A teacher walking towards an open classroom with the support of a coach.

Unlock Your Potential: How Instructional Coaching Transforms Teaching

Theo Raines in Mind & Education August 2025 • 4 min read.

"Discover the secrets to effective teaching and learn how instructional coaching can revolutionize your approach to education."

In the ever-evolving world of education, teachers face numerous challenges. From adapting to new technologies and curriculum changes to meeting the diverse needs of students, educators are constantly striving to improve their practice. Instructional coaching has emerged as a powerful tool for professional development, offering personalized support and guidance to help teachers reach their full potential.

Instructional coaching provides teachers with opportunities to reflect on their practice, refine their skills, and implement evidence-based strategies in the classroom. Unlike traditional workshops or professional development sessions, coaching offers ongoing, individualized support tailored to the specific needs of each teacher.

This article delves into the transformative power of instructional coaching, exploring its underlying principles, benefits, and practical applications. We'll uncover how effective coaching relationships are built, the key strategies employed by coaches, and the lasting impact on both teachers and students.

The Heart of the Matter: Discursive Actions in Coaching

A teacher walking towards an open classroom with the support of a coach.

At its core, instructional coaching is about guiding teachers through thoughtful, targeted improvements. A study published in Teaching and Teacher Education examined the specific ways coaches interact with teachers. The study highlighted the critical role of 'discursive actions' - the moment-by-moment decisions coaches make in their conversations with teachers. These choices can either foster genuine reflection and growth or simply lead to surface-level changes.

Researchers Mari Haneda, Brandon Sherman, Frances Nebus Bose, and Annela Teemant analyzed coach-teacher interactions, comparing an expert coach (Sabrina) with a trainee coach (Gina). This comparison revealed key differences in their approaches and the underlying assumptions that shaped their coaching styles.

Here are three key areas of difference the study uncovered:

Focus on Reflection: Sabrina consistently prompted teachers to articulate their pedagogical goals and reflect on their practice, while Gina focused more on practical implementation strategies.
Long-Term Vision: Sabrina adopted a long-term view of teacher development, focusing on sustained pedagogical change, while Gina concentrated on immediate classroom activities.
Student-Centered Approach: Sabrina encouraged teachers to consider the perspectives of their students as individuals, while Gina tended to view students as a homogenous group.

The differences observed between Sabrina and Gina stemmed from their fundamental beliefs about teaching and learning. Sabrina's approach was rooted in a sociocultural perspective, emphasizing the importance of dialogue, collaboration, and understanding students' individual needs. Gina's approach, on the other hand, was more focused on classroom management and achieving short-term academic goals.

Unlocking Potential, One Conversation at a Time

Instructional coaching offers a pathway to transform teaching practices and create more engaging, effective learning environments for students. By fostering reflection, promoting long-term vision, and prioritizing students' individual needs, instructional coaching can unlock the full potential of teachers and empower them to make a lasting impact on the lives of their students. Whether you're a teacher seeking professional growth or a school leader looking to enhance teacher effectiveness, consider embracing the power of instructional coaching to revolutionize your approach to education.

About this Article -

This article was crafted using a human-AI hybrid and collaborative approach. AI assisted our team with initial drafting, research insights, identifying key questions, and image generation. Our human editors guided topic selection, defined the angle, structured the content, ensured factual accuracy and relevance, refined the tone, and conducted thorough editing to deliver helpful, high-quality information.See our About page for more information.

This article is based on research published under:

DOI-LINK: 10.1016/j.tate.2018.11.017, Alternate LINK

Title: Ways Of Interacting: What Underlies Instructional Coaches' Discursive Actions

Subject: Education

Journal: Teaching and Teacher Education

Publisher: Elsevier BV

Authors: Mari Haneda, Brandon Sherman, Frances Nebus Bose, Annela Teemant

Published: 2019-02-01

Everything You Need To Know

What is instructional coaching, and how does it differ from traditional professional development for teachers?

Instructional coaching is a form of professional development that offers personalized support and guidance to teachers, enabling them to refine their skills and implement evidence-based strategies. Unlike traditional workshops, it focuses on individualized support tailored to each teacher's specific needs, facilitating opportunities for reflection and improvement in classroom practices. The process can transform teaching practices and create more engaging, effective learning environments.

What are 'discursive actions' in the context of instructional coaching, and why are they important?

Discursive actions, as identified in a study published in *Teaching and Teacher Education*, are the moment-by-moment decisions coaches make during conversations with teachers. These actions are critical because they can either foster genuine reflection and growth or merely lead to surface-level changes. The study emphasized the importance of these interactions in shaping the effectiveness of instructional coaching.

According to the study comparing Sabrina and Gina, what were the key differences in their approaches to instructional coaching?

The study comparing Sabrina and Gina revealed key differences in their coaching approaches. Sabrina focused on prompting teachers to reflect on their pedagogical goals, adopted a long-term view of teacher development, and encouraged teachers to consider the perspectives of their students as individuals. In contrast, Gina concentrated more on practical implementation strategies, immediate classroom activities, and viewed students as a homogenous group. These differences highlighted how varying coaching styles influence teacher growth.

What does it mean that Sabrina's approach to instructional coaching was rooted in a sociocultural perspective, and how did this differ from Gina's approach?

Sabrina's approach to instructional coaching was rooted in a sociocultural perspective. This means she emphasized dialogue, collaboration, and understanding students’ individual needs. In contrast, Gina's approach was more focused on classroom management and achieving short-term academic goals. The sociocultural perspective helps unlock the full potential of teachers and empowers them to make a lasting impact on the lives of their students.

What are the potential benefits of instructional coaching for teachers and students, and how can it lead to improved educational outcomes?

Instructional coaching fosters reflection, promotes a long-term vision, and prioritizes students' individual needs. This can lead to more engaging and effective learning environments, improve classroom practices, and enhance student outcomes. It provides teachers with opportunities to refine their skills and implement evidence-based strategies. By embracing instructional coaching, educators can unlock the full potential of both teachers and students.