What Coaching Actually Has to Do

Here is what I learned: You cannot change what happens in classrooms with one walkthrough and a data meeting.

I tried. I would observe a classroom, notice that students were not thinking, recommend that the teacher work on student discourse, suggest a professional development session, and tell them to focus on this in their PLC.

Three months later, I would observe the same classroom. The same lecture-based instruction. The same quiet students. Nothing had changed.

At first, I thought the problem was that the teacher did not understand. Or did not try.

But the problem was different. The problem was that I had done the SEEING work but not the CHANGING work.

I had identified the problem. I had created a learning opportunity. I had told the team to work on it.

But I had not provided the structure for actual change.

What Change Actually Requires

Change requires repeated cycles of observation, coaching, practice, reflection, and adjustment.

It is not a one-time thing. It is a practice.

Here is what change actually looks like:

First coaching cycle: I observe the classroom with the principal. I ask questions: What do you notice about student talk? How many different students spoke during this lesson? What questions did the teacher ask to prompt thinking?

The principal realizes she has never looked for this. She says, "I did not notice that."

I show her what I mean. We watch the video together. We count. Seven students spoke out of thirty. Mostly answering the teacher's direct questions.

The principal says: "I see it now. I did not see it before because I was not looking for it."

Second cycle: Two weeks later, I observe the principal observing a classroom. She is looking for student talk now. She notices the pattern. She sits down with the teacher.

Teacher: "Why are we talking about student talk? Is that what you want me to focus on?"

Principal: "I noticed that in the last lesson, mostly the same students spoke. And mostly they were answering your questions directly. I am wondering what would happen if we created more time for students to talk to each other."

Teacher: "I do not have time. I have to cover the material."

Principal: "What if we tried it in one lesson? Let's see what happens."

Third cycle: The teacher tries it. Whole class discussion takes time. The teacher feels like she is not covering material. But she notices something. The students who usually do not speak participated. And the students who did speak had to explain their thinking, not just give an answer.

Fourth cycle: The teacher tries it again. It works better this time. Students come more prepared to talk. The discussion is more focused.

Fifth cycle: The teacher realizes she is covering the same amount of material. But students understand it more deeply. She adjusts her approach. Instead of covering more, she goes deeper.

That is one practice change. It took five cycles. Five observations. Five coaching conversations. Five reflections.

And it worked.

What Coaching Requires

This kind of change requires:

Repeated observation. Not one walkthrough. Ongoing observation of how the teacher is trying the practice and adjusting.

Feedback that is specific and actionable. Not "Great job using discourse." But "I noticed that when you waited three seconds after asking the question, students had time to think before speaking. What would happen if you always waited that long?"

Time for the teacher to practice and struggle. To try it and have it not work and try again. Not to be evaluated on the first attempt.

Reflection. For the teacher to think about what happened. For the principal to ask: What did you notice? What would you do differently next time?

Team learning. So that when one teacher changes, others see it. And learn from it. And try it in their own classrooms.

This is not efficient. It takes time. It takes repeated attention. It takes the principal or coach or team leader being in classrooms multiple times a month, not once a year.

But it is how practice actually changes.

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