What is the purpose of instructional coaching, and how can you prove its value to your school community? In this episode, I sit down with Education Consultant Erinn Cottman to explore what instructional coaching is, why it is necessary, and how it supports both teacher development and student academic success. Erinn emphasizes the importance of establishing a culture of coaching in schools, developing clear systems, and creating a shared leadership vision. We examine common barriers that get in ...
Jun 30, 2025•32 min•Season 6Ep. 238
Hey coach, been feeling all the feelings lately? You’re definitely not alone! In this episode, literacy coach and adjunct professor Leah Ruesink joins me for an honest conversation about instructional coaching: more feelings than you'd expect! We discuss the big feelings instructional coaches often grapple with, including feelings of imposter syndrome, isolation, and self-doubt. Leah shares her journey from teacher to coach, highlighting the importance of building relationships and having meanin...
Jun 23, 2025•34 min•Season 6Ep. 237
Ready for an inside look at a day in the life of an administrator who coaches? Discover how my guest, Jodi Wilson, balances teacher support, student learning, and administrative work! In this episode, Jodi shares what a day in the life of an administrator who coaches is really like. She emphasizes the importance of being an instructional leader, not just an administrator. Jodi reflects on her transition from instructional facilitator to administrator in the same school, and how her approach to c...
Jun 16, 2025•49 min•Season 6Ep. 236
We’re taking you inside a day in the life of a high school instructional coach! In this episode, Allie Freeburg shares what a typical day looks like for her at an urban charter school. Allie offers an honest look at her coaching role, including how she supports teachers, overcomes common challenges, and drives positive change. She breaks down how she structures PLC meetings and discusses how she built an instructional leadership team. Allie shares her favorite strategies for coaching high school...
Jun 09, 2025•40 min•Season 6Ep. 235
Curious about what it’s like to coach at more than one school? In this episode, Mallory Martin gives us a glimpse into a day in the life of an instructional coach with multiple campuses. She walks us through her weekly coaching schedule and shares how she manages her time. You’ll get a behind-the-scenes look at her organizational system, including her top six tips for traveling coaches. Mallory also talks about working with different administrators, building strong relationships with teachers, a...
Jun 02, 2025•35 min•Season 6Ep. 234
This week, we’re wrapping up our series on schoolwide behavior and management practices that work. In this episode, Sam Parmerlee, The ED Queen, joins me to talk about behavior de-escalation for instructional coaches. During the episode, Sam discusses the kinds of behaviors we are seeing in the classroom. We explore why equity is an important consideration when thinking about student behavior. Sam shares ideas for how coaches can proactively create management practices that support kids, along w...
May 26, 2025•42 min•Season 6Ep. 233
What does social-emotional learning (SEL) as a schoolwide approach look like in action? In this episode, I’m joined by Lana Penley, author and founder of Unlocking SEL, to explore this important topic. Lana shares her experience with SEL during a school crisis and how it supported both students and staff. We talk about what social-emotional learning is and what it’s not! She explains how SEL helps create a positive school culture and offers practical ways to embed it across the entire school com...
May 19, 2025•34 min•Season 6Ep. 232
In this episode, we’re exploring MTSS school systems that support student behavior with Crystal Ceresani from the Behavior Alliance of South Carolina. We discuss how the Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS) can be used to manage behavior more effectively, starting with proactive Tier 1 strategies. Crystal outlines why behavior needs to be explicitly taught, just like academics, and what that looks like in action. We talk about how to set clear expectations, involve staff and students in definin...
May 12, 2025•36 min•Season 6Ep. 231
This week we’re kicking off a new series all about behavior and management approaches that actually work! In this first episode, we’re focusing on how to create a schoolwide system for student behavior. We explore the complexities of classroom management and its impact on student learning. I walk you through what to consider when building a consistent, schoolwide approach to management. I share the things I tried, the mistakes I made, and what I learned along the way. You’ll get practical strate...
May 05, 2025•29 min•Season 6Ep. 230
Ever wonder why some teachers slip back into old habits after coaching cycles? It may be that the reflection piece is missing from your process! In this episode, Kim Cofino, host of the podcast #coachbetter, joins me to explore reflective questioning for teachers in instructional coaching conversations. She unpacks how to make reflective conversations a natural part of your coaching work and reveals why reflection is so important for lasting change. Kim offers a practical guide for structuring t...
