Top 4 FAQs About Instructional Coaching

Curious about instructional coaching and the different ways it can transform your teachers’ instructional practices and your students’ outcomes? You’re not alone! We’ve answered the most common questions to help you understand this instructional service and the benefits it can bring to your faculty. Let’s dive in: 

Who are the coaches behind the service?

Edmentum’s Instructional Coaches are master teachers with deep knowledge of research-based best practices. Each coach has years of professional teaching experience—including virtual instruction—and demonstrates a profound commitment to relationship building and adult learning. Coaches are approachable, attentive, and objective. 

Our Instructional Coaches are specifically trained to elevate intentional and district-aligned pedagogical practices to make sure that new, new-to-you, and veteran teachers are all provided with individualized opportunities to grow and thrive. Through modeling, observations, data analysis, and reflective discussions, our coaches guide meaningful and engaging cycles that build confidence and ultimately impact student growth.  

What are the goals of partnering with a coach?

Goals are personalized and differentiated based on the specific needs of each educator and the district’s outcome needs. At the beginning of a cycle, the teacher and Instructional Coach set goals together. Whether they’re new teachers who need support in lesson design or classroom management or veteran teachers who are tackling new content or feeling burned out, they collaborate and set a schedule every two weeks for moving forward.  

This level of deeply personalized and nonevaluative mentorship allows classroom teachers to truly feel comfortable asking questions and exploring new strategies. Coaches are there through it all, offering feedback and reevaluating goals as cycles progress. Teachers get access not only to this one-to-one coaching but also to monthly cohorts, online community networking, and a robust library of digital resources.  

How do we make sure teachers get what they need?

The key to a successful coaching program is to first earn teacher buy-in. This means not only having willing participants, but also having teachers work alongside someone they trust and who helps them in a way that’s worth their time. When done well, instructional coaching is one of the most powerful strategies for professional development, fostering improvement through regular, personalized feedback and support.  

When teachers participate in our Instructional Coaching program, we work tirelessly to help them get the most out of their experience. But don’t just take our word for it—here's what teachers said in our recent survey:

• “I’ve been doing the same thing for 10 years as a teacher. These [are] great strategies and ideas you’re giving us and we appreciate the coaching time to figure out how to include them in our classrooms.” 
• “Working with an Instructional Coach this year has given me the time and space to reflect and collaborate. The coach allowed me to focus through the challenges I had, focus on the good, and support students better.” 
• “Our students don’t always fit the typical expectations and the PD we’ve received is so helpful and seems to be exactly what we need at the time we need it.” 

What is the time commitment for teachers who participate?

One-to-one coaching cycles take place every two weeks for 30 minutes. During this time, the coach will ask strategic instructional reflection questions, provide advice, and open opportunities for the teacher to grow and reflect. Teachers also participate in a monthly 60-minute cohort of common grade level, content area, and/or state-level teachers to focus on data-driven instruction and holistic teaching practices. 

If teachers have the ability and desire to utilize them, there are also optional resources to leverage, including a monthly 60-minute online networking community with large-group collaboration and workshops, and a catalog of digital training and best practices that allow teachers to create their own body of learning evidence and instructional applications.  

This virtual approach allows teachers to tailor their participation to suit their learning preferences and availability. 

Teachers are at the heart of everything we do, and when teachers feel empowered and supported, students thrive as a result. Learn more about how Edmentum supports teacher capacity through this and other powerful services.