Instructional coaches are often described as leaders, but many of us know the reality feels different. I call it leading from the middle, but sometimes it feels like being caught in the middle. You are the bridge between the principal’s goals and the teacher’s reality. You are expected to support instructional change while navigating relationships, expectations, and trust from multiple directions.
That space in the middle is not simple. It is layered and often misunderstood. For some of us, that experience carries additional weight that is rarely named. BWIC stands for Black Women Instructional Coaches. I created this term to name a reality I had experienced and observed over time. While instructional coaching is complex for many, I began to notice patterns that were not being discussed, particularly for Black women in these roles.
In my own work and in research, I found that coaching is often misunderstood. When there is no clear framework or model, the role becomes inconsistent, and the coach’s expertise is often undervalued. For Black women, this can show up in specific ways. Even when they are the most experienced voice in the room, they may be overlooked. Their contributions may be questioned, minimized, or only recognized when echoed by others.
BWIC provides language for that experience. While BWIC centers Black women instructional coaches, it also reveals broader insights into instructional coaching as a whole. Many schools invest in coaching but struggle to see a consistent impact. Coaches are placed in roles without clear expectations, alignment with instructional priorities or the structures needed to sustain the work.
When the role is unclear, coaching becomes reactive, leadership becomes inconsistent, and impact becomes limited. Instructional coaches are not just support staff. They are leading instructional change, often without formal authority. They influence teaching and learning, hold trust with teachers, translate leadership priorities into practice, and advocate for students. They are, in many ways, the heartbeat of the school. Yet, this leadership is often invisible.
My work is grounded in both experience and research. Through my study, I explored the lived experiences of Black women instructional coaches and developed the BWIC Leadership Framework.
This work is not about creating a new label. It is about naming what has always been there. Instructional coaches are leading from the middle every day. The question is whether we fully see, understand, and support that leadership.