Apr 28, 2025•28 min•Season 6Ep. 229
Giving more feedback isn’t the answer! Giving better feedback is! In this episode, Dr. Jo Lein reveals how to provide feedback teachers actually want to hear! She shares what the research tells us about coaching and feedback. Discover 7 powerful coaching personas that can transform how you support teachers and help you deliver more effective feedback. Plus, you'll hear what better feedback sounds like and some common misconceptions. Listen now to hear all about how to talk to teachers so they'll...
Apr 21, 2025•47 min•Season 6Ep. 228
Change is hard! As coaches, we often have to overcome objections and resistance from our teachers. But how can we do it effectively? In this episode, Becca Silver from The Whole Educator joins me to talk about breaking through resistance with difficult conversations. She offers practical strategies for overcoming resistance and shares real-life examples from her coaching conversations. During our discussion, Becca explains how resistance is a normal human response and why teachers experience it....
Apr 14, 2025•43 min•Season 6Ep. 227
For our coaching conversations to have a big impact, we need to remember what was discussed, the next steps, and any follow-up needed. With everything else we have going on, that’s often easier said than done! In this episode, I’m sharing ways to track your coaching conversations, from low-tech to high-tech. I’ll explain why tracking conversations with teachers is important and walk you through a few of my favorite methods. My guests Molly Dexter and Kathy Beckham from digiCOACH discuss how thei...
Apr 07, 2025•42 min•Season 6Ep. 226
When we work with PLC teams, we often find that teachers are operating from different philosophies, backgrounds, and experiences. This can be a huge challenge, but don’t worry, I brought help! Today Casey Watts, from Catching Up with Casey, joins me to discuss working with diverse PLC teams and how this work can support your coaching action plan. During the episode, she tells us about her new book, The Craft of Clarity. We chat about why clarity is so important for PLC meetings. Casey explains h...
Mar 31, 2025•38 min•Season 6Ep. 225
How can instructional coaches help build a collaborative school culture that supports teachers working together for student success? In this episode, Kurtis Hewson of Jigsaw Learning joins me to explore collaborative team meetings. He emphasizes creating strong systems of collaboration to support our teachers and reduce isolation. He provides an introduction to collaborative team meetings and distributive coaching. We discuss the structures and roles that help make collaborative team meetings ef...
Mar 24, 2025•47 min•Season 6Ep. 224
Selecting the right professional development topics for your school can be challenging! Helping teachers put what they’ve learned into practice can be even harder! That’s why I invited Monica Bennett to join me on the podcast. During our conversation, we discuss how to identify potential PD topics and narrow them down for the biggest impact. Monica offers practical ways to follow up on professional development sessions to ensure the learning is being applied in the classroom. She also provides i...
Mar 17, 2025•30 min•Season 6Ep. 223
What goes on an effective teacher survey? In this episode, we’re exploring this topic with my guest Amanda Sutera. During the conversation, Amanda explains how she uses surveys to get to know her teachers, understand their needs, and track progress. She tells us how she analyzes the results and the ways she uses the data to support her coaching work. We talk about the questions she asks, the tools she uses, and how she encourages teachers to participate in the surveys. She also highlights the im...
Mar 10, 2025•30 min•Season 6Ep. 222
Wondering what you should do each month as an instructional coach? This episode is for you! I share a year-long guide to coaching with actionable steps and PD topics for each month. You’ll learn what to do at the beginning of the year and how to create an action plan to support teacher growth. Plus, I explain how my coaching planner can make it easier to stay focused all year long. Whether you're a new coach or looking to refine your systems, this episode provides the plan you need to help teach...
Mar 03, 2025•33 min•Season 6Ep. 221
I wanted to book Ted Lasso as a guest…but there was a small problem! Recently, I sent a survey to my audience asking who they'd like to hear from about instructional coaching, and one of the responses was Ted Lasso! That gave me a good laugh, but honestly, I loved the idea! Since he’s a fictional character and not a real person, I knew I couldn’t actually have him on the show. So, I decided to do the next best thing and share the coaching lessons I've learned from Ted Lasso. As I planned this ep...
Feb 24, 2025•1 hr 1 min•Season 6Ep. 220
Struggling to set coaching goals that you actually achieve? Katie Maciulewicz from EDU Coach Network joins me to discuss using the COACH acronym to write instructional coaching goals. If SMART goals haven't been working for you, this fresh approach might be the change you need! In the episode, we explore common challenges coaches face when setting goals. Katie introduces the COACH acronym: Clear, Obtainable, Action-Oriented, Connected, and High Impact. She breaks down each step and provides real...
