Instructional Coaching Online Course

Lesson 1 • Principles of Adult Learning

Examines how adults learn differently from students and how those differences shape coaching design. Connects adult learning theory directly to coaching conversations.

Lesson 2 • Roles and Responsibilities of a Coach

Defines the coach's scope of work, boundaries, and professional obligations. Prevents role confusion that undermines coaching effectiveness.

Lesson 3 • Defining Coaching in Education

Clarifies what educational coaching is, how it differs from supervision and mentoring, and why it matters. Sets the conceptual baseline for the entire course.

Lesson 1 • Contracting and Goal Alignment

Guides coaches through establishing explicit agreements about purpose, process, and confidentiality. Prevents misalignment that derails coaching partnerships.

Lesson 2 • Establishing Trust with Teachers

Explores the components of trust and practical strategies for building it quickly and sustainably. Trust is the prerequisite for every coaching technique introduced later.

Lesson 3 • Managing Resistance and Reluctance

Addresses why teachers resist coaching and provides strategies to shift reluctance into engagement. Prepares coaches for the most common early-stage challenge.

Lesson 1 • Nonverbal Communication and Presence

Examines how body language, tone, and physical presence affect coaching conversations. Coaches learn to align verbal and nonverbal messages for coherence.

Lesson 2 • Active Listening in Coaching

Teaches the levels of listening and how deep listening shifts coaching quality. Foundational to every coaching conversation technique in subsequent chapters.

Lesson 3 • Giving Effective Feedback

Introduces evidence-based feedback frameworks that are specific, actionable, and non-judgmental. Connects feedback delivery to teacher motivation and growth.

Lesson 4 • Navigating Difficult Conversations

Equips coaches to address sensitive topics, underperformance, and conflict without damaging the relationship. Builds on listening and questioning skills already introduced.

Lesson 1 • Analyzing and Interpreting Evidence

Develops the skill of moving from raw data to meaningful patterns without imposing bias. Prepares coaches to present evidence in ways teachers find credible.

Lesson 2 • Using Data in Coaching Conversations

Connects collected evidence to the post-observation dialogue, making data a catalyst for reflection. Bridges observation skills to the coaching conversation models ahead.

Lesson 3 • Collecting Objective Classroom Data

Introduces tools and protocols for capturing what actually happens in classrooms without interpretation. Objective data forms the evidence base for coaching conversations.

Lesson 4 • Principles of Classroom Observation

Establishes the purpose and ethics of non-evaluative observation in a coaching context. Distinguishes coaching observation from administrative evaluation.

Lesson 1 • Goal-Setting and Progress Monitoring

Teaches coaches to help teachers set measurable goals and track growth over time. Connects individual coaching cycles to long-term professional development.

Lesson 2 • The Coaching Cycle Overview

Introduces the plan-observe-reflect cycle as the organizing structure of instructional coaching. Provides the scaffold on which all conversation models are built.

Lesson 3 • Pre-Observation Coaching Conversations

Teaches coaches to use planning conversations to clarify teacher intent and set observation focus. Maximizes the value of every classroom visit.

Lesson 4 • Problem-Solving Coaching Conversations

Equips coaches to support teachers facing specific instructional challenges outside the observation cycle. Expands the coach's conversational repertoire.

Lesson 1 • Coaching Across Subject Areas

Prepares coaches to work effectively with teachers in disciplines outside their own expertise. Builds confidence for cross-curricular coaching assignments.

Lesson 2 • Classroom Environment and Management

Addresses the physical and relational conditions that enable learning and how coaches discuss them. Prevents coaches from overlooking environment as an instructional variable.

Lesson 3 • Formative Assessment Practices

Explores how teachers use ongoing assessment to adjust instruction in real time. Coaches learn to identify and strengthen formative assessment during observations.

Lesson 4 • High-Leverage Teaching Practices

Identifies the small set of instructional moves with the greatest impact on student learning. Gives coaches a shared language for discussing instruction with teachers.

Lesson 1 • Observing for Equity Indicators

Develops specific observation protocols for capturing equity-relevant data in classrooms. Builds on the observation skills from Chapter 4 with an equity focus.

Lesson 2 • Culturally Responsive Coaching

Teaches coaches to honor teacher and student cultural identities while pushing for equitable outcomes. Extends the trust-building skills from Chapter 2 into equity work.

Lesson 3 • Facilitating Equity Conversations

Equips coaches to raise equity issues in coaching conversations without triggering defensiveness. Applies advanced communication skills from Chapter 3 to high-stakes topics.

Lesson 4 • Systemic Equity and Coaching Influence

Explores how coaches can influence school-wide equity beyond individual teacher partnerships. Prepares coaches for a broader leadership role in equity work.

Lesson 1 • Sustaining a Coaching Culture

Addresses how coaches contribute to a school culture where continuous improvement is the norm. Synthesizes all prior learning into a vision for long-term coaching impact.

Lesson 2 • Measuring and Communicating Coaching Impact

Introduces methods for evaluating coaching effectiveness and presenting results to stakeholders. Builds the coach's credibility and secures continued program support.

Lesson 3 • Facilitating Professional Learning Communities

Extends coaching skills into group facilitation for teacher teams and collaborative inquiry. Multiplies coaching impact beyond one-on-one partnerships.

Lesson 4 • Managing a Coaching Caseload

Teaches coaches to prioritize, schedule, and sustain work across multiple teacher partnerships simultaneously. Prevents burnout and ensures equitable distribution of coaching support.