COACHING THE COACHES: EXAMINING HOW LITERACY COACHES ENGAGE IN PROFESSIONAL LEARNING

Instructional coaches are facing challenges as they support our schools with the implementation of evidence-based practices. Tasked with helping teachers address learning gaps after the pandemic, coupled with providing general support to schools, coaches have a challenging workload. This study undertook a rigorous intervention designed to improve instructional coaching in early literacy in elementary schools. Coaches identified barriers that they encounter and shared supports they thought would be helpful for their professional development and growth. Supports must be intentionally planned and shared with instructional coaches. “The demands of competent reading instruction, and the training experiences necessary to learn it, have been seriously underestimated” (Moats, 2020, p. 12). The study used an explanatory sequential design to analyze various data sets that accompanied each part of the intervention. These data sets explain how instructional coaches made use of opportunities to learn in large groups with their colleagues, actively participated in smaller professional learning communities (PLCs), and reflected individually on their growth as instructional leaders. This study supports prior findings related to instructional coaching as a powerful mechanism for teacher learning (Desimone & Pak, 2017) and validated the need for students to be at the heart of coaching (Hasbrouck & Michel, 2022). The findings of this study illustrated that when the instructional coach has access to professional development and on-the-job supports, they are positioned and equipped to support teachers and aid in improving student achievement.