide the foundation for impactful goals and motivate efforts to meet significant challenges and build new skills.    

Key coaching actions: 

M – Mentor 

Teachers often need to be presented with more than questions and possibilities. Sharing experience, modeling practices, and demonstrating approaches can help bridge gaps between current practice and more impactful strategies. However, modeling and demonstrations should serve as starting points for expanding teacher repertoire and confidence, not fostering dependence on the coach.  

Key coaching actions: 

B – Build 

The goal of coaching is to nurture and support teachers to become increasingly skilled and confident and able to reflect and coach themselves. Early supports and scaffolding can be withdrawn as teachers gain the insights, options, and tools they can use to support their learning and improve their practice. Meanwhile, the relationship between the teacher and coach shifts as conversations and considerations turn to evaluating alternative strategies and approaches and reflecting on the significance and utility of evidence.  

Key coaching actions: 

Thinking of instructional coaching as helping teachers CLIMB toward their professional summit of expertise and practice can shift how we think about this role. The coaching journey is successful when we create trust through connections, support understanding through listening, create possibility through inspiration, grow capability through mentoring, and foster independence through wisdom grounded in experience and reflection.