Feb 18, 2025•27 min•Season 6Ep. 219
Let's talk about mindset! Being a coach isn’t easy! Some days you may feel like you're not making progress, or there’s just too much to do. But the way you approach these challenges can make all the difference! So, how do we develop a positive mindset around our coaching work? In this episode, Dr. Todd Whitaker joins me to discuss developing a positive coaching mindset. During the conversation, he encourages coaches to celebrate their successes, rather than focusing on problems. One of his key r...
Feb 11, 2025•35 min•Season 6Ep. 218
We're kicking off Season 6 with a series about loving your work with a good coaching mindset. In this first episode, we're talking about positive breakthroughs in coaching you might be missing. Instructional coaches carry a heavy burden and deal with so many things. We're often looking for big changes and can sometimes miss the good stuff that's happening in our schools. This episode discusses the challenges coaches face and the importance of recognizing small wins. We also look at ways to refra...
Feb 03, 2025•34 min•Season 6Ep. 217
The current role of the Department of Education and how that could change has been a hot topic in the news recently. In the Season 5 finale, Dr. Jen Newton of Teaching is Intellectual joins me to discuss this important topic. She explains the Department of Education's responsibilities, including distributing Title I money and funds for the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). We discuss the type of data it collects and why that data matters. She outlines the difference between fed...
Nov 25, 2024•52 min•Season 5Ep. 216
The spring semester will be here soon! So, how do you develop your spring action plan? In this episode, we’re discussing the three parts of your spring action plan. We talk about conducting a thorough needs assessment to gather information for the plan. This includes talking to administrators, hearing from teachers, visiting classrooms, and looking at data. Once you have those four pieces of information, you can turn them into focus areas and goals for your action plan. During the episode, you’l...
Nov 19, 2024•20 min•Season 5Ep. 215
This week we’re starting a new series that will help you set up your second semester instructional coaching action plan. But before we can create our new plan, we need to reflect on what we’ve accomplished so far this year. In this episode, Dr. Kim Ramadan joins me to discuss reflecting on your fall semester of instructional coaching. We chat about how coaches should think differently about the upcoming spring semester than we did the fall semester. Dr. Ramadan explains how to gather information...
Nov 11, 2024•28 min•Season 5Ep. 214
Coaching teachers can be overwhelming, especially if we try to coach them all the same way! When we differentiate our work based on a teacher’s current needs, we make it much more meaningful! This past semester, I worked with several coaches to apply strategies from my Instructional Coaching Strategy Toolbox to their work. Today, I invited one of these coaches, Gina Armstrong, to talk about her experience using the strategies and how it affected her coaching! During the podcast, we talk about th...
Nov 05, 2024•26 min•Season 5Ep. 213
How can we turn our interactions with teachers into more meaningful coaching work? Today, we’re continuing our series about Your Coaching Strategy Toolbox. In this episode, we’re looking at differentiating coaching strategies to meet teacher needs on campus. I share different coaching situations and offer suggestions for what to do in each. You’ll get ideas for leveraging low-level strategies into higher-level ones. I give you tips for building your coaching toolbox and explain how to use a coac...
Oct 28, 2024•41 min•Season 5Ep. 212
Today, we’re discussing five high-impact coaching strategies that make change happen in the classroom! During the episode, I outline the key characteristics of high-level coaching work. I provide an overview of the five high-impact instructional coaching strategies: visiting a colleague, classroom visit, modeling, co-teaching, and video coaching. I also review the three parts of a coaching cycle: pre-conference, classroom work, and post-conference. Plus, you’ll hear about some things to consider...
Oct 22, 2024•21 min•Season 5Ep. 211
Is your time spent in PLCs and team meetings actually translating into changes in classroom instruction? If not, this episode is a must listen! Today, we’re looking at why you’re not seeing classrooms change with PLC meetings. This is the second episode in our series about Your Coaching Strategy Toolbox! During the podcast, we explore moderate-level strategies, reasons they may not be as effective as they should be, and how you can use them to impact classrooms. You’ll learn about building a bri...
Oct 15, 2024•23 min•Season 5Ep. 210
Today we’re starting a new series about instructional coaching strategies! In this episode, we’re looking at how to leverage low-level coaching strategies into coaching work. I introduce the concept of The Coaching Strategy Toolbox and explain why we need to differentiate support for teachers. You’ll hear about four low-impact strategies, some benefits of using them with teachers, and how to leverage them into meaningful coaching work. Listen now! -Chrissy Beltran Buzzing with Ms. B Instagram - ...
Oct 08, 2024•20 min•Season 5Ep. 209
