The Expertise Trap in Instructional Coaching

As instructional coaches, we engage with a wide variety of teachers. Some teachers may be new to the profession and need fundamental support, while others may have years of experience and deep content expertise but want to reflect on and improve their instructional skills and techniques. Early career teachers may seek out our content expertise as well as our instructional coaching. Meanwhile, some veteran teachers may see our content knowledge as a threat and be inclined to compete rather than collaborate.

Regrettably, allowing expertise to become a competition can interfere with the development of a productive instructional coach-teacher relationship. Unless we take this issue off the table and focus on teaching and learning, tension may linger and even grow. 

Fortunately, we can use several strategies to minimize competition and focus on approaches that lead to instructional and learning success. Here are seven options to consider:

Choose partnership over expertise. 
The role of an instructional coach is to nurture and support teaching and learning processes and techniques, not curriculum or content. We can choose the role of thinking partner with teachers to sidestep the conflict and competition that content and curriculum expertise can engender. Framing learning-related challenges as inquiry and shared investigations can shift attention from thinking about who has the most content expertise to exploring possibilities and testing hypotheses.
 
Honor teacher knowledge. 
Recognizing and respecting teacher expertise, especially with veteran teachers, can make it so teachers don’t feel as though they must convince us of what they know. This step can further reduce competition and pressure in the coaching relationship. Meanwhile, we can shift the focus to strategies that enable the teacher to lift learning, examine student experiences, and make learning more accessible. 

Elevate evidence as the “third voice.” 
To help us get beyond disagreements about who knows the most or whose opinion should prevail, we can allow evidence to become the third perspective in the discussion. Observing students as they learn, examining student work, and analyzing learning results can shift the discussion away from opinion-based positions and toward what is happening, what is working, and what might be worth trying. We can position evidence as a mediator and neutral reference point as we consider options and strategies.
  
Prioritize learning over content.
Obviously, content is an important component of teaching and learning. Yet, in most circumstances, what should be taught is clear. If the teacher and we are uncertain whether or not a concept or skill should be taught, we might consult resources such as curriculum staff, principals, and team leaders. Typically, allowing this issue to be an argument is not worth the cost it can exact on the teacher-coach relationship. Remaining focused on supporting the teacher in finding instructional success and elevating student learning is usually a more productive path. 

Ask before offering answers. 
Offering advice or providing answers before being asked or invited is risky in almost any relationship. The instructional coach-teacher relationship is no different. We can avoid much tension and resistance by asking questions to gain understanding rather than assuming and offering uninformed advice. Tactfully asking about instructional decisions and approaches can reveal what the teacher is thinking and uncover opportunities for discovery and learning. Asking the teacher if they are open to considering another possibility can lower their resistance and increase their receptivity to other options and new approaches. Communicating respect and seeking permission can create important space for professional learning.  

Use possibility language. 
Taking a position of certainty can invite teacher pushback and shut down their openness to trying something different. On the other hand, exploring possibilities can invite collaboration. Instead of telling the teacher what to do, we might say things like “I wonder if...” and “What do you think about trying…” Being curious can open the door to shared exploration and invite the teacher to offer another perspective or build on what we are thinking. 
  
Choose when not to challenge. 
Not every issue or action rises to the level where attention or intervention is warranted. Elements such as professional preference, personal style, and personality uniqueness may not be what we would choose, but unless there is evidence that what the teacher does or says is inaccurate, ineffective, or damaging to students, we might let it pass in favor of focusing on what might make a significant, positive difference to learning. 

Sidestepping professional competition can free coaching relationships from unnecessary distractions and conflicts. However, this action does not mean that we must discount or deny our expertise—we can be confident while choosing to focus on improving instruction and lifting learning. Sometimes our expertise may inform the conversation, but it should not be the focus of the relationship or a reason to engage in a professional competition.