# Student-Focused Coaching

## The Instructional Coach’s Guide to Supporting Student Success

## Through Teacher Collaboration

by **Jan Hasbrouck, Ph.D.** JH Educational Services Seattle, Washington

and **Daryl Michel, Ph.D.** Be A Change, LLC San Antonio, Texas

### Overview of Coaching

Before reading this chapter, consider the following questions:
- How might a coach affect teacher development and student learning?
- What challenge(s) might a coach face?
- What goal(s) might you set for yourself as a coach?
- How might a campus administrator support a coach?

**APPLICATION EXERCISE**  
List three verbs to describe the work of a coach. Then, in your own words, summarize what each verb means to you and how it will be reflected in your coaching.  
Here you are—ready to begin your learning journey into Student-Focused Coaching (SFC)!

## WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF COACHING?

The answer is that the rewards of being a coach are worth it. Coaching is all about helping every teacher be as successful as possible so that every student achieves success. High-quality instruction can make a lifelong impact on the success of students, with demonstrated academic, social-emotional, and even economic benefits.

## Professional Development

Providing coaching to teachers has become a widely used and effective way to provide strategic professional development (PD) to teachers and specialists in schools. PD for educators can be described as specialized training, formal education, team development, and more intended to help administrators, teachers, or other educators improve their professional knowledge, competence, skill, and effectiveness.

## Professional Learning

Professional learning (PL) shares attributes with PD; however, PL focuses on “ownership over compliance, conversation over transmission, deep understanding over enacting rules and routines, and goal-directed activity over content coverage.” PL might include reading and discussing professional literature, analyzing data with colleagues, or collaboratively planning curriculum.

## Professional Development and Learning and the Student-Focused Coach

High-quality instructional coaching can provide the onsite, job-embedded, sustained PD for individuals and groups that really makes a difference. Coaches have specific expertise and can assist individuals and groups of teachers to gain the knowledge and skills needed to improve instruction and student outcomes.

## WHAT IS INSTRUCTIONAL COACHING?

Providing effective, strategic PD to teachers that ultimately results in improved student outcomes is the overarching purpose of coaching.

## Four Models of Coaching

1. **Technical Coaching**: The primary function of the coach in this model is to assist teachers in the accurate implementation of a specific program or strategy.
2. **Problem-Solving Coaching**: Involves working with colleagues to address specific concerns related to students.
3. **Reflective Practice Coaching**: Helps teachers become more aware of their instructional decision-making.
4. **Peer Coaching**: Involves teachers providing each other with on-site guidance, support, and feedback.

## STUDENT-FOCUSED COACHING

SFC is defined as a cooperative, ideally collaborative, professional relationship with colleagues mutually engaged in efforts that help maximize every teacher’s knowledge and skills to enhance student learning.