Blogging

Instructional coaches are often described as support, but that description does not fully capture the reality of the role. In most school organizational charts, the instructional coach is often represented by a dotted line, positioned somewhere between leadership and teaching without clearly defined authority. However, if you look at how schools actually function, the role looks very different. Instructional coaches sit between vision and implementation. They influence teaching and learning across an entire building, shaping instructional decisions and guiding practice. And yet, that leadership is rarely named.

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.